575 brokers participated, and 416 complete interviews were collected. This represents a 22 percent increase over the previous year. The Swiss Broker Panel has been an established market tool since 2006. In 2026, nine insurers participated in the panel, which once again provides a comprehensive picture of the Swiss brokerage industry. On August 27, the results of the market section were presented to interested brokers who had participated in the study during a webinar hosted by ValueQuest and La Bella Consulting. The presentation of the results thus offered participating brokers additional direct value for their participation in the study.
The participant profile paints a familiar picture of the Swiss brokerage landscape: small firms, executives as the most common respondents, and a clear dominance of German-speaking Switzerland over French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino.
Regulation remains the biggest challenge
It comes as no surprise, but is clearly evident in the numbers: Regulatory requirements are the biggest burden for Swiss brokers in their day-to-day operations. At the top of the list are the interpretation and implementation of regulatory requirements, closely followed by documentation and reporting obligations. Digitalization, including IT systems, tools, and reporting—is also a significant source of stress for a large proportion of brokers.
Upon closer inspection, however, a more nuanced picture emerges: The extent to which FINMA and VAG requirements have been implemented depends significantly on the size of the firm, as does the strategy chosen. Larger brokers are increasingly relying on internal guidelines and dedicated compliance functions, while smaller firms primarily rely on training and standardized processes. For small brokers, meeting these requirements thus remains primarily a matter of time and resources, while for large brokers it is a matter of organizational structure.
There are also noticeable differences between language regions and roles, such as the extent to which regulatory requirements have already changed each company’s business model. The individual results report breaks down this pattern in detail.
What Brokers Want: Less Discretion, More Support
Among the most common measures taken by brokers are regular training sessions, expanded documentation of the advisory process, and internal guidelines or a compliance manual. A clear message emerges from the participants’ open-ended comments, which were analyzed using both qualitative methods and AI: Brokers would like less room for interpretation regarding FINMA/VAG requirements and more practical support with documentation and reporting. Recertification, in particular, takes up a significant amount of time and resources. A detailed summary of this feedback is included in the individual results report.
The role of insurers in this process is by no means insignificant: a clear majority of brokers consider their support to be important. The message to insurers is clear: while their support is seen as an important complement to brokers’ own implementation efforts, it cannot replace them.
Training: More Practice, Less Theory
Brokers also have clear expectations when it comes to continuing education. They want more real-world case studies instead of pure theory, specialized knowledge delivered in a targeted manner, more focused coverage of regulatory topics, and short digital formats such as webinars and tutorials. This certainly presents opportunities for insurers: clear differentiation through practice-oriented training programs, stronger customer loyalty through continuing education offerings, greater visibility through active communication, and simplified delivery of tools and quote processes. What is important to brokers in this regard is transparency regarding the costs and exam relevance of the offerings, as well as a clear separation between product advertising and professional training.
Looking Ahead
It’s already becoming clear which topics will be on the industry’s agenda in 2027. At the top of the agenda are digitalization, a renewed focus on FINMA and VAG issues, and proposal and bidding processes. Market developments and strategy, the shortage of skilled workers, cybersecurity and data protection, as well as risk management will also remain key priorities for brokers.
The conclusions of this year’s Broker Panel can be summarized in four points: Regulatory issues remain a key topic, particularly with regard to interpretation and documentation. At the same time, implementation is already well underway, led by the larger brokerage firms. Support from insurers remains essential. And training programs should become more practice-oriented in the future.
Register now for 2027
The Broker Panel thrives on broker participation, and that is precisely where its strength lies: It offers the brokerage market a recognized, neutral platform for systematically evaluating insurers’ services and offerings, and lends the industry’s feedback a weight that individual responses cannot achieve. Participants benefit in two ways: from the in-depth findings presented in the webinar and from a personalized report showing their own results compared to the market. Anyone interested in participating in 2027 can register now at www.brokerpanel.ch. If you missed the webinar, be sure to sign up for the next one, because the broader the participation, the more meaningful the picture the brokerage market paints of itself.
Binci Heeb
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