Velaris vs. your insurance broker
Your broker isn't bad. They're just spread too thin to build a program that fits property management. Here's what changes when you work with a specialist.
Feature-by-feature comparison
A good broker can place coverage. A specialist builds a program. Here's what that difference looks like in practice.
| Feature | Velaris | Traditional broker |
|---|---|---|
| Specializes in short-term rentals | ||
| Understands per-reservation coverage models | ||
| Guest-paid damage protection | ||
| PMS integration (80+ platforms) | ||
| Auto-enrollment for new properties | ||
| COIs generated and delivered automatically | ||
| Single program covering all 5 policy types | ||
| PM controls pricing and margins | ||
| Claims dashboard with real-time tracking | ||
| Company coverage (GL, E&O, D&O, cyber) | ||
| Workers' comp coverage | ||
| Property damage coverage | ||
| Liability coverage | ||
| Handles exotic or unusual risk classes | ||
| Existing long-term carrier relationships |
When a broker makes sense
Brokers aren't obsolete. There are situations where a generalist broker is the right call. The question is whether your short-term rental program is one of them.
But for the STR-specific part of your coverage — property damage, guest liability, business interruption, damage control, COIs, and PMS integration — a specialist program outperforms a generalist every time. Some PMs keep their broker for company-level policies and use Velaris for the rest.
What Velaris does differently
A broker places policies. Velaris builds a program — integrated with your PMS, funded by guests, and designed around the specific risks of short-term rental management.
Your broker handles restaurants, contractors, retail shops, and property managers. Velaris only does short-term rental insurance. That focus means your program is built around the risks your properties actually face — not adapted from a template designed for a different industry.
Velaris connects to your PMS to auto-enroll new properties, generate COIs on demand, and pull booking data into claims. A broker can't plug into your tech stack — you're emailing spreadsheets and waiting for callbacks.
Velaris lets you collect a per-reservation protection fee from guests and keep the margin. A traditional broker doesn't have a guest-funded coverage model — premiums come out of your operating budget.
COIs in hours, not days. Claims filed through a dashboard, not a phone tree. Coverage changes applied through your PMS, not a renewal meeting 6 months from now. The operational difference compounds across every property in your portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my broker and use Velaris?
Yes. Some PMs use Velaris for their STR-specific program (property damage, guest liability, business interruption, damage control) and keep their broker for company-level policies like workers' comp or commercial auto. Your Velaris advisor can map the coverage so nothing overlaps and nothing falls through the cracks.
How is Velaris different from a managing general agent?
An MGA underwrites on behalf of a carrier. No Velaris entity underwrites or issues insurance. Velaris Insurance Agency, LLC places the conventional coverage with insurers as your broker of record, Velaris Protection Services, LLC administers the program and adjusts claims under the insurer's written authority, and Velaris Group, Inc. builds the technology that ties coverage design, PMS integration, enrollment, COIs and claims into one program. Think of it as the difference between a wholesale lender and a mortgage platform.
My broker has gotten me good rates. Why would I switch?
Rate is one variable, but it's not the only one. A broker might get you a competitive premium on a commercial property policy, but they probably can't build a guest-paid damage program, auto-enroll properties through your PMS, or generate COIs on demand. The total cost of managing insurance through a generalist broker — your time, your team's time, the gaps — often exceeds the premium difference.
What if my broker says they can do everything Velaris does?
Ask them three questions: Can you integrate with my PMS and auto-enroll new properties? Can you set up a guest-paid per-reservation damage program? Can you generate and deliver COIs automatically? If the answer to any of those is no, they're offering traditional insurance — not a purpose-built STR program.
Is Velaris an insurance company or a broker?
Velaris is a group of companies with separate roles, and none of them is an insurance company. Velaris Insurance Agency, LLC is a licensed insurance agency and surplus lines broker: it places your conventional-carrier coverage and acts as your broker of record. Velaris Protection Services, LLC administers the program and adjusts claims under written authority from the insurer. Liability coverage is issued by The Guild, a Risk Retention Group, to its subscriber-members in the states where it is registered. Velaris Group, Inc. builds and operates the technology and has no insurance role. The pricing, structure and claims process you see are a program built on that split, and the insurance itself is issued by the insurers named on your policy or certificate. The program disclosures set out who does what.
Ready to work with a specialist?
Talk to us about an insurance program built specifically for short-term rental property managers — not adapted from one built for someone else.
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