Perfect Nails at Your Next Home Inspection!

by Wallace J. Conway

It is the now the norm that a homebuyer will have their prospective home inspected. That is a good thing! What has not yet become the norm is for the agent to be present at the inspection in its entirety.

Now, I know some will say that it is the job of the inspector to care to and comfort the homebuyer during the inspection, and I certainly agree. But the additional care and comfort that your homebuyer feels with you as their real estate agent also present is the stuff that life-long referrals are made of!

The agent has several extremely important duties to perform at this critical time. If these essential duties are recognized, embraced, and performed well, the agent will be rewarded with more deals closed, reduced liability, and a near all-referral business.

The first great responsibility of the agent at the home inspection is to do a proper and professional introduction of the homebuyer to the home inspector. You must realize that most homebuyers have either not purchased a home before, have not purchased a home recently, or have not purchased a similar home in the area. They are, despite any attempt at a poker face, scared!

This fear of the process is made worse when the buyer needs to go to a strange place, their wannabe home, and meet a strange person, their inspector, then go about making one of life's hardest and most expensive decisions. This fear can be greatly reduced when the agent introduces the home inspector as an experienced and familiar professional who can be trusted to guide them though the scary parts to a clear and simple understanding of the home under consideration.

The next great contribution of the agent to the home inspection process is to open the door! Few home inspectors can legally obtain access to the home to be inspected, and often I question the motives of those who do have independent access. On the flip side, the inspection never goes well if the entire inspection is conducted from the outside looking in.

During the body of the inspection, there is no special item of significance for the agent. Some seem to enjoy measuring and decorating, others use the time for administrative or phone contact time. What is important is that you are available for the buyer when emotional need or question arises.

On more than one occasion, I have watched a buyer's concern turn to comfort when an unknown was make simple for the buyer by the agent. On one beautiful day not long ago, I came down my ladder to deliver the news to the anxious buyer that their roof was in need of immediate replacement. The buyer was nearly in tears, but she got real happy real fast when the agent explained that the purchase and sales contract stipulated that the seller would replace the roof. Had the agent not been there, the buyer would have been a wreck during the rest of the inspection and quite possibly would have walked away from a home and deal that was ultimately good for them.

The last and final role of the agent at the home inspection is to sit in on and participate in the inspection wrap up and report review. During this period, the inspector will go over every detail of the inspection report with the buyer line by line.

If the buyer has any questions about a particular system or defect, the inspector can go with the buyer and agent directly to that item in the home. The inspector can then point out, describe, or demonstrate. This is exactly what needs to be done for a full and complete understanding of the thought and it's impact on the real estate contract. This is where the agent comes in!

With the agent observing and participating in this process, many good things happen. The agent has total clarity on every element of the report and any issues that may require attention. The agent can explain if any repair money is available in the real estate contract. There is never any confusion on which item, which section, or how many of a particular problem exists. Inspector, buyer, and agent see and hear exactly the same thing. Each can tell if the other has any point in contention or confusion.

If you looking for a great way to spend quality time with your buyers, be in the best position to manage the information from the inspection, and greatly reduce the likeliness for the homebuyer blaming you for the risks of home ownership, plan on us spending time together at your next home inspection. And, it's even OK to do your nails!

Copyright © Florida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved.

About the Author: Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. Wally's expertise and experience has been sought after by HGTV's "House Detective", the Florida Times Union, the National Association of REALTORS®, and many real estate associations. As a speaker, writer, instructor, and host of "The Home and Garden" radio show every Saturday at 8 AM on WOKV 690, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com for more information!

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