By Many real estate agents view home inspectors with suspicion or as a necessary evil, afraid that they are going to kill their deal. But real estate transactions actually shouldn’t be entered into unless both parties are fully informed. Buyers’ agents who try to pull something over on their clients just to make a closing aren’t apt to last long, nor are overzealous and alarmist home inspectors. Both should solicit to what is best for their mutual clients. In this post, I want to show how a home inspector with proper motivation can not only be the agent’s friend but even help the agent boost his business.
Here I am addressing real estate listing agents primarily, to show how home inspector can be of service. If, through some candid education and with no strings attached, I can help them to be more successful, then I will be more successful. This is what I ask them;
- How many home sellers are unrealistic about house value and market price?
- How many of them conveniently overlook the need to make repairs?
- How often do you walk a tightrope, struggling to persuade the seller to be realistic without jeopardizing the acquisition of their listing?
- If you do win their listing, how confident are you that their property will move?
In other words, this is an indirect way of asking, ‘Why should you as a real estate agent put yourself in the position of losing money on advertising costs and on a listing that will stagnate and expire in 60-90 days? Here I demonstrate a way for them to turn the situation around.
Teaming With Real Estate Agents to Make It Happen
Once a real estate listing agent sees how effectively a pre-listing home inspection accelerates closing, he or she has a good case to make to all prospective clients, possibly even refusing the listing without it. I can assist by videotaping her interviewing me about the process, burning the video to DVD and letting her distribute it as part of her presentation package. Another approach is for me to accompany the real estate agent to the seller’s home, free of charge, to help make the pitch in person. I recognize that real estate agents may still be reluctant, but I am convinced this will boost their sales and reduce wasted expenses. Fee structures have to be negotiated and incentives arranged. But we do what we must to tame this crazy real estate market.
