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Over Qualified!

I can not believe that there are Realtors that would not hire someone because they know too much.

In my area there is a Realtor in the Delaware Ohio area that will not use me. WHY? Because I might find something. She has never used me nor has she ever seen one of my reports.

Is she more concerned about making money? I guess her clients are well represented!

Should I mention her name?

Thoughts about this???

Posted by Mike Parks ESI, RBO ,RPI ,RIUI ,OMHI- Ohio on 05/13/2007 08:59 PM

Comments (14)

ethics in real estate, columbus ohio home inspectors

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14 Comments on Over Qualified!

MAY

2007

I would rather you kill the deal than get sued.. That's just me personally

I agree with Michelle. My husband is a home inspector, but he does not do inspections for me or anyone in my brokerage because of the conflict of interest. the home inspector/agent issue is a hot topic for sure.

As you must know, there are home inspector web sites and blogs that do nothing but sit around and talk about disreputalbe real estate professionals, but I've seen both in my time in the market. Some home inspectors are full of nothing but the bad news and have no interest other than letting other people know how much they know about their respective field.

That's not the objective. The lender, the real estate agent, the home inspector, the appraiser, and the title people should all have one objective: Helping the buyer to find a safe home to live in that is a good value and the right place for them.

I'm sure you are professional and I'm sorry if that agent is not. That agent may have an inspector in the hip pocket, but Michelle is right. She'll end up sued if she is doing something like that.

Home inspectors should protect buyers and so should Realtors. If I find them a bad house, I'll only be finding them one. If I find them a good house, I'll be their real estate agent for life and maybe their friend's and family's, etc...

One thing I like about some of the inspectors that I recommend, (and I do that ONLY when I am asked and by giving a LIST of certified inspectors with Errors and Ommissions Insurance and a disclosure that the list is for informational purposes and not to be considered a direct endorsement of the my company or me personally):

It's not WHAT you tell the people, it's HOW. Let's face it...every home and every body has maintenance. If you say, "OH dear LORD! I see THREE loose shingles up here! There must have been a heck of a windstorm...You'd better get a licensed qualified contractor over here ASAP or I'd tell these folks it's NO DEAL!!!" then it could be a deal killer, or you could say, "There are three loose shingles up here and I'm making note of that so you can get it checked out by a qualified contractor." Then put it in the notes, put it in the summary and move on. Giving the same information in a much more professional format, right?

I'm curious, though, how did you know she won't use you because you "know too much?" Did she tell you that?

Lania

YES! She told me that to my face. I would find too many 'things'.

To me it is like telling your doctor that he will 'find' things wrong with you just to prove how smart he is.

I am not saying that I am a doctor but I have the credentials as does a doctor (in my field).

I had a contract signed and I was the listing agent. The buyers did their home inspection - no major problems in it. The deal fell through because of the financing. The next contract, the buyers did a home inspection and the list was a mile long with things that were obvious to the trained professional... not me, cause I am not going up in the attic (I was VERY pregnant at the time). But things that NEVER should have been missed in the first place. I was glad to have the inspector that we did, because I had the peace of mind that my clients wouldn't have any surprises during the walk-through. I would use him again in a heartbeat! I don't understand why anyone would want anything less than excellence when it comes to that!

Eva

I don't mean to sound harsh, but ......next. Just move on, choose the professionals that respect your unbiased opinion, forget about the ones who don't......next. Columbus is a big town, I am sure there are plenty of professionals to choose from.

MAY

2007

Mike, been there, done that sorry to say. Like Robert said, next

Hi Mike..no realitor has an obligation to recommend or refer you for any reason,so do yourself a favor and forget it.

MAY

2007

Hi Mike,

I have reputation for being nitpicky. A local broker who frequently recommends me hired me to do a home inspection on a house she was converting to her sales office. She had a powerful negotiation tool.

Alaska Don

Mike

Home inspections is the only profession that I know of that the more you know the less you are referred.

Eva -

Your comment is the sign of a true professional - and unfortunately, not all the real estate industry. A true professional welcomes a thorough inspection, hoping they find any problems, because you are worried that your client will suffer otherwise.

In my opinion, if the Realtor has done his/her job, the deal is already sealed, the client is in love with the property, long before the inspection.

A "list .. a mile long" will not, by itself, kill a deal. It's how you, the professional, handles and reacts to the list. If you can explain to your client that this list (as long as it's not major, like a house about to collapse) is simply information to use in your negotiations, and a place to start on home repairs, the deal will go through.

Andrew- I agree. Eva- I also agree with Andrew that you are a true professional! If a Realtor (note the capital "R") does not want an inspector to find anything wrong, then they better make sure the buyer waives the home inspection. I have never seen a home inspector not find "anything", there will always be something and the buyer has the right to know. As well as the responsibility of the Realtor to protect and inform their client which is in most states Code of Ethics as Realtors, not to mention NAR's Code of Ethics!! However, I would not mention the Realtors name, that could be viewed as unprofessional and will only make you feel better initially. You may regret it later!! Great Post:)

I think every inspector that has been in business for very long will have a story like this. I had on agent that tried to cover up a gas leak I found. The seller's were in on it. They had the service man fix the gas leak and make a false service order not mentioning the gas leak. The agent said my equipment was faulty. I found out about it because I knew the service guy. I was not very happy about this as you can imagine. I've put it behind me. One bad apple, I don't lump all agents into the same pile. I find most guard their client's interests as I do.

JUN

2007

Really interesting thread, folks. I am happy to know that agents who repeatedly include me among their referrals are those who realize that part of what we inspectors do is provide a kind of free E&O for Realtors. A good inspection that objectively points out defects will keep us both out of court and in business. But the other kind of agent does exist, and there are, unfortunately, a plentiful supply of the other kind of inspector who will serve their purpose, which is to get a favorable inspection that doesn't kill the deal, require further negotiation on the price, or push back that closing date. I take some comfort in knowing that most of us Realtors and inspectors are in the first category.

I do not want any agent to even attempt to drive their clients toward me exclusively, because of the possibility of the appearance of impropriety. I can only imagine what a slick lawyer with a basically bogus complaint could do with that in court:

Plaintiff's Lawyer: "Ms. Sellinski, how long have you been selling real estate?"

Agent: "A little over three years."

P.L: "And during that time, how many homes have you sold?"

Agent (Puffing proudly): "During that time I have sold over 85 properties."

P.L.: "And did you always recommend to your clients purchasing these properties that they get a home inspection?"

Agent: "Yes, sir, I certainly did."

P.L. "Ms. Sellinski, how many home inspection firms actually performed home inspections for you clients?"

Now, if I'm the home inspector named in that suit, I'm starting to really cringe about now, because I'm beginning to realize that it's not going to matter a whole lot whether my inspections were on the up and up or not. Because that lawyer is going to be able to plant the idea of the appearance of impropriety, and the lawyer for my E&O provider is already working on an offer amount.

So, Mike...you don't WANT to do business with this person. As a matter of fact, I would be suspicious if I were you if she suddenly referred you. Chances are, she will one day become the Ms. Sellinski in that lawsuit, along with the inspectors whom she feels are worthy of her benevolent referral. I hope by then that she has made tons of money, because she's going to need it.

JUN

2007

There are a few agents in my area that have told me the same thing. "You find Too Many things Wrong". I the agents who refer me tell me its because I find things that other inspectors miss.

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