Ed, wow, did your buyers understand they have been cheated? Now what? I would be so uncomfortable with this one.
He he he he, me tinks dis is da guy for my rehab projects! I wouldn't have to do such quality work! WHAT A LOOSER! No flashlight? No photo's? No electrical tests? No Attic? No,... No,... NO! Well Ed, at least you really did try to look out for their best interests!
How painful for you to watch this home inspector at work. 45 mins is just what it takes for my home inspector to review the roof and attic.
Rene, he was a piece of work for sure.
Andrea, I stayed in that house an extra 45 minutes after the inspector left looking at the items he had discussed with my buyer. I did go into the attic and fortunately it was clean and well insulated, it was vented at the gables, and they were clear. Because they were not able to test the air conditioner, I wrote on the results to the seller's agent that we wanted them to purchase a complete home warranty, or leave $5,500 in escrow until we can test the AC in late May. They are going to buy the Warranty because they want to get on with their business.
Laura, that's probably where he gets his biggest volume of business.
Ellie, while he did his 'no thing', I read through all of the receipts and documentation the sellers had left our for me, and used that for my notes. It was another reason for the Warranty request.
Wow, Ed. We'll have to see if any issues crop up down the road. The buyers are fortunate that you did an extra check in the attic for them and that you suggested a warranty. Hope all ends well.
Buyers hire us for our expertise and that includes recommending to them lenders, inspector and closing attorneys, as well as the other trades necessary in the home buying process. For them not to heed our advice, they have no one else to blame but themselves.
Hi A & P, it was an eye opener for me. A name I will remember just so no one makes the same mistake
Craig, I agree but it still doesn't ease my mind as someone that can least afford it will get hurt because a family member thought it was best. We do this every day, family members might do it 3-4 times in a lifetime.
Ed, Buyers need to understand that the only interest that we have when we recommend someone is that we want to see the transaction go smoothly. The smother the transaction the less stress for everyone.
Ed ~ What a nightmare ~ We always recommend competent and trustworthy professional services to our clients ~
Ed, we need more people educating the public about recommendations. Great post! Thanx to Laura, because she reblogged it, I missed it the first time.
I have a whole list of companies and local business that I recommend, I usually try to get 3 for each category. Most my list are services that I have used and reused, that is the best testimony.
Go UCONN.
HA! Sounds like that house needed a larger water heater, which has absolutely nothing to do with performance.
I only recommend providers whom I have used or personally vetted.
Buyers and sellers are not experienced in the various aspects of real estate transactions to know the value of vendors.
Hi Ed - These buyers are lucky that you went beyond what due diligence would require so they would be as safeguarded as possible under these circumstances.
A quality home inspector makes a difference! I see people use someone to "save" money but often this ends up costing them so much more.
Ed if more buyers and sellers would take heed of this advice and rid themselves of the skepticism, far more deals would come to close and far more consumers would have a much more pleasant experience.
Ed, I sure wish buyers would understand that we are only trying to help...this is our business and we make good solid contacts with other professionals for one reason....to help you the buyer get exactly what you are bargaining for.
Ed, you have mentioned about THIRD PARTY services referred to the buyer - and fair enough if they don't trust.
I let buyers know that anyone I am referring to, has worked with me in past, they are recommended but not 'forced upon'. They have provided an excellent service, gone an extra mile to help my clients - AND I DO NOT GET A DIME OUT OF IT - I am glad that they receive the best services from them.
Well, you can do only this much, I guess.
Ed -- Some buyers just don't understand that we refer to individuals who we know get the job done correctly and will do a stellar job for our clients. When something like this happens. the buyers are very lucky to have an agent like yourself who will still work around the inadequacies and get the job done in the best interest of the buyers.
Ed, thanks for discussing this topic. We have to be careful who were refer business to because their actions will then reflect on our reputation. I am so careful to give out information on 3rd party services that I cannot complete vouche for.
Ed, great post! We have a service provider summary that lists several professionals based on the type of service. I do suggest specific people when reviewing this sheet, but make it clear it is entirely up to the buyer. Many times they have a "friend of the family" who does this or that. Frustrating as it may be, I have to let them make that decision. I've had a few buyers call me later about something that should have been caught during the inspeciton process and have to remind the new home owners who they chose. Bummer. :)
Ed, a good example when clients don't listen to their agent. I'll almost bet the inspector they chose charged less then the one you recommended.
Some people won't use a recommended source, no matter what. Hopefully a lesson learned.
I always give them several to choose from but when they ask who I usually use I let them know. He is not only a licensed home inspector, he is a licensed contractor and I feel comfortable knowing he has this extra knowledge!
Good advice, Ed - Home buyers and sellers hire us for our expertise and experience, and then ignore our recommendation. Something is wrong with this picture.
I've had better luck with recommendations since I started explaining the basis of my recommendation rather than just giving them a list... for example, tell them about an experience one of my previous clients had. And I also ask if they'd like references from my past clients. Still no guarantee, but better...
Yes, I do recommend, and it's because I KNOW of the quality (of the inspection company), or the honesty (of the lender) . . . after years of working with people, you get a feel. Great post Ed.
I will coach the buyers on what questions to ask their vendor of choice before making the decision to hire them...I would ask for a copy of a past inspection report with critical info blacked out and compare to people on your team...
Ed - Wow that's some story... We always give out at least 3 recommendations for inspectors and let them pick.. We have had on occasion a bad inspector like yours a "friend" that really does not do the buyer any favors in helping them do a thorough inspection of the home. Scary stuff. Always get referrals from trusted sources.... That's my mantra... sorry to hear this story... eegads...
