How Technology Cultivates Commercial Lines Growth

• July 1, 2025

By Anupam Gupta

We’re in the height of summer and, much like our thermometers, the commercial lines sector is experiencing a continued period of warm growth, presenting a compelling opportunity for insurance agencies of all sizes looking to expand and diversify their portfolios.

Fueled by evolving market conditions and advancements in technology, commercial lines is becoming more accessible and profitable, particularly for smaller agencies that may have previously found it challenging to compete in.

Just as summer brings a period of increased activity and growth, technology offers a refreshing approach for agencies entering or expanding into commercial lines. Agencies that embrace technology have the ability and opportunity to handle larger and more complex accounts and, ultimately, secure larger premiums.

One of the most impactful technological advancements for small agencies in commercial lines is the emergence of comparative rating tools. These platforms gather the seeds that grow an agency’s business. They allow agents to harvest a bouquet of quotes from multiple insurance carriers simultaneously by inputting client data only once, eliminating the barrier that agencies with limited resources face.

This “one-to-many” quoting approach removes the tedious and time-consuming process of navigating individual carrier portals to pluck one quote at a time. Access to a broader network of national and regional carriers ensures that clients are presented with comprehensive and cost-effective coverage options, enhancing the agency’s ability to compete with larger adversaries. Comparative rating tools allow staff to spend more time tending to client relationships and planting new seeds to help their business grow strong and vibrant.

Now that the seeds are planted, agencies need to fully reap the fruits of their labor. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in.

The integration of AI into agency software is revolutionizing how agencies can approach commercial lines. It functions as a knowledgeable gardener, providing insights that assist agencies in making strategic decisions and cultivating success. AI-powered tools can aid in building and enriching client risk profiles to help agencies better understand customer risks and exposures, enhancing prospecting and retention strategies.

These tools can start with as little as a business name and address and build a detailed risk profile by collecting relevant information from thousands of digital sources, including industry and company websites, social networks, consumer reviews, public records and government databases. This streamlines the underwriting process and helps identify coverage gaps for account rounding.

Once the risk profiles have been built out, AI can analyze past placement successes to recommend the most suitable carrier markets, ensuring each client is placed with the right carrier for optimal growth. Moreover, AI-driven tools can assist with generating renewal notifications for existing accounts to identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities. Growing the average number of policies per client ensures the agency’s garden thrives and protects clients with the appropriate coverage.

AI can even streamline back-office operations, such as importing lead lists to auto-populate risk profiles for an agency’s list of prospects, freeing up agents to focus on higher-value client interactions. By leveraging these AI-powered insights, small agencies can demonstrate expertise and build stronger client relationships, allowing them to confidently grow more intricate commercial accounts.

Anupam Gupta is chief product officer at Applied Systems.