Looking for guidance/advice

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Hello everyone I recently passed the NHIE in the state of Illinois 2 days ago. I am looking for some advice on what my next directional step should be? What I mean by this is that I am a young and inexperienced home inspector. I have never inspected a house by myself nor have I ever wrote an inspection report however I am interested in the field and I am licensed so any advice on what I should do next? Should I apply to a home inspector company such as brickkicker or some other inspection entity to get some experience? Should I attend the InterNACHI house of horrors to get some hand on training and inspection report practice (I am highly considering this). I really want to get the ball rolling here as I have worked hard to obtain this license and want to quit my serving job and start my career, so any positive advice from inspectors who can give some guidance I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for reading

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Clint, try to find a CMI near you: https://certifiedmasterinspector.org/improved-certified-master-inspector-search-tool-released and ask him your questions about a ride along and if there is a chapter in the area that you can attend. Also, do all the courses that InterNACHI has to offer while you are having time.

Best inspections to come, Clint! :smile:

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Also, Ian Robinson at Full View Marketing can get you started with website, seo, etc.

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welcome Clint ! and what Larry said…a good way to get started. Remember the guys down the street may look at You as competition so You may have to reach out to some one a few miles away for some mentoring.

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Seems to me that you should be ticking off the requirements as set forth by the State of Illinois for Licensing. You can’t inspect until you are licensed.

1 Like
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It sounds like Clint has his license.

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Lol yes I do. Thank you. My question is what now?

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-Continue to study and learn. I did quite well on the NHIE and had 13 years of building experience when I began inspecting. That was certainly not enough knowledge to do a thorough inspection. I can recommend some very helpful and informative books if you’d like.

-Look into shadowing an inspector, if possible.

-Read through past forum posts on various topics. I found that hugely helpful early on (and often now). There is much to be learned through forums.

-Start exploring reporting software, find one you like and try making a sample report. Most companies offer free trials. Practice soon and often. It takes a lot of tuning to adjust templates and format a report well. Be sure to reference reporting requirements for licensed inspector in your area.

-Find a home (yours, a friend/family member’s) you can inspect and give it a whirl. In time, develop a sample report you can post to your website to show the quality of your work.

-Develop a website and look into SEO options (when the time comes).

-Do some market research. Find out the average cost of inspections in your area. You’ll likely need to price yourself at the lower end of the scale in order to attract business. As the new guy, price may be your only selling point.

-Look into the various real estate agencies in your area. The overwhelming majority of my inspections come through realtor referrals. Begin to develop relationships however you can. Network. Email. Engage through social media. Many agency post when they onboard new agents. Reach out to these new agents.

-Read sample reports from established and knowledgable inspectors. Familiarize yourself with common defects and work on explaining them. What’s the issue, why is it an issue, and what should be done about it?

-Begin collecting the tools and instruments you’ll need to do a thorough inspection. I’m sure you can find threads on that topic.

I can keep going. I was in your position a few years ago. It is a huge amount of work to start and grow an inspection business, but I haven’t regretted it for a moment. I’m doing pretty well. If you put in the work, you can find yourself having not just a great job but a fantastic career.