Maybe they read about things like Preferred Provider lists where the requirement is they pay to be on it or things like Agent to Agent paid Referals posted by Agents on RE Sites and are a tad skeptical of the motivation behind recomendations from RE Agents...and perhaps rightfully so
Wow, amazing. With all of the regulations and changes we (Mortgage Professionals) go through, and someone can get away with that...incredulous!
Most buyers are not skeptical of my recommendations, but I had one buyer who questioned every single one and I know that she thought I was getting some kind of kickback for every referral. I told her I wasn't, that I was only interested in that she get excellent service. Finally, I told her to just investigate on her own and get her own service people.
One reason we generally recommend 2-3 different inspectors and let the buyers pick. As was mentioned, we vet them all ourselves before we give a referral. Consequently, the only issues we tend to have are with the buyers who supply their own inspector. Well done!
The only kick back is good service from the other person, company you referred! You did not tell them who not to use, but simply these two or three would do a stellar job. It reflects on you if they do or don't so be careful.
Wow! I can't believe a home inspector was able to inspect a property in only 45 minutes, didn't go into the garage, the attic or test electrical outlets! Was the inspector even licensed? A 3 page report, that doesn't give your buyers much of a leg to stand on for knowing what's really going on with the property or with negotiating any items. Those poor buyers.
It's so hard, though, when buyers want to use someone a family member or friend told them to use. How have you gotten around that in the past?
Often I find that some buyers will feel that the agent is recommending somebody that is going to have the agents best interest and not theirs at heart and that is why they choose their own person.
I agree! Just because someone has a friend in the industry, doesn't mean they are choosing the best service.
However, on the other hand this could have been the best inspector to ever walk through the doors. This would never be known, if you only choose or try to allow your referral list.
I would have discussed this with the buyer, explaining I do not profit from any referrals, and I also like to keep them honest, so If you don't mind, can we together request some of his past inspections to review to make sure you are getting what you pay for, and so we can decide together if this will be the best option for you.
I also like to see an inspector that is a GC as well, or has at least built homes on some level. They seem to be able to point out a few more minor issues that preventative maintenance could solve.
I agree. I prefer that buyers use my home inspector as then I know they are getting quality!
Ed;
In the case you mentioned, did you make any comments to your buyers their inspectors poor job. I would email the buyers about the situation to document that the inspector was not your referral and you felt he did not do a proper inspection. If the buyers subsequently find problems that were not uncovered during the inspection they may come after you. Tni, would that cover the agent if the buyers file suit?
Ed- I almost had the most recent buyer pull that same trick - but they are using James Quarello instead! Cannot wait to have him on the job! Lucky us .....
It seems to me that if Realtors are going to supply a list of "their inspectors", they should also supply a list of interview questions that the client should be asking "all" inspectors before they decide who to hire. A professional Realtor will do whatever it takes to guide their clients through the homebuying process, irregardless of what the Realtor's personal choice's are. The buyer has every right to choose whichever inspection company they wish. Be the professional many here purport to be, and help them, don't critcize them for doing what they believe is in their best interests.
Having both held a license as a Realtor and currently a Home Inspector I find it funny that there are not more agents with wonderful attitudes as portrayed from these posts. I personally find for every honest agent out there is a dishonest one to equal the amount. If all the agents portrayed the attitudes I have read here, then I would be so busy I would need 4 others to help. I personally strive to provide the absolute best inspection and my feedback reflects this.
I have found many refer their inspector because they "Don't scare the client", which is always the phrase that comes up in many conversations. Or, I use him because he won't over exaggerate his findings. When it comes to money even the nicest people can be manipulated by greed or in today's market desperation for financial reasons.
Many of my customers find me because they are unhappy with their current agent, but since they are not experienced, are either afraid or don't want the hassle of firing them and starting over. Instead they express their disgust with me and are smart enough to choose no one the agent recommends.
All the agents I work with have clients that love them and trust them. The rest get badmouthed and I here the stories. I personally think with the amount of conflict of interest involved it should be illegal to allow an agent to refer anyone, and make the buyer choose their own. The market would weed out the trash much quicker this way.
In my Opinion it would be in the best interest of the client to educate themselves on the process of finding a qualified home inspector. Whether you receive a referral or not it is within your right to choose whom you wish. There are many qualified Inspectors out there, but there are many not so qualified out there doing a disservice to the profession.
I have worked with agents I would be more than happy to provide a referral to and some I most definitely would not. Unfortunately in this world, it varies across the board of all businesses. Some are better than others, but what we choose is what we get.
Order a steak at a restaurant: Bad cook you will tell everyone to never go there, Great cook you tell everyone how good the steak was, but the difference is as simple as what cook worked on what day.
We can not choose our clients but we can educate the ones that do choose us. So, provide them with the information they need to make the best decision they can when chooseing a Home Inspector. Don't just offer a referral, provide them with the knowledge they need to have a Good Quality Home Inspection.
Chad Johnson - ERJ Home Inspections, LLC - Serving Columbus, OH and Surrounding Areas.
I love reading the articles and comments on these boards, and as an inspector I have Realtors who suggest my services to their clients and many clients who refer me to their friends, relatives and co-workers.
When it comes to being on a Realty company Home Inspector list I have never been placed on one. I have been called by Realty companies and used house salespeople offering to put me on the list of home inspectors. The asking price to be on the list starts at $450.00 a year. Sorry if this offends you but I don't pay to play.
A home inspector without a flashlight? Well that says it all!