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One of the hazards of hiring a "30 Under 30" noobie?
Really, though, in our market, a good BIC offering thorough training would not turn an agent loose on consumers without teaching them to identify hardboard/Masonite or PB Piping.
With knowledge of either.
Between DD Fees and inspection fees, it can be very costly for buyers when a base level of protection is missed due to ignorance about the structure on the agent's part.
I had a BIC/agent ask me "What's a 2x4?" a couple of years ago. Really.
If I tried to make your industry look dumb like that I'd quickly have to run for cover here! Can you imagine?
I agree that agents need to understand buildings and the common issues with them even though they aren't inspecting them and should not be giving shadow inspections in any form. I've been frequently frustrated in the past with agents who could not understand, for example, the differences with solid wall construction vs cavity wall. Not even enough to refer me to an inspector with the right experience with solid wall construction when that's what i'm buying. Or a flat roof home when that's what it is. Frustrating when you're just the 'dumb' consumer and you know more than your inspector and your agent about these kinds of things. I think that's why so many get frustrated and disillusioned.
Unfortunately I think that many agents and inspectors do their best when they have 'dumb' clients and take a patronizing approach. Many are very good at repeating obvious things that anyone can learn from 20 minutes on the internet but when things are more complicated and the client already knows all of the basics, providing value beyond that is often a struggle in my observation and experience. Today's consumer is often better informed and does their own research ahead of time. So the value that they look for is increasingly beyond the basics. And agents will need to be better equipped to deliver value in this way.
The whole idiotic premise of this thread is that somehow inspectors and agents are in cahoots to close one deal.
I’ll repeat. Idiotic. It’s not sustainable, and damn near every agent and inspector out there understand this.
Real Estate is a business that lives on client referrals. You don’t get referrals without delivering a high level of service. End of story.
Stop living in some paranoid world, do your due diligence and read.
No, the issue is not about bribing, conspiracies, illegal agreements, or anything like that. Nobody is saying or suggesting that.
To paraphrase your own point: inspection is a business that lives on agent referrals. You don't get referrals by biting the hand that feeds you. End of story.
That is not to say inspectors are crooked. It's the reality of their business and just like agents, they must operate in a world that has a lot of gray areas and must balance avoiding getting sued, keeping the agent referrals coming in, pleasing the client, and being legal and ethical.
That's the 'premise' whether you agree with it or not. it's not about fraud or conspiracies. But we all understand why you're exaggerating.
The big problem is, that 80% plus of all real estate agents, will go broke and fail out of the business. It is a business, where there is a constant turnover of agents, an a large percentage of the agents will not be in the business long enough, to really get to know if a home has problems or not. They go to school to learn to pass an agents test, and few enter the business with knowledge of homes, construction, obvious problems, etc.
85% of all homes sold, are sold by 15% of the agents. That 15% are the agents that realize what they are doing, and a lot of them are really tour bus drivers taking buyers out and showing home after home till they find the one they like and make an offer.
I entered the real estate business in 1972, and remained in it till I finally retired specializing in investment real estate, farms and ranches, and real estate exchanges often multiple properties involved with several property owners involved.
In all my time in the business, I only sold 6 homes for personal residences, every time was to help a good friend. But I sold as many as 14 homes in one day to investors. That 14 included a 13 home to be built subdivision and one home needing an immediate sale to ward off foreclosure. My investors bought from 2 to 5 homes. and every call sold homes. I subdivided some land, and had homes, to office buildings built for clients. My key to success, was I had 20 years sales experience before entering he building which made me realize I needed to understand the business if I was to be a success. I spent one whole year taking classes at a major university, covering properties, real estate law, investment analysis, and had a good understanding of the business before I entered the business.
But most new agents, only have a class to pass the agent's test, not to understand real estate and it's problems. And that is a major reason, that they fail out of the business, and leave a lot of the public unsatisfied with their agent experience.
Also, please folks don't use anyone on the realtor commission food chain for the inspection, or anything else, as the goal is to collect as much as they can from you for doing as little as possible. They are in the business of keeping the food chain fed, not protecting your interests, which is why you always need a lawyer to oversee the sales process.
Always hire your own inspectors not associated with any realtors; roofer to inspect the roof, plumber for the plumbing, electrician for the electrical. Yes, it will be tough to schedule everyone but it is so much more cost effective when the ink is dry.
If you want to find your own inspector, more power to you and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I can 100% guarantee that you will not find a single one that is not “associated” with ANY agents, unless they are brand new or terrible. Even the guy you find using google, HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, Craigslist, Porch, Thumbtack, Amazon Services or whatever site you do, is getting recommend by some agent somewhere, unless they are bad. And like I’ve said, the majority of agents want an inspector that will do a good job and protect their shared client, not someone who will soft peddle things. It’s really not a great big conspiracy.
And again, I’ve found a good way to get referrals is to do a good job and help keep my client and their agent happy by providing actionable information to them. Things that keep them from being surprised down the road. Things that can be used in a negotiation. Hiding those things is a very short term gain, if at all. But you all can believe what you want.
Last edited by Sherifftruman; 04-01-2018 at 02:01 PM..
No, the issue is not about bribing, conspiracies, illegal agreements, or anything like that. Nobody is saying or suggesting that.
To paraphrase your own point: inspection is a business that lives on agent referrals. You don't get referrals by biting the hand that feeds you. End of story.
That is not to say inspectors are crooked. It's the reality of their business and just like agents, they must operate in a world that has a lot of gray areas and must balance avoiding getting sued, keeping the agent referrals coming in, pleasing the client, and being legal and ethical.
That's the 'premise' whether you agree with it or not. it's not about fraud or conspiracies. But we all understand why you're exaggerating.
Your bolded point is bull****. Bull. S h I t.
I specifically said CLIENT referrals. But you’ll twist any point to keep your twisted crap going.
You don’t understand anything about the real estate world, please - pray tell - why would I exaggerate?
I specifically said CLIENT referrals. But you’ll twist any point to keep your twisted crap going.
You don’t understand anything about the real estate world, please - pray tell - why would I exaggerate?
Such bold language but nothing behind it. Meaning is all lost in the bluster. Are you really trying to say that agent referrals are not an important source of business for inspectors? Really? That's your point?
Such bold language but nothing behind it. Meaning is all lost in the bluster. Are you really trying to say that agent referrals are not an important source of business for inspectors? Really? That's your point?
the collar around the pipe vents you see poking through the roof, typically for the various bathrooms. they are sometimes covered in rubber and can dry out and crack, allowing water to sneak in. Easy fix, $20 part, just a little labor to get someone up there to replace.
I'd say 25% of the resale homes I'm shadow inspecting have a failed boot.
I have to wonder if the construction methods/terms are different in boots' locale, or whether she has chosen to remain detached from inspection reports. A plumbing boot is pretty basic. Understanding what inspection items mean, and an ability to intelligently discuss them with the client is very important, in my opinion.
There are more dire-sounding issues that can be fixed for under $200 than their are benign-sounding fixes that cost $2,000.
lol at the wordsmith. we should all remember to do this, IMO:
Just_because - if you were an agent in the US, how would you handle the inspection process for your clients?
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