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No one ever wants to suffer a significant loss to their home. Fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated average of 355,400 home structure fires per year between 2012 and 2016. That is 973 every day. The wildfires out west and the hurricanes along the coast also caused catastrophic damage.

The real problems start when the homeowner needs to provide the insurance company with an inventory of contents damaged.

Over the last few years, there have been a plethora of web platforms and mobile apps that seek to help homeowners create and maintain an inventory so that in the event of a major loss they will be able to show what possessions they had in the house.

The problem continues to be the time needed to complete a detailed inventory list fully. A new firm is seeking to streamline this process using machine learning techniques to create a list of contents from video automatically.

Video Recognition

HomeZada has launched a home inventory video recognition process using the pattern matching capabilities of machine learning to a set of features within its digital home management platform that enables homeowners to use the mobile app to record and upload videos of each room and the exterior spaces of their property. Pictures and video are a standard way to capture some of the inventory.

The videos are processed through a video recognition AI to detect the inventory items and present the results automatically. The homeowner makes final confirmation of the inventory items and updates their list of items for that space. The new functionality can detect both personal property objects such as furniture, electronics, collectibles, and decorative items in the home as well as fixed asset items such as appliances, fixtures, equipment, and building materials.

Manage Your Digital Home

The HomeZada app bills itself as the one platform to help you manage your digital home. In addition to inventory management, the app also allows homeowners to:

• Manage home remodel projects
• Keep up on home maintenance items
• Financial information about the home
• If you are selling a home, a deluxe plan helps with the process

Three plans are available.

Create a Branded App

HomeZada also has a program where an agency (or insurance company) can brand the app with your information. Click here for full details about the branding program.

Click here to see an example of how Chubb has branded the HomeZada program. As you can see on this landing page, Chubb has discounted the Premium Plan to $45 per year for their policyholders.

I like the concept of this platform. Using machine learning to streamline the process of creating a home inventory is a winner. I believe the more insurance agents and brokers can find and make available to their clients these types of value-added services, the better positioned you are as the knowledgeable insurance provider.

What other platforms, products, or services do you provide to your personal lines’ clients?