Real Estate Insurance in Wisconsin
The real estate industry can be exciting, fast-paced, and on-the-go especially in times when the real estate market is on the rise. This makes it a fun and profitable profession, but at the same time increases the likelihood for insurance claims against real estate professionals. Whether you work in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, or anywhere in between, if you work in Wisconsin odds are 98+% of real estate professionals invest in various insurance policies to manage their exposure. Below we explain the 3 main types of real estate insurance and how working in Wisconsin may be different.
Types of Real Estate Insurance in Wisconsin
There are 3 main types of insurance for real estate:
- errors and omissions
- cyber liability
- general liability insurance
Although errors and omissions insurance is not mandated by Wisconsin, E&O insurance is often required by another authority such as your real estate franchise or bank partners. Regardless of whether it is actually mandatory, common sense or past experiences often make signing up for errors and omissions insurance in Wisconsin an obvious choice.
Errors and Omissions Insurance in Wisconsin
Just as the name would suggest, errors and omissions insurance covers errors and omissions made by real estate professionals working on behalf of a real estate brokerage. Specifically, E&O typically covers situations like not disclosing relevant information about the property, or not showing a property to a prospective buyer to even bodily injury or damage that could happen during a showing. In general terms, broadform E&O policies protect both the brokerages and individual real estate agents if they’re sued by a client because of a mistake they’ve made related to transactions in real estate.
Errors and omissions insurance for real estate often covers defense costs, legal costs, and court costs related to a claim.
Cyber Liability Insurance for Real Estate in Wisconsin
Cyber Liability Insurance for real estate is a relatively new type of insurance policy in Wisconsin that is designed to protect businesses from both 1st and 3rd party risks associated with cyber attacks and fraud. Real Estate professionals are a prime target for these types of attacks, because real estate deals involve complicated, multi-party, high value transactions and sensitive personal data.
First party Cyber Liability policies cover the real estate agent directly and include things like Cyber Extortion, Electronic Transfer Fraud, Deceptive Funds Transfer, and Telephone Tolls, to name a few. Direct coverage is important, but from what we have seen are rarely the reason why real estate professionals decide to purchase cyber liability policies. It’s the 3rd party protection that is usually the consideration, because that coverage would protect the vendor/partner or clients and in real estate deals, this is where the majority of the money is.
General Liability Insurance for Real Estate in Wisconsin
General Liability Insurance or business liability insurance is a common type of coverage in any industry that protects businesses from claims resulting from normal business operations not specifically related to the real estate industry.
Specifically, General Liability Insurance in Wisconsin will cover personal and advertising injury, damage to properties that are rented to your business, as well as, bodily injury or medical claims, and other common business liability exposure.
Finding the Right Partner
Navigating the regulations and designing a comprehensive policy for real estate professionals requires finding a partner with the right knowledge and experience. At PBI Group, we have written over 50,000 real estate E&O policies for thousands of real estate companies throughout the 50 states. For Cyber Liability insurance, a comprehensive plan specifically for real estate professionals doesn’t yet exist and the risks are changing and evolving constantly. PBI Group is committed to researching and working with carriers to create the best plan.
PBI Group is founded on the principles of trust, partnership, fanatical service and, most of all, industry leading E&O coverages. We do what we do because we believe there is a better way to buy professional liability insurance than online portals with cheap premiums and minimalist coverage. When your policy comes up for review, don’t just accept your renewal quote without finding out the benefits that come along with best.
RECOGNIZE ANY OF THESE RESPECTED REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS?We Love our Clients!
I have worked with Paul Bondy of PBI Group for many years when selecting E&O coverage for my Wisconsin brokerage and have always been treated fairly and respectfully. I was given many options for coverage at renewal time and was never pushed in one direction. When I had questions about various elements of coverage, they were answered in detail, and to my satisfaction. I had the feeling that my best interests were at the heart of the matter! Additionally, my calls and emails were always responded to lightening fast! I would welcome the opportunity to share my experience with anyone considering this company, and I recommend them to anyone who needs real estate E&O insuarnce without reservation.
The team at PBI Group are phenomenal to work with. They have provided us with excellent real estate E&O coverage and take a proactive, forward-thinking, approach to E&O & Cyber Liability insurance.
When we first launched our brokerage, a close personal friend who was the VP of an E&O Insurance brokerage became our go-to for insurance needs. He was trustworthy and provided excellent service for several years, until career opportunities led him to a different industry. After his departure, I felt somewhat adrift. Each year, I’d be bombarded with emails about our E&O renewal, each promising significantly lower rates and outstanding service. Sadly, none lived up to their promises.
That changed when I was introduced to Paul Bondy at PBI Group. From our initial conversations, it was clear he was different. Paul didn’t just focus on selling insurance; he showed a genuine interest in our company and our specific needs for insurance coverage. He strikes me as someone who has built a successful business by prioritizing steady growth and customer satisfaction over quick sales.
I can’t say enough good things about Paul and his team at PBI Group. They are the best we’ve encountered in this industry segment. It’s reassuring to know they have our best interests at heart, a quality I value immensely.
Paul at PBI Group has been extremely pleasant to work with. He has really taken his time in informing us of our options within our real estate E&O coverage and is always very responsive when we have a need. He really knows his stuff, and it’s clear to see he enjoys providing excellent service to his clients. We would certainly recommend PBI Group to anyone in Wisconsin looking for real estate errors and omissions insurance.
I have had a great experience with PBI Group. They were referred to me by another local Coldwell Banker office. Paul was super timely and informative. I really felt that he put together a real estate errors and omissions policy that fully fits our needs. I am looking forward to working with him in the future.
As a multi-office operation, professional errors and omissions insurance is absolutely essential. Paul has worked tirelessly on our behalf to find the coverage that best suits our needs. I have confidently referred PBI Group to other brokers in Wisconsin.
We have worked with PBI Group for our real estate E&O Insurance needs for several years. Paul has a great understanding of the real estate industry and has always been able to put together a customized and comprehensive protection package. We consider them valuable business partners.
I worked with Paul Bondy at PBI Group, and he was very attentive to our timeline and needs of a real estate firm. He was available 100% of the time he was needed and went above and beyond to work with us on our real estate E&O insurance. Not just on what he was offering, but what others were as well.
