This article was created in partnership with Aon Edge.
As extreme weather and regulatory changes escalate across the insurance landscape, few sectors are as impacted or as misunderstood as flood insurance. Data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) found that in 2024 there were 27 weather and climate disasters costing at least $1 billion in damages. Between 1980 and 2024, inland flooding cost the US $203 billion with severe storms accounting for the highest number of billion-dollar disasters.
In a recent interview with Insurance Business, Matt Terrio, head of sales and strategy at Aon Edge, revealed how he and his team are equipping agents with tools, training, and human connection to meet rising demand and complexity with confidence.
“Our commitment to empowering agents starts with our people,” Terrio told IB. “Or, more specifically, our customer service reps. They're deeply experienced in the nuances of flood insurance and really stand at the ready to assist agents, both with the routine as well as the complex questions that arise day to day.”
This frontline support is reinforced by a dual-channel sales team that is reactively supporting agents as challenges arise and then proactively offering training and resources. The goal, Terrio revealed, is to prepare agents for evolving regulatory shifts and climate risks, neither of which we can control, obviously. Here, Aon Edge’s passion for technology is unmistakable.
“We’ve invested a lot in our quoting platform,” Terrio explained. “It’s designed to be intuitive and agent-friendly. We’re pre-filling information wherever possible, trying to reduce friction and really empower agents to confidently engage with flood insurance – even if it's not a peril that they regularly encounter.”
Terrio told IB that their agents can rate quote, rate, and bind policies in minutes – which is rather crucial in today's fast-moving environment. And the tech enablement doesn’t stop there.
“We've got monthly live learning sessions that focus on what we consider to be relevant and very timely topics,” added Terrio. “[In fact], we've got an upcoming session that's going to be focused on tactics to help grow your flood insurance revenue.”
When asked about the hurdles agents confront when selling flood insurance, Terrio told IB that the thing that comes to his mind is misconception.
“Many insureds are mistakenly under the belief that their homeowners insurance policy is going to cover a flood event,” he said. “They're reliant on local history – ‘it's never flooded here before’ or we've heard quite a few times ‘my realtor said I don't need it’. These beliefs mean agents are often having to fight uphill battles just to start the conversation.”
To help agents build the case for flood insurance,, Aon Edge provides hard data. According to its citations, 90% of all natural disasters involve flooding, 99% of all US counties have experienced a flood event in recent decades and 25% of small businesses never reopen after a disaster.
But for Terrio, the facts are only the first part of the process. A constant focus on making the quoting process easier is vital. With flood insurance evolving rapidly, Aon Edge relies on internal partnerships, proprietary data tools and technology to achieve this. “We’re working to supply key underwriting characteristics such as building replacement cost and square footage to provide quotes quickly and accurately,” he told IB.
Using these tools, “We’re able to deliver precise risk assessments that support better decisions for agents as well as clients,” Terrio explained. “Our newly enhanced EZ Flood Commercial offering was built around agents' need for a more streamlined solution for the small commercial market. Now agents have the ability to rate, quote, and bind in a matter of minutes.”
That transformation, Terrio emphasized, is a direct result of close collaboration with agency partners. “Whether it’s through annual surveys, calls, or trade shows, we like to operate in this ‘you spoke, we listened’ type mentality,” he said.
“It’s a win-win-win outcome – agents getting a more efficient process, insureds getting timely and accurate coverage, and then Edge continuing to lead with innovation.”
As the conversation shifts to strategic enablement, Terrio sees a promising future here too. As he told IB, there’s tremendous opportunity for agent education and enablement to really drive the evolution of flood insurance distribution.
“Technology, and especially AI, are transforming the insurance industry,” he said. “[However], technology alone isn’t enough. Our colleagues remain at the heart of our strategy, providing the expertise, support, and personal touch that agents and their clients rely upon.”
The dual focus on human and digital is part of what Terrio calls a marriage of tech and human interaction.
“For a company to go all in on AI and completely sidesteps the personal touch is a misstep,” he said. “I think back to the conferences that I attend throughout the year. This is a relationship business – and that is never more true than when you're face to face with a partner or a prospect.”
Whether it’s sitting down, having a cup of coffee talking through what agents are seeing or reshaping digital tools based on frontline feedback, Terrio believes this duality – human and tech – is what makes Aon Edge distinct.
Ultimately, Terrio sees Aon Edge as playing a deeper role in the evolving insurance landscape.
“As both the climate and regulatory environments continue to change, I see our role at Edge continuing to be a leader in both innovation as well as partnership,” he said.
“We’re going to continue to evolve and provide cutting-edge technology with our deep expertise to deliver flood insurance that’s going to work for agents and for their insureds – with the hope that we’re really trying to build more resilient communities across the country.”
