Matt was asked to write that letter by some of the advisory board members.
Many of the advisory board member are the greatest critics of Porch, or at least have been the most vocal critics.
There are some very large and successful inspection companies on the board and some much smaller down to a one man operation. I would assume that those were chosen not only for their influence in the industry, but their business acumen.
There is no doubt that our boutique industry has changed. Just like many industries before us. The Real Estate industry is doing the same (here is a good example https://www.exprealty.com/). The fact is we cannot stop the change, like it or not. In the last ten years it has been moving in this direction, just look at the number of multi-inspectors companies that have grown.
Over the last five years or so nobody can deny that many whom(especially new guys) that used some vendors products have flourished. Most of those products were met with the same disdain. There is several reasons for that, which I will not get into.
The fact is Realtors work hard to find many clients a great home in a great neighborhood with all of the amenities that they are looking for. We come in and show them all the things wrong with it. They are now left holding the ball and have to decide about the biggest investment of their life with holes shot in it. Not knowing how much or who to call in many cases. The Realtor and inspector can give much guidance in this area but don’t always and can’t always do enough for many of the buyers. Even after they close, they still have many huge tasks including moving, all that goes with that and setting up services that they may not be familiar with. For those who don’t know who to call, Porch picks up the tasks and helps them get everything done.
Our society is becoming more and more service oriented while more and more are moving around, this creates problems that Porch addresses. I have more clients than every whom do not want to do anything around the home. They just want their TV hung and don’t have the skills or tools to do it themselves. They don’t mow their own lawns or fix their sprinklers. They don’t want to paint, pressure wash or clean their pool. Porch makes all of this easier for them. Getting a roofer estimate(or roof), a plumber to change the toilets, the satellite TV, the screen fixed, the doggy door installed or the locks changed are just some things that Porch can address for them. For those clients and Realtors that don’t want the service we just have it stopped.
I have personally discussed the Porch offerings to many clients and Realtors and many absolutely love what they offer. It is certainly not for those inspectors who are not forward thinking and willing to be ahead of the curve.
With more than 800 inspectors using Porch, I have only heard a few that had issues and every single one was because they failed to understand what they were doing or offering.
I know for a fact that Porch has helped ISN grow its programmers, some features are rolling out as we speak(yes I test some) and there are a few large ones coming out. Quick books integration and updated invoicing are two. There is a huge one scheduled to be announced at Inspection Fuel.
Everyone should do what they think is best for their company and their clients.
If anyone would like to talk to me personally PM me on Facebook as I don’t visit the message board very often.