Ryan Cook is a Territory Manager with Orion180, who focuses on the states of California and South Carolina. He has received frequent recognition for leading agency teams to high performance with Orion180’s smart tech home product, AWTOS.
In today’s market, "water damage" is the phrase that kills a deal. We’ve all seen it: as infrastructure ages, standard carriers retreat, leaving agents to navigate a mess of rigid sublimits, plumbing restrictions, and outright denials for older homes.
Over the last few months, I’ve found a way to help the agents I manage turn those uninsurable properties into bound policies with superior coverage. The secret is the AWTOS (Automatic Water Turn-Off System) endorsement. Here is exactly how I prescribe selling it, handling the skeptics, and why it’s my #1 recommended tool for closing hard-to-place risks.
The 30-Second Elevator Pitch
When my agents are on the phone with clients, I urge them to not lead with tech specs. Instead, lead with the invisible wall that standard policies build around their coverage. The pitch goes like this:
"Most policies on the market today cap your water damage coverage at $10,000, which is barely enough to dry out a basement, let alone repair it. By adding AWTOS, you’re not just receiving a high-tech shut-off valve at no cost; we are removing the water damage sublimit. Once a pro installs this device, you have full-limit protection, a premium discount at next renewal, and a monitoring service app in your back pocket at all times. We’re stopping the leak before it starts and ensuring you're fully covered if the unthinkable happens."
Cracking the California Skeptic: A Success Story
An agent I oversee recently worked with a couple in Northern California. They were living in a beautiful home, but it had older polybutylene lines. Every other carrier they called gave them a denial or offered a policy with a $5,000 water limit, which is practically useless for a home of that value.
They were skeptical. They’d heard smart home tech was a gimmick and were at a loss for finding coverage. The husband asked, "Is this just a glorified moisture sensor that's going to beep while my house floods?"
He was told the truth: No. AWTOS is a heavy-duty, full-copper shut-off valve (unlike competitor models that are made of PVC). It monitors the PSI of your water line. If a pipe bursts while you're at dinner, it kills the water flow instantly to proactively get in front of potential water damage. It’s not an alarm; it’s a bodyguard for your plumbing.
By showing them that AWTOS made their uninsurable plumbing eligible for full-limit coverage, it wasn’t just a policy sold—they got peace of mind they couldn't find anywhere else. Their new policy was bound that afternoon.
Overcoming the Pushback
Even the best pitch gets questions. Here is how I teach handling the high-stakes ones:
- The objection: I don't want to pay a plumber to install the valve device.
- My answer: When the device is installed into the home, it becomes their property, and the value of their home increases. If they ever choose to sell their house, they will be able to include that the home comes with an automatic water shut off in the sales guide, and in return increase the asking price of the home. The increase in home value helps offset the cost of the plumbing installation. This is no different than the increased value effects following a kitchen remodel.
- The objection: Is this going to turn off my water every time I take a long shower?
- My answer: Not at all. The AI learns your home’s normal flow. It’s looking for catastrophic pressure drops, the kind that mean a pipe just gave way. You’re in total control via the app; it’s high-tech service, not a nuisance.
- The objection: I’ve seen similar smart valves at big-box retailers that I can install myself. Why go through the professional process with AWTOS?
- My answer: It’s important to distinguish between a consumer gadget and professional-grade infrastructure. Most off-the-shelf units are made of PVC or plastic, which can warp or fail under high pressure over time. AWTOS is built with high-quality copper to ensure it matches the gold standard of your home’s plumbing.
- My answer: It’s important to distinguish between a consumer gadget and professional-grade infrastructure. Most off-the-shelf units are made of PVC or plastic, which can warp or fail under high pressure over time. AWTOS is built with high-quality copper to ensure it matches the gold standard of your home’s plumbing.
Beyond the build quality, AWTOS is a 'policy key' that unlocks benefits a retail device simply cannot. While a store-bought valve might send you an alert, it won't remove your water damage sublimits or eliminate plumbing restrictions on your Orion180 policy. We also provide the $499 hardware at no cost because we believe in making it easy for clients to fully adopt the system and live with peace of mind.
The Triple Win Plumber Hack
Because licensed installation is required, I advise agents to use AWTOS to grow their own professional networks. Tell local plumbers you have a carrier, Orion180, providing these devices at no cost. If they provide a discounted installation rate for my clients,you’ll feed them a steady stream of new business. Not only does the client win with fair-priced installation, the agent and the professional plumber are set up for success for the foreseeable future.
Agents are more than order-takers; we are risk advisors. If you send a client out the door with a $10,000 water sublimit on a $300,000 home, you’ve left them exposed.
AWTOS is the only tool in the arsenal that simultaneously removes underwriting referrals for old pipes, eliminates the sublimit wall for the client, and locks in a 10% premium discount that make your quotes unbeatable. Stop fighting the denials from underwriters and start using the technology that turns those hard-to-place risks into your most loyal clients.
The path to binding starts in the MY180 portal. Let’s get to work.
