The verdict in three sentences
For a property and casualty brokerage with 18 staff and 4,500 policies in Amsterdam, the cost of a broker management system is measured less in licences than in hours lost between an ageing tool and spreadsheets. A broker software package at 80-250 EUR per user per month covers standard portfolio management, and custom extensions at 15,000-50,000 EUR fill the gaps: insurer connectors, advice duty, dashboards. Over 5 years, the hybrid approach is usually the most profitable, provided you budget 3 to 6 months of migration and a clean data transfer.
What the brokerage must handle in 2026
The Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD), transposed into the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wft), requires brokers to document needs analysis, advice, 15 hours of annual training and product governance. A portfolio split between 2012 software and Excel files makes this traceability fragile in an AFM inspection or a client complaint.
| Pain point (2026 order of magnitude) | Volume | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Retyping endorsements and renewals from insurers | 10 to 15 h/week across the firm | 25,000 to 35,000 EUR/year of time |
| Reconciling commissions per insurer | 2 days per month | Unclaimed gaps of 1 to 3% |
| Advice records stored outside the client file | 30 to 50% of files | Risk in inspection or dispute |
| Renewals not followed up | 3 to 6% of the portfolio | Lost premiums |
| Reporting to the owner | Monthly, done by hand | Late steering |
Package, custom or hybrid: 5-year comparison
The figures below are 2026 market estimates in EUR excluding VAT, for 18 users. They are not a Kolonell price list.
| Criterion | Broker software package | Full custom | Hybrid (package + extensions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 5,000 to 15,000 EUR setup | 80,000 to 180,000 EUR | 20,000 to 65,000 EUR |
| Licences | 80 to 250 EUR per user per month | None | 80 to 250 EUR per user per month |
| Maintenance of custom code | Included | 1,000 to 2,500 EUR per month | 400 to 1,000 EUR per month |
| Migration of 4,500 policies | 3 to 4 months | 5 to 6 months | 3 to 5 months |
| Insurer connectors (EDI, portals) | Vendor catalogue | Built one by one | Catalogue + missing connectors |
| IDD compliance (advice, IPID) | Standard templates | Your exact workflows | Enriched standard templates |
| Total 5-year cost | 91,000 to 285,000 EUR | 140,000 to 330,000 EUR | 130,000 to 395,000 EUR |
The hybrid does not always win on paper, but it reduces risk: the core is proven, and you only build what creates an edge, such as a client portal, a rating tool or a retention dashboard.
Where to put the custom extensions
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| Extension | Estimated 2026 budget | Expected gain |
|---|---|---|
| Client portal (certificates, claims, documents) | 12,000 to 25,000 EUR | -30% inbound calls |
| Automatic commission statement reconciliation | 8,000 to 18,000 EUR | 2 days per month recovered |
| E-signed advice workflow | 6,000 to 15,000 EUR | 100% of files documented |
| Automated renewal follow-up | 5,000 to 12,000 EUR | +2 to 4 points of retention |
| Owner dashboard (premiums, loss ratio, retention) | 6,000 to 14,000 EUR | Weekly steering |
Mini case study
Sanne, managing director of an 18-person P&C brokerage in Amsterdam, earns around 1,100,000 EUR in commissions a year on 4,500 policies. Assumption: the hybrid costs 40,000 EUR in extensions, 10,000 EUR in setup and 3,900 EUR a month in licences (18 x 150 EUR) plus 700 EUR of maintenance. Renewal follow-up adds 3 points of retention, i.e. 33,000 EUR of commissions a year, and automation frees 12 hours a week valued at 40 EUR, i.e. around 21,000 EUR. The old software and its maintenance cost 28,000 EUR a year. Net gain: 54,000 + 28,000 - 55,000 = 27,000 EUR a year, which repays the 50,000 EUR entry cost in under 2 years. This scenario is illustrative.
FAQ
How much does broker management software cost in 2026? Expect 80 to 250 EUR per user per month, i.e. 17,000 to 54,000 EUR a year for 18 users. Initial setup adds 5,000 to 15,000 EUR.
How long does a portfolio migration take? Plan 3 to 6 months for 4,500 policies, depending on source data quality. Cleaning duplicates and renewal dates often takes 30% of project time.
Does custom software help with IDD compliance? Yes, by building needs analysis and advice into the sales workflow, with timestamps and signatures. The 15 hours of annual training can also be tracked automatically.
Can the software connect to insurer portals? Packages often offer 20 to 60 connectors. For an insurer missing from the catalogue, a custom connector usually costs 3,000 to 8,000 EUR.
Who owns the data? The brokerage remains the data controller under GDPR. Require by contract a full data export in an open format, free of charge, at the end of the subscription.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your current software, your number of policies and your priority extensions: we will price a hybrid or custom scenario with an indicative budget and a migration schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33. Request a free quote.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
