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.
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 |
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.
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.
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.
An MGA underwrites on behalf of a carrier. Velaris is a program administrator that builds and manages the full insurance program for PMs — from coverage design and pricing to PMS integration, enrollment, COIs, and claims. Think of it as the difference between a wholesale lender and a mortgage platform.
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.
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.
Neither. Velaris is a program administrator. We design, distribute, and manage insurance programs specifically for short-term rental property managers. Coverage is backed by rated carriers, but the program — the pricing, the structure, the technology, the claims process — is built and managed by Velaris.
Talk to us about an insurance program built specifically for short-term rental property managers — not adapted from one built for someone else.
Get a Quote