Mentoring New Florida Agents: How to Talk About the 2026 Insurance Market

If you are just starting your insurance career in Florida, you are stepping into the market at a very important time. The last few years have been some of the toughest our homeowners have ever seen, but 2026 is finally bringing signs of stability and opportunity for good agents who know how to guide their clients.

In this mentor-style overview, I’ll walk you through how we got here, what has changed, and how to explain these shifts to your clients so you can build trust, set realistic expectations, and grow a strong, long-term book of business.

First lesson: Tell the story before the numbers

When you sit down with a Florida homeowner, remember that most of them have lived this crisis personally. They have seen premiums jump, carriers leave, and friends get dropped with little warning. If you start with technical terms and statutes, you will lose them.

Instead, start with the story. Explain that for several years, Florida’s property insurance market was in crisis, and that they were not alone in feeling frustrated and scared. Once clients feel understood, they are far more open to hearing about why things are improving and what options they have today.

How to explain the “bad years” in plain language

New agents often ask how much detail to give about the past. You do not need to give a legal seminar, but you should understand and be able to explain the main forces that drove the crisis.

Here is a simple way to frame it for clients and for yourself as a professional:

• Too many lawsuits: For years, Florida had an unusually high number of property insurance lawsuits. Many were legitimate, but a significant number were inflated or abusive. That legal pressure drove up costs for every insurer and, in turn, every policyholder.
• Insurers leaving or failing: After repeated hurricanes, rising reinsurance costs, and heavy legal expenses, several regional carriers went under. Others reduced their footprint or stopped writing new business, which left homeowners with fewer options.
• Premiums rising fast: When there are fewer insurers and higher claim costs, the remaining companies have to charge more to stay in business. That is why your clients saw sudden, steep increases over just a few years.
• Limited competition: With fewer companies writing policies, there was less pressure to keep prices competitive or innovate on coverage options.

As a mentor, I want you to notice that each of these points connects to something your clients already feel: confusion, fear of losing coverage, and frustration with rate increases. Use their experience as your starting point.

Teaching the turning point: What changed with reform

Once your client understands the “why” behind the pain, you can introduce the reforms that started turning the market around. This is also where your professionalism as an agent really shows.

Here is a mentoring framework you can use to explain the legislative changes without overwhelming people:

• “The state changed the rules of the game”: Let them know that, beginning in 2022, Florida passed several laws aimed at reducing abusive lawsuits and stabilizing the market. The goal was to make it possible for insurers to stay in Florida and new companies to come in.
• “They tackled lawsuit abuse and fees”: One-way attorney fees and certain legal tactics made it very attractive to sue insurers, even on questionable claims. The reforms changed how attorneys are paid and how certain claims are handled, which reduced the incentive to file weak cases.
• “They helped insurers afford reinsurance”: The state also put programs in place to help carriers buy reinsurance (insurance for insurance companies) so that big storms would not automatically push them toward insolvency. When reinsurance is more stable, homeowner premiums can be more stable too.
• “They pushed for faster, clearer claims handling”: New rules improved timelines and communication expectations, which is good for both consumers and honest carriers.

When you explain these points, keep bringing it back to your client: these changes are why we are finally starting to see more companies writing business again and why some homeowners are seeing smaller increases—or even decreases—at renewal.

Helping a new agent read the signs of recovery

As a new or potential agent, you might hear headlines about “stabilization” and “market recovery” and wonder what that actually looks like day to day. Let me translate that into what you will see in your office.

Here are the main signs I want you to watch for and understand:

• Renewals that do not shock people: Instead of double-digit increases every year, more clients are seeing smaller changes, and some are even getting rate reductions. You should learn how to compare last year’s premium, new mitigation credits, and carrier options so you can show clients the difference clearly.
• More carrier options on your rater: A few years ago, there were times when agents ran a quote and saw one or two viable options. Today, in many areas, you are starting to see more markets willing to compete for the risk. That is a sign of health.
• Citizens policies moving back to the private market: As private carriers get stronger, some policies are being removed from Citizens and placed with private companies. You should be ready to explain why that can be a good thing for the client long term.
• Underwriters asking better questions, not just saying “no”: Improved conditions do not mean careless underwriting. Carriers still want solid roofs, good maintenance, and strong mitigation—but you will see more willingness to find solutions instead of simply declining.

Your job as an agent is to connect these market signs to real benefits for your clients, while still preparing them for the reality that Florida will never be the cheapest state for property insurance.

Coaching point: Set realistic expectations for 2026

New agents sometimes get excited and promise too much. Do not tell clients that rates will drop dramatically or that problems are over. Instead, teach them the difference between “crisis” and “improvement.”

Here is how I coach agents to frame expectations for 2026:

• “Stability, not giveaways”: Explain that the biggest win right now is stability—smaller changes, fewer surprises, and more predictability at renewal. That alone can be a relief for homeowners who have been bracing themselves every year.
• “More competition, but still Florida pricing”: Yes, more companies are writing here, and that helps with pricing and options. But remind clients that coastal risk and hurricane exposure will always keep Florida premiums higher than many other states.
• “Coverage can improve if the risk improves”: With a healthier market, carriers can offer more flexible coverage options, but they still expect homeowners to do their part by maintaining and hardening their homes.
• “Underwriting will stay strict”: Make it clear that companies will continue to look closely at roofs, prior losses, maintenance, and mitigation. This is not a sign of a problem—it is a sign the market is trying to stay healthy.

If you consistently give honest, balanced expectations, you will build a reputation as a trustworthy professional, not just a salesperson.

Teaching your client how to be a “good risk”

One of the most valuable things you can do as an agent is teach your clients how to make themselves more attractive to insurers. This is where you move from simply quoting to truly advising.

Here are the core habits I encourage new agents to discuss with every homeowner:

• Shop smart, not just fast: Encourage clients to review their coverage every year, but also explain why “cheapest” is not always best. Teach them to compare deductibles, exclusions, and endorsements—not just the bottom-line price.
• Invest in mitigation: Walk them through the kinds of upgrades that matter most in Florida: roof improvements, impact windows or shutters, reinforced doors and garage doors, and secondary water barriers. Show them how these changes can both protect their home and earn premium credits.
• Maintain the property: Teach clients that insurers look at condition as much as age. A well-maintained older home can sometimes be more attractive than a poorly maintained newer one.
• Watch their financial profile: Many carriers use insurance scores that are influenced by credit behavior. Without giving financial advice, you can gently remind clients that paying bills on time and avoiding heavy debt can help their overall insurance profile.
• Keep you in the loop: Explain that any major change—remodels, new roofs, solar panels, or changes in occupancy—should trigger a quick check-in with you. This is how you make sure coverage stays aligned with their real-life situation.

When you teach clients to think this way, you are not just selling a policy; you are building a partnership. That is how you retain business, get referrals, and build a career, not just a job.

Your role in this “new chapter” for Florida

Florida’s property insurance market is not perfect and it never will be, but we are in a much better place than we were a few years ago. For new agents, this is an excellent time to enter the field because you get to be the voice of clarity in a time of change.

As a mentor, here is my challenge to you: learn the story of this market well enough that you can explain it at a kitchen table, not just pass a state exam. If you can combine that knowledge with empathy, honesty, and ongoing education, you will become the kind of agent homeowners are grateful to have on their side in 2026 and beyond.