Does anyone have any good marketing ideas? I am newer to this type of business and have been pretty busy up until a few weeks ago. Does it usually slow down this time of the year?Anyone have good marketing tips that want to share? I am working still at another job until I get busy enough to do this full time as well as taking care of my sick father. So I can’t really stop in agents offices as much as I would like.
Spend some time in the Inspection Marketing forum: http://www.nachi.org/forum/f7/
There are tons of threads on different marketing ideas.
I’m fairly new too, so I can’t answer the question about slowing down during the holidays. But here’s what helped me out the most. I stopped by all the real estate offices, I got zero inspections from that. All the agents are already tied to an inspector, so they don’t want to try a new HI just because you dropped off some cards. Most of my inspections come from my website and all the social media. Get google analytics and it’ll show you how many people visit your social media sites and website. I get a lot of traffic to my website from my social media. I currently have around 300 people following me between the 4 sites, which is great, but the big benefit is when they send it to all their friends and friends of friends…Drives a lot of traffic to my site. It didn’t take me long to get to the #1 spot on google for certain key words (still working on other key words). Also, join a local social group. I’m a member of YPW (Young Professionals of Wichita). It’s all setup up for professional networking. All I do is go enjoy some drinks with friends and pass out cards the entire time. This is how you’ll need to get started with the agents. I now have several agents that exclusively use me, but it’s only because their buyer chose me and I proved to the agent how good I am and that I know how to present the information to the buyer so that it doesn’t scare them off (although some houses are that bad and you can’t help but scare the buyer off). Hope this helps.
good advice from Justin. Find ways to be around Realtors without hounding them for business. That is annoying. Wait patiently for your opportunity and don’t let them down when you get the opportunity. Fast reports are a must. no longer than 24 hours from time of inspection. Same day preferably. Be responsive. try lenders and draw inspection companies also. I get a fair amount from them as well.
Make a good website and put a link to it in your signature.
I have tons, but Nick always says they are dumb when I post them 
Baking cookies for my realtors works best for me.
Discreet illicit acts work also.
If you really want business there Tim, tell them you apprenticed with me, you should be rolling in business in no time. 
Your problem isn’t a lack of marketing ideas.
I do not. I say they only work for you because everyone likes you Juan. I have the personality of a tree stump, so your otherwise perfectly fine ideas would not help me.
Juan, you are so likeable that almost everything you do works. You could hand out jars of Chex Mix and the agents would love it. 
Don’t try to sugar coat it now!
OK, I won’t. I can’t stand marketing ideas that don’t enhance your company’s brand at all (or worse, like in the case of Chex Mix, harm it) and instead rely solely on some cutsie gesture causing the target to refer you or hire you because they like you personally. It’s phony marketing. It works, but it’s not real marketing. It’s equivalent to a used car salesman slappin’ ya on the back and pretending to be your best friend. Makes me want to vomit. I want someone to market to me by telling me why the product or service will benefit me. Great marketing will make me want that product or service regardless of whether or not I like your smile.
Relationship marketing is horse crap IMHO. Your mileage may vary.
Thanks Nick. Now I finally know what ymmv means.
Are we talking real estate agents or clients who actually pay for and use our services?
Tell the agents that you are $199 on any size home. That will get their attention. Price is all that matters to them. It always slows down during the holidays, and January February for tax time.
I was generally referring to the cheesy “Hire me cause I’m nice” marketing directed at real estate agents.
Real estate agents have a fiduciary duty and a contractual obligation to their clients to recommend the very best inspectors based solely on merit. Any agent that recommends an inspector because he delivered her candy, or because she likes his smile, should be hung by the neck from a highway bridge for all to see.
In a perfect world, yes, but you and I know that we are and the world is, anything but. I’ve found that a REA’s definition of merit varies greatly among them, meaning, their definition of a “good” HI, doesn’t necessarily make it so.
If it will help me make me money I’ll do it.
How’s the business in Florida? I keep telling my wife that’s where I want to move to someday. Can’t get any better than warm weather all year, beaches, and palm trees. 
I’ve wanted to move down there since Miami Vice was on TV.
She’s talking about the biggest multi-inspector firm in the area and refers to him as “The Candy man”