Deal Killer ("DK") is one of the most controversial of all home inspection topics, the one that stirs ire among veteran inspectors and that draws defensive reactions from some real estate professionals everywhere. The very idea that professional real estate agents are the primary source of home inspector referrals is a clear and obvious conflict of interest. Yet most home buyers never seem to give this a thought. They simply hire the agent's favorite home inspector, without asking if this is the best one available. Let the client do his own research and select his professional home inspector.
The proper job description of real estate agents is representing the best interest of clients. The highest expression of true representation is to provide total, complete, and unabridged disclosure. When a buyer asks an agent to recommend a professional home inspector, the actual question, regardless of how it is stated, is "who is the best home inspector available?" Real estate agents who recommend someone they do not regard as the best are not representing the client's interests and are thereby guilty of misrepresentation. If the ethical commitment to a client is not sufficient motivation to recommend a quality home inspector, real estate agents should consider the matter of personal liability. Every defect that is overlooked by a marginal home inspector is a potential lawsuit, and such suits are commonly filed against agents who compromise the interests of their clients.
The derogatory phrase "DK" is somewhat used by a few real estate agents to describe independent professional home inspectors who give buyers objective information in an inspection report, which may lead the buyer to renegotiate or to look at other properties. Some real estate agents view independent home inspectors as a challenge to their ability to generate income. They view these "DK" as foes and will try to use a number of tactics to control the inspector selection process. Think twice, Think about liability.
Transactions close when buyers are satisfied with the condition of the property. The best professional home inspectors find more of the conditions that raise dissatisfaction. Less experienced inspectors don't disclose as many of these conditions, posing less risk to the agent's income. For some agents, the temptation to recommend a less thorough inspector is too great to resist. When temptation prevails, "STOP" let the client make his choice.
But what exactly does that mean? The name suggests someone who reports nonexistent problems or who describes defects in an alarmist fashion. But professional home inspectors of that kind are rare. The epithet is more commonly applied to those with the greatest ability to discover problems in a home. Once a professional home inspector has been branded with the "DK" label, disrepute spreads through the grapevine of local real estate agents. When new agents join a real estate office, they are often advised by some of the veteran agents not to use Inspector X, because of his "DK" status. Avoid the engagement in this practice. Remember: A happy client results in many future referrals.
Being a thorough, detail and unbiased professional home inspector is often mistaken as a nick-pick inspector. However, some home inspectors use canned software package, often call a check list formatted with prewritten statements. These home inspectors are for the most part very popular because the end result is a check list that is difficult to understand and pretty much cumbersome, softening out the end results. Is this the common practice of all real estate agents? Absolutely not! So, what is the solution? Let the client make his own research and select his own professional home inspector. This is call: "PEACE OF MIND" for information visit: HOMEINSPECTORUSA.biz
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