Scout InsurTech Spotlight with Curtis Goldsborough

Curtis Goldsborough is the President of National Insurance Inspection Services, a leading provider of high quality property insurance inspections, catering to the specific needs of property and casualty insurance companies and agents. Curtis was interviewed by Michael Fiedel, Co-Founder at Scout InsurTech and Co-Founder at PolicyFly, Inc.

Curtis, what does the increasing shift towards self-inspections mean for the insurance industry, both operationally and strategically?

“Based on my seven years of experience, partnering with carriers on self-inspection programs, operationally, self-inspection is giving the industry a way to address sharply rising underwriting expenses, particularly in inspection costs. It offers a cost-effective alternative without sacrificing underwriting integrity or accuracy.

Traditional boots-on-the-ground inspections have become exponentially more expensive over the last five years, and there’s no indication that these costs will level off. Inflation and broader economic factors are driving up expenses across the board, and insurance is no exception. Making matters worse, as costs have increased, the quality and timeliness of inspections haven’t improved. In fact, they’ve declined. That’s a double gut punch for carriers. It just doesn’t make sense anymore, and this is where self-inspection shines.

Strategically, self-inspection enables carriers to gather more underwriting data, cost-effectively, across a larger portion of their property book. Not just more data, but more granular, property-level and risk-specific data. That level of visibility supports greater pricing accuracy and better control over loss experience. So, from a strategic standpoint, that’s where the real value lies.”

As carriers double down on inspection efforts, how might these changes affect policyholder experience and customer outcomes?

“At the end of the day, insurance should be all about the customer. In my view, it’s never been more critical to focus on customer experience and outcomes. If we’re failing our customers, what’s the point?

It’s tricky. Self-inspection is a new concept for policyholders. A few years ago, most homeowners had never experienced or even heard of it. That unfamiliarity introduces potential friction.

Self-inspection brings the possibility of friction that didn’t exist before, but also the opportunity for meaningful engagement that has long been lacking. When implemented thoughtfully and strategically, the policyholder experience can be excellent. We’ve seen overwhelmingly positive feedback from hundreds of thousands of policyholders who’ve completed self-inspections, so it’s not inherently problematic. In fact, if done right, it can enhance customer outcomes and be a win-win for everyone.”

How can self-inspection become a new engagement and education channel between carriers and policyholders?

“The ability for carriers to engage directly with policyholders, outside of a sales context, and involve them in a digital, self-service process is a huge opportunity for education.

We’d be missing the point if we only used self-inspection for our own benefit. It should also serve the policyholder. And there’s never been a more important time for education and engagement in insurance.

The industry has historically outsourced education almost entirely to distribution channels. At the same time, those channels aren’t compensated for education. They’re compensated for generating premiums. That’s where the money and incentives lie.

I’m not saying that’s a flawed model inherently, but it does fail when it comes to proactively educating consumers. That’s not a knock on agents and brokers. They’re doing their jobs, but they’re not paid to spend time educating policyholders.

It’s crucial for carriers to explore new methods of policyholder education. We have enough history now to recognize that the current model isn’t working well. Self-inspection, as a direct-to-carrier engagement method, is a powerful tool in rethinking that model.”

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, what should the industry prioritize to ensure that increased inspections lead to better outcomes for both carriers and policyholders?

“It all ties together. The industry needs to prioritize customer education and engagement after the sale. If increased self-inspections only lead to tighter coverage, cancellations or burdensome recommendations, we’re missing the mark. That’s a lose-lose scenario. If we fail our customers, we eventually lose them.

We need to foster a culture of collaboration between carriers and customers. That’s a major shift, and it’s not easy. But, it’s necessary. It requires serious investment in better, more frequent communication between both parties. I strongly believe collaboration must be our focus moving forward.”

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