The premier source for home inspector news and information. Whether you're a homebuyer or a licensed home inspector, you'll find valuable insight on the world of home inspection training and competency on this blog.
Ah...the do-it-yourselfer age! It has given us Home Depot, Bob Villa and (unfortunately) the botched handyman project! If there is one common pastime all home inspectors love, it would have to be sharing home inspection photos of bizarre, and sometimes downright dangerous, problems they come across during a real estate inspection.
Home inspection websites and journals never fail to publish humorous photos from their home inspection contributors. And just as no two snowflakes are alike; it seems the same holds true for any two messed-up home improvement jobs. When you become a home inspector, expect you'll come across a few memorable home owner quick-fixes by.
This Old House's website has gotten into the act as well, publishing 23 gems on their website. Without giving away too many surprises, these photos will show you how a radiator hose from a 1945 Pontiac, a dead rodent and aluminum foil all factor into some funny photos. Click here to check them out.
Although it doesn't take too much expertise to see that something is wrong in extreme situations, most common home inspection problems aren't as easy to spot. And that's why a solid home inspection program is essential for anyone who wants to start a professional home inspection career. And these days you don't need to go much further than your laptop to get the necessary training, because online home inspection courses are just a mouse click away.
Starting a home inspection business will involve lots of serious steps on your part, but at least you know they'll be humorous moments when you can put your home inspection checklist down and have a laugh.
Labels: home inspection, home inspection business, home inspection training, home inspector, real estate
Honest mistakes happen regardless of a person's level of professionalism, training or good intentions. And certified home inspectors, like everyone else, must take the possibility of error into account every time they climb into their car and head to a new real estate inspection.
Understanding that lawsuits are commonplace these days, home inspectors should look closely at the benefits of Errors & Omissions insurance (E&O). E&O insurance is liability insurance that covers your company if a client claims that you did not live up to the terms of the business agreement.
Future home inspectors should realize that there's more to consider than just the nuts and bolts of a home inspection job when you undertake a home inspection career.
As home inspections become more common, clients increasingly expect home inspectors to go beyond their job description, acting as mold inspectors, building code experts or licensed contractors. A very simple and pain-free way for home inspectors to protect themselves from risk is the pre-inspection agreement, which lays out what you will and won't do during a home inspection.
Yet even a pre-inspection agreement won't cover a home inspector from a wide range of legal action - that's where E&O insurance comes in. It's more reasonable to believe that you might never get sued over a mistake, than to suggest that you and your inspectors won't ever commit a blunder on the job.
Home inspection business without E&O insurance can go belly up after a devastating lawsuit; clients can and do sue for millions of dollars if a home inspector overlooks something that later leads to trouble. A home inspection business with E&O insurance, however, will only pay the policy deductible, which may be the difference between spending a few thousand dollars and a bankrupt business.
People looking at home inspection training should inquire whether a prospective home inspection school has relationships with professional home inspection associations. Some schools offer waived or discounted membership fees to associations, many of which offer reduced rates on E&O insurance. Don't wait until it's too late to protect yourself and your business from a devastating lawsuit.
By Robert Fay, Allied Schools.
Labels: home inspection business, home inspection training, home inspector
The following article is an abridged version of a presentation that Scott Swickard, owner of InspectOC, and president of the Orange County Chapter of California Real Estate Inspection Association and American Society of Home Inspectors (CREIA/ASHI), gave in Costa Mesa, Calif., this past fall.
Don't let anyone claim that there is a "magic formula" for successfully marketing your home inspection business. If there was, everyone with the formula would be successful. No one can utilize all marketing methods consistently, and still have time for the business that you hope to generate. You must decide what you are comfortable doing, what fits your personality and business goals, and choose what's comfortable. In no way should the following list be considered exhaustive.
Branding
Branding is simply how you want your company to be known by your clients and referring agents. It does not matter whether you prefer to be known by your name "Joe Smith Inspections," or something unique like "See More Inspections." It could also be a unique tag line, such as "Joe Smith Inspections: We treat Your Dream House as our Own." Whatever name or tag line you choose, plan to have it prominently displayed on all your materials. This includes business cards, brochures, a website and inspection reports.
Passive vs. Active Marketing
There are two general methods for getting your name out, passive, where clients or agents find you, and active, where you initiate contact. We will not debate here whether it is more effective to actively market to prospective home-owners, sellers, buyers or real estate agents. Much of my business comes from clients who are repeat buyers, investors or have told friends or family members about his services. This is a great compliment, and is the result of outstanding service that was provided.
Passive
Examples of passive marketing include the Yellow Pages or other business phone listings, your outgoing message on your voicemail and website listing in search engines. This also includes having your business listed in any of a number of association search features. Wherever a potential client finds you, the creativity of your brand, or strength of your outgoing message may help capture the phone call, versus someone without a distinct business identity.
Passive marketing means simply having your business listed in a location where a potential client may be searching for your services. The more prominent you can be in these locations, the better your chances of securing the client.
