# Five Ways to Thrive in a Softening Commercial Insurance Market _Published: 2026-07-06T00:00:00.000+01:00_ Learn five key ways insurance businesses can navigate a softening market smarter, faster, and more intuitively. When markets soften, competition intensifies. In this environment, differentiation becomes critical to success. The winners are typically those that retain customers through exceptional service, maintain underwriting discipline and pricing even as margins compress, and importantly, can unlock new growth opportunities. The latest [Insurance Times Commercial Line Premium Index](https://www.insurancetimes.co.uk/analysis/no-end-in-sight-for-commercial-lines-soft-market-as-108-gwp-drop-marks-fifth-quarter-of-falls/1457756.article) reported a 10.8% year-on-year decline in commercial lines gross written premium in Q4 2025, marking the fifth successive quarter of declines and confirming that soft market conditions persist. To break this down further, packaged products recorded the largest declines (down 18.8%), followed by commercial combined (-15.1%) and combined liability (-13.5%). Specialist lines fell 10.9%, while fleet and property owners each fell by around 6%. Those that thrive in a soft market [embed technology that enables agility, insight, and connection.](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/insurance) Here are five key ways insurance businesses - from brokers to underwriters, and networks - can navigate a softening market smarter, faster, and more intuitively – from agentic AI and smarter data analytics to streamlined onboarding: ## 1. Improve Retention by Building Meaningful Relationships Retention is the new growth in a soft market. Customer expectations do not fall alongside rates, in fact in a price-sensitive market consistency, trust and value-added service, rather than the lowest premium, is the surest way to drive differentiation and therefore growth. A unified 360° client view with embedded intelligence can help insurance businesses surface critical insights such as renewal timings, coverage gaps and claims history. In turn this gives front-line teams new opportunities to engage proactively at every stage of the policy lifecycle and continuously address emerging needs, risks and opportunities. The result is increased loyalty, reduced churn, and more profitable renewals. ## 2. Maintain Underwriting and Pricing Discipline with Smarter Insight In soft markets there can often be real temptation to loosen underwriting and pricing standards in order to chase volume. But maintaining discipline is vital to maintaining profitable and sustainable business. [With the right tools](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/solutions/smartbroker) and connected financial and company intelligence insurance businesses can achieve the portfolio-level visibility required to anticipate risks, spot accumulations, and see patterns of exposures. Layer over this streamlined, data-driven workflows and the ability to make rapid adjustments to pricing and appetite becomes easier, helping to retain discipline whilst maintaining margin and protecting the integrity of every book of business. ## 3. Unlock New Opportunities with AI and Smarter Data Technology and data analytics are essential to identify trends, improve risk assessment, optimise pricing and use insight to drive competitive proposition advantage in a soft market. With the emergence of agentic AI, what we call [Digital Partners](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/news/ncino-introduces-digital-partners-role-based-agents), that intelligence doesn’t just inform decision-making, it acts on it. Think of role-specific AI agents working alongside broking or underwriting teams in the background: continuously monitoring client data, tracking business and risk changes, and surfacing the right insight at exactly the right moment, directly within platforms like Acturis. Brokers arrive at every renewal or new business conversation already knowing their client’s position – before the competition has even noticed the opportunity. Harnessing data from multiple sources and applying the [latest advances in artificial intelligence](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/solutions/data-ai-analytics) can help spot shifts in customer behaviour as well as emerging risks and market trends. This can help insurance businesses deepen relationships, reduce friction, launch new product offerings or refine existing ones, and spot gaps in the market or underserved customer segments. And most importantly, do it all faster than the competition. ## 4. Maintain Focus on Sustaining Growth The market may be softening but growth is absolutely still possible. [With the right data and ability to streamline complex workflows](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/solutions/smartbroker) insurance businesses can continue to target the right clients at the right time and jump on the best opportunities for growth. Improving the customer experience throughout every stage from [acquisition and onboarding, to monitoring and retention](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/solutions/client-lifecycle-management), and offering value beyond price. Likewise, renewals are a key battleground in a [softening market](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/blog/four-ways-to-thrive-in-a-softening-commercial-insurance-market), where clients are being actively targeted by competitors offering lower premiums, and churn is a significant threat to profitability. Again, AI can assist. Rather than waiting for renewal dates to arrive, with AI working to continuously monitor clients via real-time data feeds, and tracking business, financial, market and risk changes, when something meaningful changes, the broker is instantly prompted to act, directly within Acturis or any preferred platform. The impact is sharper targeting, better renewal conversations, and more confident client engagement. ## 5. Accelerate Onboarding and Compliance In a competitive soft market, speed and compliance can be the difference between winning and losing a client. In a world where Consumer Duty obligations demand more, not less, operational friction has a real cost. With a modern onboarding solution integrated with Acturis or any distribution platform of choice, brokers, insurers and networks can automate commercial client onboarding end-to-end. Forms are pre-populated instantly, and compliance checks run automatically without manual intervention. The result is onboarding times cut by over 80%, materially reduced policy review time, and a compliance audit trail that satisfies Consumer Duty requirements whilst reducing burden. Automated renewal alerts also mean no opportunity is ever missed. In a soft market, that kind of operational advantage compounds quickly. A softening market doesn’t have to mean less opportunity. Thriving just requires a shift in perspective – from chasing volume to excelling at service and value. Insurance businesses that invest in the right technology will win out. nCino is an [award-winning](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fullcircl_insurance-insurtech-brokers-activity-7257012432663973889-zhEF/) l[eader in the global InsurTech market](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/news/fullcircl-featured-in-insurtech-100-list), helping [drive a new era in insurance success](https://fintech.global/2025/06/03/fullcircls-key-insights-for-a-new-era-of-insurance/) even in soft market conditions. We’re dedicated to creating powerful solutions that help deliver exceptional service while achieving growth objectives. From underwriters seeking new ways to enhance risk decisioning to brokers and networks seeking organic growth, we’re committed to delivering the innovation that transforms how they operate. PIB, [Howden](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/news/howden-integrates-fullcircl-into-acturis-to-enhance-client-experience-whilst-reducing-the-cost-of-compliance), [Hedron](https://fintech.global/2023/10/31/hedron-network-champions-acturis-fullcircl-integration/), Aon and Aviva are amongst those already taking the lead. [Book your free personalised demo](https://www.ncino.com/en-GB/demo) and start thriving, not just surviving, in this soft commercial insurance market. ### **Want to connect with the most prominent commercial minds in our insurance network? ** [We’re hosting an exclusive lunch and learn session with our partners BIBA and Pelican Insured](https://info.ncino.com/rs/775-TRD-708/images/Beyond the Soft Market - Growth Strategies for Modern Insurance Businesses.pdf?version=0) to discuss how brokers can move beyond the soft market via modern growth strategies. Taking place at the Ivy Tower Bridge on 22nd July, we’ll chat through how the right technology can be the difference between thriving and standing still. To secure your place at the table, contact [marta.patayova@ncino.com](mailto:marta.patayova@ncino.com). --- [View sitemap](https://www.ncino.com/api/markdown/sitemap)