INSURANCE BROKERAGE SERVICES

• US 20160260175A1
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Rogers
• Original Assignee: Christopher Rogers
• Inventors: Rogers, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,643,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methods for providing insurance brokerage services for both a property owner and potential insurers. The methods provides for virtual websites and related mobile applications for estimating the value of a property based on current reconstruction costs. The methods also provide for aiding a property owner in procuring an insurer by compiling property valuation information in a format that is submitted to potential insurers to bid upon. The methods further provides for helping property owners manage changes to property value and updating insurance policy based on valuation changes to reconstruction costs as well as compiling information for reconstruction costs when damage does occur. Finally, disclosure provides for methods of maintaining important records for insurer, maintaining communications between insured and insurer, and providing emergency services related to the insured property in the time of emergencies related to the insured property.

Claims

1. A method for providing insurance brokerage services for a property owner and an insurer (potential insurer) comprising:

providing a virtual website or a mobile application for estimating the current value of a property;

procuring an insurer for the property owner for a property,

managing changes to the property and its value,

automatically updating an insurance policy based on changes to the property and its value,

managing claims brought in connection with a property when damage occurs, and

providing emergency services related to an insured property.

2. The method and system of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a virtual agency to manage the virtual website, the mobile application, and facilitate insurance brokerage services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual agency provides the property owner with virtual pages and environments for entering information about the property the property owner wishes to insure and information insurers need to for determining cost for rebuilding the property;

the virtual website or the mobile application estimates the value of the property based on the information entered;

the winning insurer will replace property based on the pre-determined value of the property.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual website and mobile application further providing a list of property owners seeking insurance.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

enabling potential insurers to request a usable summary from the property owner through the virtual agency in order to formulate an insurance bid for at least one property described on the virtual website or on the mobile application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual agency further comprises:

compiling the insurance bids from potential insurers for the property owner to review and enabling the property owner to select the insurer and an insurance policy according to at least one insurer-selected criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

enabling the virtual agency to periodically update the value of the property insured based improvements the property owner has made to the property after being informed of such improvements; and

updating the usable summary and the corresponding insurance policy.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

enabling communication between the property owner and the selected insurer through the virtual agency, and the maintaining in the virtual agency records/copies/of communications between the property owner and the selected insurer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the virtual agency automatic email forwarding records of communication to an alias.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual agency further comprises a plurality of phone conferencing lines so the property owner can verbally communicate with the insurer and the virtual agency will maintain records of these communications.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

assigning by the virtual agency a QR code to an incident associated with at least one property associated with at least one property owner when damage occurs.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

enabling a plurality of contractors to use the QR code and enabling the plurality of contractors to information to bid on the project of restoring the property after damage occurs.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

enabling the property owner to grant or deny permission to at least one of the plurality of contractors to view information on the property and the associated damages and wherein, the contractors granted access to the property information can formulate a bid on the project for restoring the damaged property.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

maintaining records of the incident by the virtual agency wherein the records comprise photos and related reports in the usable summary.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual agency further comprises:

compiling contractor bids from potential contractors wishing to procure work on restoration project for the property owner to review.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the virtual agency to manage payments between the property owner and the insurer or the contractor.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual agency further comprises a digital locker in which the property owner can retain copies of at least one important document.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the property can be either real property or personal property.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual agency provides estimates the materials to determine the value of the property based on the information the property enters;

the virtual agency compiles the property information into a usable summary.

5. The method of claim 5, wherein the usable summary contains estimated values of materials to determine value of the property based on current day reconstruction costs.