1. Insured services

The policy should match what the business actually does. Sales, leasing, property management, mortgage work, appraisal, consulting, escrow and transaction coordination may be treated differently by different forms.

What are insured services? →

2. Exclusions and endorsements

We compare exclusions that could affect the client’s actual operations and then check whether important exposures are restored through endorsements, sublimits or special coverage provisions.

Real estate E&O exclusions to review →

3. Prior acts and continuity

For claims-made coverage, preserving the correct retroactive date can be more important than a modest premium difference. We compare prior-acts wording, continuity requirements and prior-knowledge questions before recommending a carrier change.

Changing E&O carriers →

4. Defense-cost treatment

Some policies reduce the liability limit as defense expenses are paid, while others may treat defense differently. That can materially affect how much limit remains during a serious claim.

Defense costs inside vs. outside the limit →

5. Deductible, retention and sublimits

The headline deductible does not tell the entire story. We check when it applies, whether separate amounts apply to certain allegations, how sublimits interact with the main limit and what the insured may have to fund during a claim.

E&O deductible vs. retention →

ECLICK broker perspective

We do not rank E&O quotes by premium first. We start by making sure the forms are actually comparable. If one carrier preserves prior acts, includes the client’s services and provides better treatment for an important exposure, that difference can be more meaningful than a lower price.

Reviewed by Marwan Nassar, broker/owner of ECLICK Business Insurance Services.