Will my Realtor® be at the home inspection?

I won't do an inspection unless the buyer's realtor is present, unless there is some extenuating circumstance.  There isn't a reason for the seller's agent to be present.  The inspection should be unfettered time for the buyers.

The seller's agent sometimes shows up at the end, but not to poke around.

Good Morning and great advice as well.  Keep up the good work and good luck with your business,  E

Very very few home inspections but often will wheel in a carpenter, electrician, plumber to scope out specific concerns,  issues.  With a $20,000 home and other low low cost places, the pretty savvy do it yourselfer with his family behind them all fine tooth comb and know what they are getting. The brother is an electrician, dad is a plumber and Uncle Jim is a carpenter, foundation guy that has the experience beyond the newly annoited building inspector that has never done house building, repair for a job, for a paycheck.

I always attend but keep my mouth shut about the actual inspection. Once reported on then I get involved in the next step - cancel, concessions, or go forward.

  We are there....every time the whole time...how can you address a condition you have never seen !

Always interesting to see how things are done differently in other areas.  Here the agents are never supposed to go to the inspections due to liability.  The client also has to give the inspector permission to share the results with me.  I always encourage my people to go to the inspection so they can see with their own eyes.

Thanks for the post

I attend the last hour of an inspection with my clients. The inspectors can then go through the results of the inspection, with the buyer,  and I am kept in the loop.

I have only missed one inspection in my entire career and I had a very experienced agent cover for me;  with that said, I cannot not being there although I understand in some areas, it is considered a liability issue.  In my area, it is one of the critical things we do as a buyer agent. 

When I bought my home, my agent was with me throughout the whole inspection. I really appreciated it and it meant a lot to me that he was willing to be there. It's all about personal service!

I have attended every inspection.  Either I or someone from my office must be there to let the inspector in.  If we open the house for the inspector and then leave, there could be consequences for us as we or a representative are required to be there.  That being said, we are not there to help or guide the inspector in any way.  We are not there to influence the inspector in any way, shape or form.  The buyers pay for the inspection and deserve the best advice from that inspector.  I have only had one instance when a highly-recommended inspector performed the inspection and called out the air conditioner as not working.  The home owner showed us the new unit that had been installed about a year ago and also showed us that it functioned perfectly.  For some reason the old hulk of an air conditioning unit had been left outside in its original position and that one did not work.  Even then, I had no input, it was the owner who saved the day.  If I am too busy, I may send someone else as a representative, but someone will always attend inspections with my clients as that is a requirement.

I do go to all inspection. What liability? If I represent the buyer and I see something I will say something to the inspector. Nobody is perfect. Rather deal with an issue now versus later.

I have made it a practice to attend all my home inspections, and if I can't, I'll compensate another agent to be there. Too many things can go wrong during the inspection process.

Part of our contract states that we are not experts in home conditions to the buyers. I also reiterate all home conditions, tax questions and financial questions should be redirected to the respected experts of that field. I would want to be at the inspection though, not only for the buyer but for myself as well, why not learn their experience to apply to yourself. Just remember to keep that to yourself during the times you are working with buyers or sellers.

It's absolutely critical that the buyer's agent be at the inspection.

I don't feel the listing agent needs to be there, though.

I agree with Lloyd above.  There should be someone there who is licensed, has insurance (E&O), and has been fingerprinted.

If I know the inspector is a licensed and bonded inspector - typically the inspector I've referred business to for nearly 10  years I'll give him the lockbox and meet them for the final wrap up.  My broker doesn't like us there either.  If we are there, we just stay out of the way.

I never agreed with that advice from your first broker.  While I don't think it's my job to advise the buyer about their inspection I think it's important for me to know what kind of job he did.  And sometimes I can solve problems that "aren't really problems".  Recently I was at a home and the breaker to the stove was turned off.  Now you would think the inspector would check for that, but he didn't.  So I flipped the switch in the breaker box and wala, stove worked again.

I don't understand the liability issue at all. I attend every home inspection. I agree you can't get a good idea of what is found if you're not there to see it yourself.

I agree that it is important for the buyer's agent to attend the home inspection for many reasons, but it also helps strengthen the ongoing relationship with your buyer who always appreciates your involvement with this step of their process.