Connecting Realtors To NACHI

Originally Posted By: gsutterfield
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First of all, let me say that I have only been a member of NACHI for 3 months. I am computer illeterate, as are 80% of the people in this rural area! I am attempting to direct realtors to links involving NACHI especially since I am the only inspector listed with NACHI within a very large area. I have attended numerous meetings with agents,fed them well, put on a presentation about myself ( 32+ years of experiance in the building trades] , and informed all of them about the NACHI organization. I also handed out letters of recomendations from agents I was affiliated with for more then 8 years in another part of MO.


Can anyone give me any ideas as to how to direct realtors to ’


NACHI.org’ ‘find an inspector’ etc?


I was hopeing to do this with the “promotional E mail” [ I sent about 85] But that has not been updated since July! I also attempted the mouse pad promotion but understand the orders are very far behind.


Thanks in advance for your assistance.


Originally Posted By: Nick Gromicko
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I don’t understand the question. If you are talking with agents at numerous meetings you are already there. Why send them back to us? Don’t. Get on their short list right there.


Nick


Originally Posted By: jhagarty
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icon_question.gif



Joseph Hagarty


HouseMaster / Main Line, PA
joseph.hagarty@housemaster.com
www.householdinspector.com

Phone: 610-399-9864
Fax : 610-399-9865

HouseMaster. Home inspections. Done right.

Originally Posted By: gsutterfield
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Nick


It was more a statement then a question I guess! As stated, I joined NACHI about 3 months ago and was really excited about all that was offered and the team concept. I have 8+ years experience as a successful HI but have moved to a rural area and am finding it hard to “break-in” this area. I have attempted to visit all realtor offices on a weekly basis and used everything NACHI has to offer within my alloted finances but still don’t get many calls. In short, I am running out of material to present them with! Many in this area were not familiar with the pre listing inspection and appeared to welcome the concept as well as my computer generated reports. [Yes, other inspectors in the area still submitt hand written reports.] I felt the e-mail concept,calenders,and the mouse pad promotion would be a great way to gain more exposure for not onlt me but HACHI as well.


Now to the question:


1. When will the e-mail for realtors be updated? Would it not be beneficial to do this at least monthly? I believe other HI’s like myself who don’t have alot of computer experiance would find this very helpful!


2. Do we know when to expect to recieve the callenders? Again I need more hand-out material when revisiting agents.


3. Last but not least, when do you expect to be caught up with the mouse pad orders? When you and I discussed this by phone I understood you wanted to send these to every realtor possible. Did you not realize the volume you would receive for request?


Originally Posted By: gsutterfield
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Nick


I put this in the form of a question{3 in fact} Did you read them and choose not to answer or what icon_question.gif


Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley
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Gary,


Your situation is similar to mine. I was in the Northern VA area for seven years, and was very busy. I moved to FL in a fairly rural area (town of 30,000 people in summer and 90,000 in winter) last year and opened for business the end of April of this year.

Business started with a drip, then a small trickle, then a drip, then a trickle, and now I am starting to see the beginning of a slow flow of business. I have found by marketing here and by speaking with other inspectors in rural areas that the Realtors in these markets are much more loyal to their inspectors, mortgage people, termite companies, etc., so it will take longer to get them to try you.

The Realtors here are at least making an attempt, albeit somewhat futile, to move into the hi-tech age. Giving them a mouse pad is nice, and they appreciate it, but it doesn't do much good if they don't have a computer. Same with email.

I have found by marketing here, good old fashioned flyers with your name and logo, with a slightly different message or bullet points each time is the best route to take. If you make it up personally, it will say more about you than an organization will. I hit every office in my area as often as possible (at least twice a month), and try to talk to every Realtor I can. I have joined the local Board of Realtors, and the Women's Council of Realtors. If you haven't joined, you should. In the rural areas the agents want to use people they know, and are a part of their "community". The key to this business hasn't changed, it is still about relationship building.

You sound like you have plenty to sell, so go sell yourself. You have experience and a track record. Give them reasons to use you, like better reporting, better communication, adaptability to their schedule, etc. Just talk to em, be yourself, and business will come.

I hope some of these things that seem to be working in this rural area can help you! ![icon_biggrin.gif](upload://iKNGSw3qcRIEmXySa8gItY6Gczg.gif)

Blaine


Originally Posted By: gsutterfield
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Blaine


Thanks for the input.


Our realtors do have and use computers. I just feel the mouse pads calenders & e-mail would help. If not then why does NACHI offer this service to it’s members?


Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley
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Gary,


I think those services are of great value. I think that in some markets, the response may be more limited. The calendars were thought up and done by a few members, and Chris knew a good, reliable, cheap printer. (good idea too, guys)

I think NACHI is growing so fast that there will be times when some things aren't caught up, i.e. the email. Although, when I joined I think I was told it was meant to be quarterly.

Blaine ![icon_biggrin.gif](upload://iKNGSw3qcRIEmXySa8gItY6Gczg.gif)


Originally Posted By: dfrend
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Maybe Nick could ask the members to submit articles for the email. I know that he has to be busy. I for one wouldn’t mind putting something together as I am sure others would. Give me a topic and I can run with it. Does Nick have anyone doing any stuff like this or does he tackle it all?



Daniel R Frend


www.nachifoundation.org


The Home Inspector Store


www.homeinspectorstore.com

Originally Posted By: Joe
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Count me in, too. I’ll be more than happy to contribute my help- fire me a subject and give me a day with it…



Regards,


Joe O’Connell


Integrated Home Inspection


www.knowthehome.com

Originally Posted By: Nick Gromicko
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Sorry,


I know many of you think I read every thread but I don't. I only read about 2% of all posts on the board. I don't visit the members-only section at all. If you need me to address a thread, email me and direct me to it. That is exactly what brought me here now. I think you asked about 3 promotions:

1. The REALTOR email promotional tool will not be updated will nilly. It has to be an article that REALTORs respond positively to. We can check this by watching the "remove" ratio. It is better to send them an article that works each month, than to send them different ones that don't. If you have an article you think will work, email it to me and I'll trial run it.

2. I'm not involved with the calendar thingie.

3. The mousepads go out to REALTORs with a note explaining you arranged for the gift. They are shipped out in the order they are received. Eventually all REALTORs will get one. We asked members to give us the agents names and addresses so as not to just send them out willy nilly. The speed at which they go out has more to do with our non-profit status than anything else. They are a high-ticket item when you add in our shipping and handling costs, and provides us a method to unload cash while doing some promotion that benefits all members. http://www.nachi.org/thankyou.htm

You cannot rely solely on NACHI promotions to carry your marketing. Furthermore, your second post in this thread is much like your first in that indicate that you are marketing NACHI, not yourself. Did you take advantage of the free marketing help in http://www.nachi.org/success_tips.htm ? Have I seen your brochures/flyers?

You also indicate that agents are not letting you "break-in." I've been a REALTOR for 13 years. I'll bet that in the "rural area" you describe, the agents use short lists (a flyer they give to buyers that says "We don't recommend any one inspector but here are 3 we've used before and found satisfactory"). You have to get on those short lists.

1. Go to the top producing agent (just ask who is the top producer) and tell them you want to do a job for them. Do one for free for one of their cash poor buyers or offer to inspect their own home.

2. Do the inspection of the century with a report written to the grace of God (oops, sorry Russel)... you know what I mean.

3. Then revisit that agent. She'll feel a debt of gratitude to you. Cash in on it. Ask her (I say "her" because most top producers are female) for her short list. Don't bash you competitors. Just ask her if you can be added as #4. Trust me, if you did even a mediocre inspection, she'll say OK.

4. Then take her short list home and retype it on her letterhead or form or however the original was. Only this time add your contact information as #4. Don't move yourself to #1 or type your contact info in bold or anything.

5. Make 2,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 copies. Well maybe just 1,000 copies.

6. Revisit the agent again carrying your big stack of her new short list form. Say "I did what we agreed to and added myself as #4. I made you new copies."

7. Ask for her old copies (the ones that did not have you listed). Destroy them in front of her and throw them in her garbage can. If you do it with a smile, she'll laugh a little.


Getting her business is NOT THE GOAL! Getting on the top producer's short list is! Being on the top producer's short list is your seal of approval for every other agent in that office, especially new agents (they come and go like stray dogs) who have no list at all.

Nick

PS If you are the 4th best inspector in town and the REALTORs have 3 names on their short lists, you might as well be the worst inspector in town or #73.


Originally Posted By: dfrend
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OK, now anyone got a topic they think would be well recieved by agents? I will put an article together, but give me some topics.



Daniel R Frend


www.nachifoundation.org


The Home Inspector Store


www.homeinspectorstore.com

Originally Posted By: gsutterfield
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Willy Nilly this, Willy Nilly that icon_lol.gif


I am not #73 or even #4!!!


I am the best,#1, the greatest,


Now to convince them


Originally Posted By: Nick Gromicko
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Now that’s the spirit!


Nick