How brokers are earning their ‘trusted advisor’ stripes

“Be the customer.”

That’s not a mantra from a class in method acting. It’s a verbatim response from a broker answering Canadian Underwriter’s 2026 National Broker Survey that asked brokers how they reach trusted advisor status with clients.

While statistical responses to our 2026 survey questions were consistent with prior years (79% say ‘proactively telling clients about relevant new products’ is a top technique for gaining client trust in 2026 – against 77% last year, and 78% in 2024), the verbatim answer fields let brokers give insights on they create consistent service experiences.

This year’s verbatim responses stress brokers need to enhance their proactivity with solid product knowledge, and the ability and willingness to obtain niche answers to client questions.

“Don’t BS your way through a conversation,” says a female respondent at a medium-sized firm with between 20 and 99 employees. “Know your stuff and if you don’t know it, learn it.”

And, if you don’t know the answer, be honest with the client, tell them you’ll get back after some research, and make sure you have contacts that help provide answers when clients need them, say several respondents. “Even if you don’t know the answers the client is seeking, putting in the effort to get those answers…is a good way to develop a trusted advisor status with your clients,” writes one respondent.

Another way to do that, adds a broker with 30-plus years in the business at a firm with 100-plus employees, is to “discuss risks and solutions to problems with respected underwriters and teammates,” and then take those solutions back to the client.

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Elsewhere on the numbers, 79% of 2026 survey respondents say ‘proactively informing clients of emerging risks and exposures’ is key to gaining trusted advisor status. That percentage has ranged between 76% and 79% over the past five survey years.

Again, verbatim responses flesh out how brokers are doing that. In written responses, brokers stress the need to keep current on niche products, and when necessary, “introduce true specialists and not try to do it all on your own,” as one large-firm broker puts it.

It’s also important to take discussions beyond product, says another mid-career broker at a large firm. “[Have] more conversation on their operations, successes [and] failures to know where they are trending and identify opportunities based on this,” he tells the survey.

And be honest and forthright about the solutions for a client’s particular situation, says a broker with 16 or fewer years in the business who works at a large firm. “It is most important to advise them against misrepresenting when you realize they are trying to save money by altering facts [or] situations,” she tells the survey. “Most clients appreciate candid advice even though it may not be what they want to hear [it].”

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Two more methods popular with respondents are ‘developing specialty market expertise,’ which gets a thumbs up from 70% this year, against 68% last year, and ‘developing deep knowledge of a small selection of products,’ which sees 67% support this year and 68% last year.

“Follow the industry that you insure, and the insurance industry, so you know about emerging trends and…know about threats to the industry so you can offer advice to clients,” says a mid-career woman respondent at a small firm with 20 or fewer employees.

Another respondent adds, “Focus on an area of insurance and learn all you can about it. Learn all the carriers and their differences. Most importantly, know the people at the carriers that can help you.”

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Several respondents emphasize brokers must be able to explain coverages in plain language, even for sophisticated commercial clients. “Be clear to a client at the outset about what a product is designed to deal with,” says a respondent. “And assist in every part of the process as, left to its own devices, the insurer will not be enough.”

Further, managing client expectations helps improve specialty relationships, says a respondent at mid-sized firm.

“Keep up to date with carrier changes to appetite and capacity,” she tells the survey. “Make sure to always advise clients of delays in processing and/or payment schedules in a proactive manner to remove confusion or anger from the clients if there are delays.”

Canadian Underwriter’s 2026 National Broker Survey heard from 169 brokers, with 32 identifying as brokerage owners or principals. The survey was conducted in February 2026, with support from Sovereign Insurance.

Phil Porado

Phil, an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience in financial topics, has been managing editor of Canadian Underwriter for more than three years.