Hi everyone, I am a home inspector in Ontario. Just wondering if anyone knows about becoming a home inspector and a real estate agent. I do understand there may be a conflict of interest and higher liability but I just wanted to see if there were any rules or regulations regarding this.
Thanks, Alex
Yes for the property that you have listed.
There was an inspector in my area for a long time, might still be in business I’m not sure, that was a real estate agent, home inspector, and an appraiser. I guess he wasn’t too good at any specific profession so he had to do all three. And his home inspection fees were really low.
Quite a few inspectors I know are home inspectors AND carry a RE license for various reasons (to buy and sell or manage investment property for themselves; to have access to a RE supra-key; to have access to the MLS; or things like they inspect houses BUT sell or list commercial property; or many other reasons).
As long as you’re not like a RE agent and doing both things on the same property it should not be an issue
Clear ethics violation of RECO. No Inspections for any listing in your office, for any agent related to any deal that can be traced to your office or any agent that you’ve ever worked with in your office or any deal from past agent relationships. This is all grade 9 ethics 101. I’m guessing that you’d make more selling than inspecting anyway. There are past examples in RECO history on this subject. Fines can be huge if a client gets the short end of the stick and lodges a complaint. You’d have no support and I’m guessing that the H. I. insurance people would just love you to pieces.