Broker Expo Countdown Q&A: RE:NU Underwriting’s Mark Cross

Ahead of RE:NU Underwriting’s debut at Broker Expo 2026, CUO Mark Cross explains how the new MGA will combine experienced underwriting, technology and enriched data to make residential and commercial property owners risks – including unoccupied and non-standard cases – quicker and easier for brokers to place.

What prompted the creation of RE:NU Underwriting, and what gap did you identify in the property insurance market?

Too many property risks become difficult to place, simply because they fall outside of a standard question set.

That often means the broker has to ‘double-key’ that risk onto an external portal, or wait for a referral to be returned, which leads to delays in putting terms out to a client.

RE:NU was created to make non-standard property risks easier to trade. We combine experienced underwriting with the latest in technology and data enrichment to provide near-instant responses on the platforms brokers are already using.

What is RE:NU’s underwriting appetite, and where can you provide solutions for property risks that may not fit the standard market?

We are launching with commercial property owners and residential property owners, along with commercial and residential unoccupied.

Our appetite includes selected non-standard construction, mixed-use or complex occupancy, renovation and conversion, previous subsidence, and proposers with challenging insurance, financial or criminal histories. Unoccupied property is a core specialism rather than an occasional extension.

Our appetite is relatively broad, allowing us to offer terms on a number of different risks.

RE:NU is launching into a competitive MGA market. How will you build meaningful broker relationships rather than simply adding another property market?

Brokers don’t need another MGA offering the same appetite with similar service levels.

We use technology to free up our underwriters, allowing them to have more conversations with our brokers. We want to understand books of business and the struggles our brokers face when it comes to growing and retaining them. With that information, we can help to design a solution that we can bring quickly and seamlessly into the market.

Our aim is to be relevant, consistent and accessible. We aim to be the partner you can depend on, with a clear appetite, a reliable rating structure, and an underwriter at the end of the phone when you need support.

What can brokers expect when trading with RE:NU, from their initial presentation through to an underwriting decision?

Brokers can expect a straightforward process, prompt responses, and a clear answer.

From launch, we will accept direct presentations. Brokers can submit in whatever format they currently use, and our ingestion tool will do the rest. The majority of risks will receive a contract certain quotation back within a matter of minutes.

As our integrations come online, we will also be available as a full-cycle e-trade solution on a number of the software platforms brokers already use, where a confirmed quote will be immediately available in most cases.

How will RE:NU combine experienced underwriting, technology and direct access to decision-makers as the business develops?

Technology should make insurance easier to trade, not create another barrier.

We will use external data to reduce unnecessary questions, speed up the journey, and make use of the latest mapping tools to fully assess risk on-the-spot.

With the resources available, an underwriter doesn’t have to have eyes on every risk, giving them more time to focus on the risks that won’t always fit neatly within an automated process.

We will use broker feedback to shape where and how we further invest.

What are RE:NU’s priorities following launch, and what would you like brokers attending Broker Expo to speak to you about?

Our number one priority is to speak to our brokers, understand how we can help, and enable them to write more business.

The second is to complete the build of our e-trade offerings, which should be in place in the coming months.

Broker Expo is our first industry event, and our first chance to introduce brokers to our people and our approach. We would particularly like to discuss the pain points they face when it comes to placing property owners business, especially when there are non-standard aspects.

We’re also keen to understand where and how brokers prefer to trade, so we can ensure we are as accessible as possible, as soon as possible.

For more information on RE:NU click here.

To sign up to attend Broker Expo on 8 October at the Birmingham NEC and meet the RE:NU team click here.

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