New Survey Reveals Broker-Carrier Expectation Gap. Here’s How to Close it.

Written by Yaron Ben-Zvi, General Manager, Tinubu Surety

The Surety market continues to grow and deliver strong profitability, but behind the positive headline numbers lies a wide gap between brokers and carriers. Surety Outlook 2025: Tech & Operations Benchmarks, conducted by research firm Everest Group, found persistent misalignment in how the two sides work, communicate, and define “good service.”

What the Data Reveals

The survey of 40 Surety organizations across North America highlights a simple truth: brokers and carriers want the same outcomes—speed, accuracy, and clarity—but they’re often out of sync on how to achieve them.

Brokers ranked responsiveness and turnaround time among their top priorities after capacity. For contract Surety, they overwhelmingly expect same-day issuance when it is for repeat business. Yet fewer than 40% of carriers consistently meet that standard. Carriers, meanwhile, cite submission quality as their biggest obstacle, with 40% reporting that incomplete or inconsistent submissions slow them down.

The Roots of the Disconnect

At the heart of the issue is fragmentation. Each broker may have its own process, format, and data standards, forcing carriers to manually interpret and re-enter information. Even when systems are present, adherence to system requirements is loose at best. It is no surprise, then, that about a third of carriers still rely on ad hoc emails and spreadsheets, creating delays and friction across the value chain.

In essence, brokers expect speed, while carriers are constrained by process complexity and legacy systems. Both are right—and both are frustrated despite the shared desire to make everything seamless.

Since at Tinubu we serve both sides of the Surety ecosystem, we hear both sides. Historically, technology could only go so far without major internal process change requiring strict data standards and heavy investment. The good news is that today, more flexible tools make it possible to truly bridge that divide.

Bridging the Divide

Today, technology can close this gap, but not through one-size-fits-all systems. What’s needed are integration-first solutions that can ingest and structure broker submissions regardless of format, eliminate re-keying, and deliver data ready for underwriting decisions.

At Tinubu, we’re addressing this through tools like Bond Link and Bond Importer, which automate ingestion of bond submissions directly into carrier systems using AI, APIs, and Borderaux ingestion.  The reality is that the industry needs a multi-pronged technology solution in a space where there is no one-size-fits-all, or even one-size-fits-one solution. By using multiple technology solutions and by applying AI models to map and validate data, these tools help carriers accelerate decisions without sacrificing oversight.

The Opportunity in Automation

The expectation gap is sharpest for small commercial and renewal bonds—segments that could drive growth if automated. Only 12% of carriers consistently achieve same-day Surety bond issuance, even though modern systems, like our Tinubu Surety for Carriers, can process these bonds in hours. Firms that digitize and automate these workflows can issue more business, with fewer resources, and stronger broker satisfaction.

Looking Ahead

The Surety Outlook 2025 survey underscores that modernization isn’t just about technology—it’s about alignment. Carriers investing in flexible, connected systems will gain both efficiency and trust. Brokers will benefit from faster service and better visibility. And the entire Surety ecosystem will move closer to the digital maturity seen in other insurance lines.

The goal isn’t simply to eliminate friction—it’s to rebuild confidence and collaboration across the industry. That’s how Surety moves forward.