The Australian AR Insurance sector has matured significantly over the past decade.
What began as an alternative operating model has become a mainstream pathway for brokers seeking the benefits of business ownership alongside the support of a larger organisation. At the same time, increasing regulatory complexity, ongoing industry consolidation, rapid advances in technology and AI, and growing insurer investment in AR channels are reshaping broker expectations.
Recent industry reports highlight a clear trend: brokers are no longer looking solely for licensing and compliance support. They increasingly want autonomy, capability, technology, community and growth support, all while retaining control of the business they've worked hard to build.
Brokers are also preparing for a future where advice, judgement and client advocacy become even more valuable. As technology automates routine administration and transactional activity, successful brokerages will increasingly distinguish themselves through the quality of their professional knowledge, and relationships.
As a result, choosing an AR network is no longer simply about selecting a licence holder. It's about choosing the environment that will best support the future you want for your brokerage.
For many brokers, the decision to join an AR network is driven by a desire to grow something of their own, and focus on clients rather than the administrative burden of holding an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL)
However, the best networks do far more than satisfy licensing requirements.
Today's broker businesses must navigate:
These pressures are difficult to tackle alone.
A high performing AR network can provide access to established governance, specialist capability and collective scale. This can reduce the burden of running an AFSL and allow business owners to leverage support and services available through a network, to spend more time supporting clients and building their brokerage.
When selecting an AR network, one of the most important factors to consider is what type of support and capability is available now, and coming in the future, to create the greatest value for your business over the long term.
One of the strongest themes emerging across the Australian General Insurance AR sector is that brokers want autonomy. Not isolation.
Most brokers choose business ownership because they want the freedom to make decisions, build relationships under their own brand and create long-term value in an asset they own and control.
At the same time, few brokers want to tackle compliance, technology, recruitment, professional development, market access and succession planning entirely on their own.
The strongest networks strike a balance between these two objectives.
They allow brokers to:
When assessing an Insurance AR network, ask yourself:
Does this model help me remain autonomous while giving me access to support that would be difficult to build independently?
Questions to ask
CBN’s role is to give members the scale, resources and support of a wider network without taking away the independence that attracted many of them to the AR model in the first place.
Our value proposition is centred on giving independent brokers the capability of a larger organisation without asking them to give up their identity.
You’ll get to own your brand, your clients and your operating model. We are here to strengthen every aspect of this, with services, professional business guidance, capability uplift and the provision of capital to help take your brokerage where you want it to go.
Compliance remains essential and every AR network should provide robust governance, oversight and risk management frameworks.
But increasingly, brokers are seeking something more.
They want partners that help them become better businesses.
This is core to CBN’s broker success ecosystem, where we continually invest in the capability of our members through:
It should be the strong foundation upon which stronger broker businesses are built, however capability is where ARs have the opportunity to set themselves apart and deliver superior client outcomes.
When evaluating networks, look beyond policies, manuals and audit schedules.
Consider the practical support available when challenges arise, and resources available to continually grow your capability.
These questions are the 101 when considering an AR Network:
These questions often reveal more about a network than its compliance documentation ever will.
Technology has become one of the defining factors separating high-performing brokerages.
The conversation is also rapidly expanding beyond systems and workflows into artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven decision making.
For broker businesses, technology should not be assessed on features alone.
The real measure is whether it helps brokers:
When reviewing a network's technology offering, focus on the workflows your team completes every day.
Ask to see:
Technology should feel like an enabler, not another layer of work.
The most effective technology helps embed good broking practice into everyday workflows rather than relying on separate processes, checklists and manual oversight. It should support stronger client outcomes, improved risk management and more consistent service standards across the business.
Looking ahead, AI is also expected to reshape insurance broking by improving access to information, reducing duplication, enhancing client service and helping brokers deliver more informed advice. Networks investing thoughtfully in these capabilities will likely create significant advantages for their members in the years ahead.
With technology platforms such as Steadfast Apps, and Cova AI available to CBN network members, brokerages are well positioned to improve efficiency, deepen their advisory value and build sustainable businesses that deliver better client outcomes.
Questions to ask
One of the most underestimated factors when selecting an AR network is culture and community.
Yet it is these two things that often determine whether brokers remain engaged and successful over the long term.
Research increasingly highlights a shift towards community as a key differentiator between networks.
Brokers want access not only to services, but also to people – likeminded peers to share ideas, challenge and opportunities. As well as a team of professionals to support daily business needs and growth ambitions.
Strong AR network communities provide:
The best networks create environments where brokers can learn from one another, share experiences and draw on the knowledge of both their peers and the network team.
Running a business can feel isolating at times. Our goal is to ensure CBN members remain connected and supported as part of a like-minded broker community.
Better Community is one of CBN’s core strategic pillars, coming to life through practical opportunities for members to connect, learn and have a voice. These include the CBN Mentoring Program, our Where to Place online broker placement community, the annual SHINE conference, professional development days across Australia, local golf days, plus Christmas and end-of-financial-year functions. The Authorised Broker Council also provides members with a direct channel to raise issues and share feedback with CBN’s executive leaders.
Questions to ask
With the growing influence of the AR sector in Australia, insurers are placing increasing importance on AR channels and broker networks.
This creates significant opportunities for brokers to access markets, facilities and expertise that may otherwise be difficult to secure.
The most important question is "How well do those relationships support my clients?"
The best networks provide access to:
The true strength of insurer relationships is often revealed when a placement becomes difficult, capacity tightens, or a claim requires senior involvement.
As Australia’s largest AR network, part of the Steadfast Group, CBN gives members access to extensive insurer markets and the collective negotiating strength of a large broking organisation. This helps brokers compete more confidently with major broking groups and deliver strong client outcomes.
Questions to ask
One of the clearest themes emerging across the AR sector is that brokers increasingly seek a network that provides extensive business capability enhancement.
As technology reshapes routine administration and operational processes, future success is likely to depend more heavily on advice quality, business capability, strong systems and the ability to adapt.
As a result, many now assess network suitability based on a broader question:
What capability can this network add to my business?
Brokers are choosing networks that help them build sustainable, future-ready businesses rather than simply meet today's obligations.
Strong networks help brokerages access the infrastructure, expertise and operational support required to compete effectively, while allowing brokers to remain focused on serving clients and growing their business.
As brokerages grow, business owners often face challenges that require support across operational efficiency, claims advocacy, people management, marketing, technology, finance, legal matters, business growth and succession planning.
Setting up an internal function or outsourcing these services independently can be difficult or expensive for individual brokerages.
Leading AR networks such as CBN help bridge this gap by providing access to specialist capability across both insurance operations and business management.
At CBN some of these include:
The strongest networks act as business partners, helping brokers leverage specialist expertise while maintaining autonomy over how they operate and grow their business to build a sustainable brokerage for the future.
When assessing networks look beyond the support you need today and consider where you want to take your business tomorrow.
Questions to ask
The answer can reveal just as much about the long-term value of a network as its technology platform or commission structure.
Most brokerages begin their evaluation focusing on compliance, technology, management fees and commission structures.
The right network should not only help you meet regulatory obligations. It should strengthen your ability to serve clients, improve efficiency, grow your business and build long-term value.
When comparing networks, a useful evaluation framework is to compare networks across six core areas:
For each category:
The AR sector is evolving.
The brokers thriving within it are increasingly those who have found the right balance of autonomy, support, technology, capability and community.
Ultimately, choosing an AR network isn't just about how your business operates today.
It's about a network that aligns with your vision for the business you want to own tomorrow.
