How to market a new home inspector
Q: As a marketing and advertising professional, I have been assisting my husband to build his new business as a professional home inspector. Unfortunately, it has been more difficult to market his services than those of my other clients. How do I crack this nut and get him more customers who are looking for a home inspector?
A: You have made a rare discovery, usually known only to successful home inspectors: Marketing a home inspection business is different from marketing any other product or service. It cannot be done with public advertising because homebuyers seldom select their own home inspector. In most cases, buyers rely on referrals from their real estate agent. Marketing, therefore, must be targeted toward Realtors, and it must be done on a person-to-person basis.
This requires an understanding of the differing interests that motivate agents in their choosing of home inspectors. Some agents appreciate highly detailed inspections, but some do not. Referrals from either group are welcome, but marketing should be approached as though every agent is hoping for total disclosure of property defects.
Real estate agents with high standards of ethics, the ones who honestly represent the interests of clients, would walk away from a potential sale rather than compromise the truth. They prefer home inspectors who are highly experienced and provide detailed, comprehensive disclosure. These agents typically do not recommend new and inexperienced home inspectors.
Agents who are ethically challenged, the ones who represent their next commission check, would rather bend the facts than lose the sale. They prefer home inspectors who are less experienced and less thorough, who disclose fewer defects, thereby securing the closing of escrow. This is where entry-level home inspectors often obtain their first referrals. Agents of this type often pay lip-service to the virtues of home inspection and total disclosure. However, give them a thorough report and you may not hear from them again. But that’s OK, because inspectors gain experience one inspection at a time, and thorough reports will attract business from the better agents, the ones who appreciate a quality inspection.
In the meantime, you and your husband must market his services in a straightforward and honest manner to all agents. This must be done on a daily basis: face-to-face; by email; by one-on-one introductions; and to groups such as office meetings. He should visit real estate offices at every opportunity, introduce himself to agents and brokers, and provide promotional materials that are informative and interesting.
Agents are busy people. You must remind them repeatedly that you are here and that you are interested in working with them. They must know your husband by name, face, and reputation. The results will not be immediate, but little by little the trust of one agent and then another will be gained. If an agent’s regular inspector is suddenly unavailable, your husband’s name may come to mind as an alternate because your marketing efforts will have caused him to be remembered. Referrals will gradually increase, and so will your husband’s abilities as an inspector. In the end, the work he does for each client will become his most effective marketing tool.
• Distributed by Action Coast Publishing. Questions to Barry Stone can be emailed to barry@housedetective.com.