Leading Ontarians Through the New SABS Landscape

Guest Contributor Sam Jazayeri, Director of Operations, PrimeService Insurance, IBAO Board Member

As insurance brokers, we demonstrate our value by skillfully translating insurance jargon for our clients. In this context, our job is about to become even more important as Ontario Auto Reform rolls out July 2026.  

Every day, we help our clients understand exactly what risk exposures they face and what coverages are available so they can make informed insurance decisions. Ontario’s upcoming Auto Reform introduces optionality to the previously mandated SABS coverages, adding both choice and complexity to these decisions. That’s exactly where brokers shine. Our value in helping consumers navigate complexity is evident in market share trends: while we distribute over 90% of the Commercial insurance market, we distribute only half of the Personal insurance market. The new SABS landscape presents an opportunity to bridge that gap. 

 
Reframing Mindsets
Great brokers know their value lies in their ability to provide advice and personalized guidance to their clients—they view themselves as educators and advisors, not salespeople. By maintaining that self-perception, we can move beyond an instinctual fear of change. We can view Auto Reform as an opportunity to affirm ourselves as our clients’ trusted source of insurance advice, education and guidance in some of their most important financial decisions. The Ontario government has been vocal about the value of increasing consumer choice in obtaining auto insurance. As brokers, we share that belief—choice is not only valuable, it’s essential to serving our clients well. And our ability to offer consumer choice is unmatched amongst any of our competitors. This strength will only amplify with the increasing options consumers now have. 

The Ontario government has been vocal about the value of increasing consumer choice in obtaining auto insurance. As brokers, we share that belief—choice is not only valuable, it’s essential to serving our clients well.

Creating Opportunity 
With new optionality, there’s a golden opportunity to strengthen the relationship with your clients. Upon quotation brokers can have that invaluable discussion so your clients can fully understand why (or why not) a coverage has been presented—this is the real value add to choose an insurance broker. Otherwise, without the professional advice and choice, they’re left with only one criterion to consider: price. And while saving money on insurance is more important than ever, if clients suffer financially from uninformed insurance decisions, it reflects a missed opportunity to properly educate them. 

 
Protecting Consumers
To empower the broker channel through these changes, IBAO has launched fundamental training programs to ensure we understand current SABS coverage. By early 2026, they’ll be launching technical courses and materials on coverage changes and a consumer-facing campaign to help bring awareness about the changing product. By utilizing association resources, we can ensure our teams are explaining changes and coverage options in a consistent and clear manner to our clients. This will not only protect consumers but protect brokers from professional liability exposures that would inevitably arise from the inaction or lack of effort to educate clients.  

Within every change lies opportunity. While July 2026 may seem like a distant date, the time to get informed is now—brokerage managers must begin preparing training programs and documentation processes to capture client coverage decisions, front line team members need to refamiliarize themselves with existing SABS coverage to effectively compare current coverage to new offerings. Brokers are already well positioned to help consumers navigate the complexities of auto insurance, and next year’s Auto Reform is the time to reengage with our clients in a meaningful way, evaluate their insurance needs and win their business by winning their trust.