Why Property Resilience Should Be the Foundation of Every Insurance Conversation – A Conversation with Aris Papadopoulos

When most insurance professionals talk to clients, the focus is on premiums, policy limits, and deductibles. But what if we’ve been missing the bigger picture all along? In a recent episode of the Power Producers Podcast, we sat down with Aris Papadopoulos, Chairman of the Resilience Action Fund and a powerful voice in the world of property resilience, to discuss how insurance agents can become change agents in the fight against vulnerable development—and why they should.
This isn’t just about better building codes or stronger homes—it’s about reframing the role of the insurance professional as a trusted advisor in protecting long-term wealth, safety, and sustainability. With the rising frequency and intensity of natural disasters, there’s never been a better time for our industry to step up.

The Cost of Vulnerable Development: What the Industry Isn’t Saying

Aris brings a unique perspective to this conversation. As a former CEO of a billion-dollar construction firm and a 9/11 survivor, he has seen both the physical and economic devastation that occurs when our built environment fails us. His journey into resilience advocacy started with a simple but profound question:

“Not why the hazards are strong—but why the assets are weak.”

The core issue? Speculative development. Builders often construct to minimum code requirements because it’s legal, profitable, and the average consumer doesn’t know any better. This leads to homes and commercial buildings that may look great on the surface but are ticking time bombs when faced with wind, fire, flood, or earthquake.

These practices shift the risk from the builder to the buyer, who inherits the consequences. As Aris puts it, “We have so much vulnerable construction because it’s legal, it’s profitable, and the consumer is blind.”

Redefining the Role of Insurance Agents in Property Resilience

The insurance industry has a vital role to play in fixing this broken system. Instead of simply writing policies, agents can provide property risk education before, during, and after the buying process.

Imagine if buyers consulted their insurance agent before choosing a home. An experienced agent can point out flood zone exposure, the age and quality of a roof, the importance of wind-rated windows, and the long-term cost of insuring that property. That’s a value proposition no online quoting engine can compete with.

As Aris noted, “It’s better to buy your house with an insurance agent than a real estate agent.”

For agents, this is about going beyond the sale to become a risk advisor, guiding clients on flood insurance, ordinance and law coverage, and home upgrades that can reduce premiums while increasing protection.

Minimum Code = Minimum Protection

There’s a widespread misconception that if a building meets code, it must be safe. But here’s the hard truth: building codes are the legal minimum—not a guarantee of durability or survivability.

“Building to code is building to minimum wage,” says Aris. “It’s designed to help you escape—not to save your building.”

Many clients put thousands into cosmetic upgrades while ignoring structural vulnerabilities. New countertops won’t protect your home in a flood or hurricane. Instead, investing in a fortified roof, impact-rated windows, and elevated foundations should be the priority.

The Economics of Resilience: Who Pays When Disaster Strikes?

The financial impact of vulnerable construction isn’t theoretical—it’s measurable. Aris shared a compelling comparison between two working-class neighborhoods in St. Petersburg, Florida: Shore Acres and Disston Heights.

Shore Acres, a low-elevation neighborhood prone to frequent flooding, has seen home values plummet. In contrast, Disston Heights, built on higher ground with better drainage, saw property values rise—even through the same storm season.

This disparity in property value performance highlights a hard truth: resilient properties protect wealth, while vulnerable ones destroy it. Insurance agents must help clients understand that their total cost of risk includes more than just premiums. It includes downtime, displacement, emotional trauma, and lost home equity.

What Resilience Really Means in Property and Insurance

To clarify what we mean by resilience, Aris defines it in two parts:

Physical Integrity – The ability of a structure to withstand hazards like high winds, floods, or fire.
Operational Continuity – The ability to live or do business in the building after the event.

True resilience goes beyond construction materials. It includes whole-home generators, redundant fuel sources, and proper elevation to avoid water intrusion. This is especially important for businessowners, who risk not only physical damage but operational downtime if their buildings aren’t ready to weather the storm—literally.

Tools and Technology Leading the Charge

Fortunately, there are solutions available. Organizations like the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) have developed the Fortified Roof Standard, a set of guidelines that exceed typical code requirements and can earn insurance discounts in states like Alabama.

New global initiatives like the Building Resilience Index, backed by the World Bank, aim to measure and standardize resilience for buildings across the globe.

And tech is catching up. 3D-printed homes, while still in their early stages, are beginning to show promise in delivering stronger, faster, and more cost-effective structures—often using recycled materials.

Consumers also have access to tools like Flood Factor by First Street Foundation, integrated into sites like Redfin and Zillow, to assess flood risk beyond what outdated FEMA maps provide.

Educating the Client: The Real Agent Advantage

Agents often struggle with clients who are more receptive to their mortgage broker or real estate agent than to their insurance professional. But the tide can turn with education.

Use every policy discussion to explain:

The difference between market value and replacement cost
Why flood insurance is crucial, even outside flood zones
How ordinance and law coverage can make or break a claim
Why reinsurance costs affect every consumer, not just those who have filed a claim

“We’ve been too busy selling and not busy enough educating,” says David Carothers. “But if we educate, the product will sell itself.”

A Call to Action for the Insurance Industry

If insurance professionals want to be part of the solution—and protect their own profitability in the process—they must make resilience a core strategy.

That means:

Steering business toward resilient construction
Offering policyholder education as a service
Advocating for stronger standards in vulnerable zones
Refusing to enable builders who cut corners

As Aris experienced while leading a global construction firm, the best insurance relationships were built on direct expectations: “Here’s what you must do to be insured—and here’s what you can do to get a better rate.”

Let’s bring that clarity and confidence to our clients.

Final Thoughts: Resilience Is the New Risk Management

Resilience isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the future of risk management in the property and insurance world. As climate change accelerates and disasters become more frequent, agents who embrace resilience will differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

This is your opportunity to lead. Educate your clients. Push for smarter standards. Be the one who helps families build stronger—not just insure what’s weak.

If we can help people understand that resilience pays off in property value, peace of mind, and lower total cost of risk, we won’t just sell more policies—we’ll change lives.

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