Active
Active marketing should be your primary focus. It includes all outgoing communication, written, verbal and personal contact to prospective clients or agents. The following are a few examples of active marketing that have proven to be effective in the home inspection profession.
Personal Contact - Don't forget that before, during and after every inspection, you are marketing your business, through the first phone contact, face-to-face with everyone at the inspection and follow-up contact. How you present and conduct yourself, communicate your findings and follow-up are important to gaining future business.
Mailing - While this can be relatively expensive, a targeted mailing can be effective in getting a brochure or other selling message out to clients/realtors. Mailing lists can be purchased for a low cost, and can be customized as needed. This method can also be used to send a mailing to target a new housing neighborhood for 11-month warranty inspections. Printed material can have an unlimited life.
Email - Much less expensive than physical mail, email blast messages can have a broad reach, but may be less effective. The messages are easy to delete without reading, and do not have the same impact as a printed page. You can also be listed as a "spammer" which can interfere with normal electronic communication. However, if proper rules are followed for creating and maintaining your contact lists, you can reach many more potential clients through this method.
Newsletters - Newsletters can either be mailed or sent electronically. One benefit from an effective newsletter is that you can become the "go-to" expert if a potential client or agent has a question.
Advertising - This could include classified advertising in the local newspaper, or specialty advertising in trade publications. There are many such publications by local real estate organizations and other vendors soliciting the real estate industry. If these ads are seen by agents and brokers, or potential clients, it may be worthwhile.
Visits to Open Houses - Agents are frequently sitting on open houses during weekends. This may be an opportunity for you to go out and meet agents without pressures of time restraints. Be prepared to offer brochures and samples of your reports.
Real Estate Office Visits - This is a way to deliver brochures and get to know agents working in the office. You can also ask about office meetings held, and whether vendors are permitted to present general information or provide training to agents.
Association Membership - Most realtors belong to a local chapter of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) or similar organizations. Most of these chapters allow affiliate membership, which provides the opportunity to attend numerous events attended by realtors.
Agent Training - Most real estate offices are looking for vendors to provide training to their agents. If you have a quality presentation, and a reputation for giving a good presentation without putting people to sleep (it takes practice!), you may be called upon to conduct training sessions. You may have to provide lunch or snacks, but it is a small price to pay to be looked upon as an expert.
Website - While passive in some respects, a good website can become a powerful active marketing tool. If you have a website, make sure it goes beyond just the basics of describing your services and home inspections. Information about common defects, pictures of problems, and links to other important sites (CPSC, mold info, asbestos, defective furnaces, etc.) can become a valuable resource for agents and clients to use frequently. Publication/Articles - If you are good at writing original articles, there are numerous publications, including industry news and even the local newspapers, looking for information that would be useful for their readers. If the information in your article puts the inspection industry in a positive light, or you offer helpful ideas to the readers, they will hopefully have your contact information as part of the article to contact you later for business referrals.
Concluding Thoughts
When business is going strong, as many of us may have experienced in the recent real-estate boom, it is easy to overlook marketing efforts, or put them on the back burner. The key to marketing is consistency. Every week, a certain number of hours should be committed exclusively to marketing. This should include networking or office meetings, getting out and meeting agents or prospective clients face-to-face, or preparing and mailing marketing correspondence not related to a specific inspection. The number of hours is up to you, just stick to it.
To learn more about Scott Swickard and InspectOC, please visit www.inspectoc.com.
Labels: home inspection business, home inspector course, home inspector training
It has little curb appeal. Your average do-it-yourselfer wouldn't dream of taking it on. And the only time a homeowner gives it a thought, is when it fails. So, what overlooked part of the house are we talking about? Namely, the roof, which is arguably the most important structural element of a house, and therefore something every Home Inspector must know cold.
Although Home Inspectors aren't required to physically get on the roof during their circuit, there's no substitute for an up close visual inspection. In place of walking the roof, Inspectors should at least place a ladder up to the eaves. Most Home Inspectors own both a folding and an extension ladder to get this bird's eye view.
Once an inspector has a good visual, his first order of business is to look for water damage. A leak-prone roof is public enemy number one. Walking on the roof is a good way to find soft spots, which may indicate moisture in the sub-decking and damage to the wood beneath the shingles. A common source of leaks is poorly installed flashing, which is the material (usually metal) that connects the roof to other elements of the house, such as the chimney or a skylight. Flashing is often described as the last line of defense against leaks.
Gutters and downspouts are inspected within the scope of the roof. If they're clogged, or poorly installed, they fail to move water away from the house, and may even result in a flooded basement. A Home Inspector also considers the proximity of nearby trees, whose branches may be littering the roof and gutters with unwanted debris.
An Inspector will encounter several types of roofing materials in the course of his work and he must be familiar with the characteristics and lifespan of each one. By far, the most common roofing material in the U.S. is asphalt shingles. It is made primarily from petroleum and has a life expectancy of between 15 to 30 years, depending on local environmental factors and the slope of the roof.
So, when it comes to inspecting a house, a professional should get up on that ladder, walk the roof shingles and never be afraid of heights.
Labels: home inspection business, home inspectors, inspecting a house
