This is an insanely golden thread thanks everyone! I’m going to read this more than once it was a lot of great advice!
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There is some great advice in this thread. As has already been mentioned, find your pattern and stick with it.
For the walk through, I try to “interview” my clients before we start. I try to get an understanding of their knowledge level and any specific concerns they may have. I also explain what an inspection is and is not because they did not read the pre inspection agreement. 
Once I have a “feel” for them, I tailor my delivery to them. For contractors and DIYers, I’ll use trade jargon and talk technically. For those who know very little or 1rst time buyers i keep it simple.
I also try to explain the difference between major issues (read that as expensive to fix) and the typical stuff you must deal with as a home owner
I put blue painter’s tape on defects as a reminder for myself during the walk through.
IMHO the best advice on this thread (at least in terms of customer experience) is LISTEN to them. Try to understand what are really asking regardless of the words they used!
Best of luck!
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Make the buyers feel good about their new home. They don’t need to know every small crack you recommended to be patched. They want to know the bottom line. I cover the positive first, anything positive about the home…then the major stuff…Roof, Furnace and AC, electric, plumbing, foundation… cover anything major that will cost them big $ for repairs or major safety issues. You don’t need to open your report software and go over your report. Some clients I walk the property, and the home,others we talk 10 min in the kitchen and I’m out…gotta feel them out to see what their expectations are… you will be fine…don’t be nervous…just be you.
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Great idea using the blue painters tape… I’m going to steal that one! Thanks
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Great advice Randy. Always have a system. I like do a quick walkthrough when I first arrive to see exactly what all I have to inspect. I make mental notes of where the attic access, electric panel, HVAC, and water heater are.
I always do basements and crawlspaces last also. If there is a leak, I’m much more likely to find it if I have ran all of the fixtures before entering these spaces.
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Hey Michael,
First off, congrats on your new career!! Best of luck to you.
Every inspector does things their own way of doing things. And you’ll have to find yours.
You have to wear two hats. Your personality hat and your professional home inspector hat. Client(s) are relying on you to tell them like it is. Most home buyers are first timers, so you have to understand that they don’t really understand the complexities of being a homeowner. Many of them are trying to deal with the whole home buying process. Don’t overwhelm them, most already are!! Use your personality to be funny, charming and personable. Some clients are easy going, some are more serious. Feel it out. You have to “read your audience”. Use your professional hat to explain your findings in a professional manner. I do a walk through and explain everything that is a concern. It’s like show and tell. For example; faucet leaking… show it. No GFCI… show it. How to change the HVAC filter, show it…etc, etc. But your delivery can make them panic, or feel like, “Yea, I got this.”
I always want the client(s) to feel that I am on their side, no matter how good or bad the property conditions are. If they feel confident that you’re honest and thorough, they’ll feel at ease. Try not to be so “by the book”. Put things into perspective for them. Let them know, this is serious, or this in minor, very common, not to worry, easy fixes.
So far, since I started my business 4 years ago, I have almost 100 all 5 star Yelp reviews. This is my method and it seems to be working for me. 90% of my business comes from my Yelp reviews and now I have to turn down jobs because I’m so booked. That is my way, you’ll have to develop your way. USE YOUR STRENGTHS!
Again, best of luck to you, contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Randy
Advanced Certified Home Inspectors
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This is probably one of the best threads on this whole forum! My business will be up and running June 1st. All threads, in my opinion, are gold!
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Excellent summary! We have moved most of our discussions with the clients outside. We have found way too many alexas listening in on us ( two inspectors to each house). I ask alexa a question when i walk in a house and if i get an answer i make sure we are doubly quiet. Again, great advice!
Michael, home inspections are to some extent a hand-holding exercise. You are your clients’ last recourse to affirm they’ve made a wise decision, and more so than your doing a stolid “handyman walk-through” like some disinterested, third-party know-it-all uncovering trivial defects in toilet bowls, missing the forest for the trees, and passing off meaningless enumeration of components as a simulacrum of evaluation.
Be yourself and remember your clients assume your good judgment. One last thought. Get there 30 minutes early, introduce yourself to the owner if he or she is there, and have completed two trips around the exterior before your clients or the agent arrive—and you’ll look like a genius when you then walk them around. Better yet, have the exterior done and be on the roof, maybe already finished up there, as they arrive. All positive from there, and good luck.
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Great advice, very helpful information!