Property Insurance Innovations: Meet the Team Transforming Protection

When most people hear the word “innovation,” insurance isn’t the first thing to come to mind, but for the Home Services team at SageSure, property insurance innovation is always front and center. On National Innovation Day, we shine a spotlight on a team that pioneers solutions for homeowners in disaster-prone areas.   

What started as a one-person team in 2021 has grown into a team of 12 insurance innovators, with backgrounds ranging from civil and structural engineering, product design, consumer psychology, risk management, data analytics, and construction. The team leans on this diverse experience to develop ways to better protect policyholders.   

Here’s a look at a few of the team members and how they’re reinventing the insurance experience.   

FUTURE VISION

The Home Services team is led by Daniel Smith, PhD, a structural engineer by trade, with a background in severe wind event mitigation. SageSure’s focus is homeowners in catastrophe-exposed markets and the unique challenges they face. His team provides innovative insurance solutions tailored to their specific needs.   

The team members are grouped into different specialized areas, with the overall goal of developing better ways to protect policyholders and optimize the insurance experience.   

Quick facts:  

• 12 team members and growing. 
• Collectively the team has five PhDs and seven master’s degrees.  
• Key focus areas include development of mitigation product and service programs, inspection optimization, and resilience advocacy. 

“Innovation requires fortitude and a mindset that embraces change, challenges conventions, and constantly seeks better outcomes,” said Daniel. “The Home Services team is committed to executing on a vision to strengthen community resilience through innovative insurance solutions.”  

A SMARTER WAY TO PREVENT DAMAGE

We often hear about natural disasters causing significant damage to homes, but everyday hazards—like plumbing leaks and electrical fires—can also be destructive. Traditionally, insurance steps in after the damage is done, providing a claim payout. However, Home Services takes a different approach, focusing on preventing the loss from occurring in the first place.   

Smart home devices can identify a potential risk and provide a real-time alert to the homeowner so they can take action before a loss occurs. SageSure is currently piloting a water loss mitigation device program in New York and New Jersey, and will be launching a new electrical fire mitigation device program in Louisiana, New York, and Virginia in the first half of 2025.  

Bill Fritz leads the mitigation products area, focusing on Internet of Things (IOT) and smart home initiatives. He holds a doctorate in consumer psychology from the University of Oxford, where he studied how emerging technologies–such as AI, XR, and Web3—influence our judgement and decision making.  

“We can blend the digital and the physical to empower policyholders to maintain their home and provide them with the reassurance that their insurance company actively has their back. Smart home devices enable policyholders to proactively monitor their risks, mitigate and prevent loss, and provide them with a clear and confident action plan for a resilient response when the unexpected occurs,” said Bill.  

COST-EFFECTIVE HURRICANE MITIGATION

Roof shingles can become loose due to age or weathering. These loose shingles can be lifted during a windstorm and torn off, taking overlaying shingles with them and making a home susceptible to further damage. SageSure partners with LiftLock, a company that reseals roof shingles in certain hurricane-prone areas.   

Unlike smart home devices, shingle resealing is a low-tech insurance innovation that provides a big impact. “The process to identify and reseal shingles takes only minutes but makes a huge difference if a storm passes over the home. Depending on the location, homeowners can either purchase this service as preventative maintenance or they can opt into the Wind Defense Research program, where LiftLock identifies insured properties in the path of a storm and quickly deploys the shingle resealing program to those homes as a ‘just-in-time’ mitigation effort,” said Arpit Bhusar, who leads mitigation services. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida, where he studied wind engineering and tornado risk prediction.   

Shingle resealing is currently available in select counties in four states and will expand to additional regions by the end of this year.   

RESILIENT REBUILDING  

SageSure policyholders can purchase the FORTIFIED endorsement as an expanded coverage option where available. If the property requires a full roof replacement after a covered loss, the endorsement pays to have the roof built to FORTIFIED standards. These standards are above code and proven to better protect a home against severe weather events.   

Audra Lehman is passionate about preparedness and resilience. She has a doctoral degree in civil engineering with a focus on natural hazards and the built environment, which makes her a perfect fit to lead resilience advocacy on the Home Services team. “I want to educate homeowners with the best building practices they can have for their home to help protect them from Mother Nature.”   

Her focus is on taking highly technical data provided by the FORTIFIED program and translating that to policyholder education so homeowners can take action before they experience a loss. She’s also exploring discounts that can be provided to policyholders that implement proactive mitigation.  

INSPECTION INSIGHTS

Understanding risk is key to solid underwriting practices. In addition to more traditional home inspections, we utilize drones to provide us with better visualization of roofs and potential hazards.   

Jorge Santiago leads inspection optimization, leveraging technologies like aerial imagery and ensuring policyholders have access to services that can help maintain their homes. After surviving Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Santiago was determined to make an impact on his community by mitigating damage caused by hurricanes. He earned his doctorate in civil engineering at the University of Florida.  

“Aerial imagery provides us with a more complete picture of the roof condition and other hazards. It’s safer and more efficient than putting a person on the roof,” Santiago said. If hazards are discovered during the inspection process, homeowners can tap into SageSure’s trusted network of contractors who can quickly make required repairs.  

The Home Services team at SageSure is redefining home insurance innovation with proactive insurance solutions that go beyond coverage alone. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, data-driven insights, and industry expertise, they are helping homeowners better protect their properties from everyday risks and catastrophe events alike. As they continue to push the boundaries of what insurance can do, their work is paving the way for a more resilient future—one where prevention, protection, and peace of mind go together.