[Innovation Ambassadors] Suretyships: an efficient solution to ensure a smooth home buying process

The Innovation Ambassadors program, which includes 5 winners among 102 innovative projects submitted from 24 entities worldwide in 2025, shows that innovation can be found everywhere at
BNP Paribas Cardif! 

My goal is to make sure that the product and its processes support the daily work of mortgage advisors. To do this, I work closely with colleagues from Sales, Legal, Compliance, and IT. I act as a link between the business, rules and regulations, and technology.

I am always looking for ways to improve the product and adjust it to the needs of customers and changes in the market. I also focus on using existing products and processes in a smart and efficient way. I see myself as a “spider in the web,” connecting people and ideas across the organization. On a personal level, i enjoy riding my gravel bike and making off-road day trips. It helps me relax and recharge.

Could you please introduce your initiative?

A Suretyship is an insurance service that works as a warranty and helps in the process of purchasing a home: at the time of sale, the seller requests from the buyer a penalty fee in case of future cancellation of the purchase. The buyer now can choose between:

• A deposit

or

• A Suretyship through a mortgage advisor 

Either option guarantees the financial penalty will be paid to the home seller, in case the transaction is cancelled by the home buyer due to financial reasons. 

We knew that in Belgium a 10% deposit is needed in the purchase process. And that it was common that buyers used their savings for the deposit. In case there were not enough savings they borrowed the deposit amount from friends or family. Or that they negotiate a lower deposit amount, which made their position as a potential buyer weaker and less interesting for the seller. With the Suretyship, the buyer can guarantee the 10% which gives them an advantage to buyers who must negotiate. And the buyer can use their savings for other things, such as kitchen or bathroom renovations. 

So, as buyers at the time did not have the opportunity to buy a Suretyship at all, or were even aware of the possibility, we checked what we had and what was possible and re-used our ‘Dutch’ Suretyship to launch this product in Belgium. This is fully in line with our mission to make insurance more accessible.

How does your initiative correspond to the category you won: Best Innovation Reuse?

Our initiative won the “Best Innovation Reuse” category of the Innovation Ambassadors because we re-used an existing BNP Paribas Cardif product in the Netherlands, adapting the processes and administrations system to introduce and sell our product in another country, Belgium.

Prospects were not familiar with the Suretyship in Belgium. A standard was that the buyer himself paid the deposit out of his own funds. With this insurance, we have a unique offer for the Belgian home buyer.

What are the next steps for your initiative? 

In the next steps, we will expand our broker partnerships in Belgium, expand our distribution channel with real estate brokers, and raise awareness among stakeholders like notaries.

What are your tips for innovating at BNP Paribas Cardif?

Innovation is exciting and gives energy. Use that energy to:

• Share your ideas. Test them inside and outside the company to see if they really help your target group. Clearly explain the value of your idea.
• Create support. Make sure others in the company understand and support your idea.
• Do good research. Talk to customers and check laws, rules, and market trends.
• Look beyond the usual way of working. Be open to new paths and solutions.
• Keep your end goal in mind. Stay focused and avoid distractions.
• Start small. Less is more. Celebrate small successes to keep people motivated.
• Keep the team small. Make sure everyone feels responsible for the project.
• Set a clear timeline. A clear time plan helps keep the team focused and involved.

Launching a product is only the first step. The experience you gain helps you improve the product and the process. Innovation never stops. Stay open to learning and change.