Yep thats what the advertisement said. I wonder how many more agents are doubling as Inspectors. This was posted on a popular advertising message board and this guy is owner/agent/inspector of both companies.
Just thought it seemed odd.
As long as he’s not doing everything on the same house, it’s okay.
He can do a Home Inspection in the morning on one house and sell another house in the afternoon.
He’ll always be able to do something.
Mic
Very common.
That’s exactly what I’ve been saying. There isn’t anything wrong with it. It is smart business.
Well I wouldn’t go that far. . .
Ditto.
Well, I think that if you do everything in an ethical manner, develop a reputation for ethical behavior, it can be a very smart business move. You have to know what you are doing though to make sure you don’t cross lines you shouldn’t.
Ok then, here is one for the legal experts.
Agent/Inspector sells home in the a.m. that has lets say an obvious plumbing leak under the kitchen sink and lets say a gas water heater that has the flue missing. buyers move in all but 1 dies from carbon monoxide, the other escapes only after breaking a hip when slipping in the water in the kitchen. Survivor sues Agent/Inspector, but Agent/Inspector claims that he/she was not acting as the inspector but only the agent therefore would not have personal knowledge of the safety hazards of the aforementioned conditions.
That afternoon of the day of the a.m. sale, Agent/Inspector is hired to inspect a home for a buyers agent in the same town. Agent/Inspector kills the deal because the flue pipe was not properly installed over the water heater and recommends further evaluation of the plumbing under the sink because he had such a keen eye that he noticed a drop of water under the trap.
Smart business? Not in my opinion.
Like I said, I just found it Odd.
I think that it can be done. But I’m not a legal expert. There would have to be clear delineation with each job and the proper paperwork to cover it. There is enough of this going around that I am certain they don’t all go into it blindly.
I know that some Real Estate Companies don’t allow agents to be both.
- a member who sells real estate may not inspect properties located within the jurisdiction of the real estate board or boards where he, or the company with which he is associated, are active;
*]a member who provides public sector inspection services may not inspect a property within a jurisdiction where they have public sector authority or responsibility that would affect the subject property.
There’s the safeguard. Makes sense. What company was that from?
Ont. Assc. H.I.
http://www.oahi.com/default.asp?tier_1=63&tier_2=69&content=11
And that may be correct…for where you live, and thats okay.
You know it’s like saying you can’t be a single parent of a four year old and work from home.
And thats nonsense too!!!
As long as there not robbing, killing and stealing, I say let them have all the licenses they want and do their job accordingly and there won’t be a problem.
Mic
Oahi???:shock:
I ran into this same situation a couple of months back. Went into a realtors office, and was told that I couldn’t leave brochures because the owner is also the inspector. They don’t allow other inspectors.
I know many of you think it’s ok to do both realtor and inspector, as long as you don’t do both on the same house. It may be legal, and some associations may say it’s ethical. But it still makes me wonder. The realtor is a salesman, not objective by definition. The inspector is objective, not a salesman. I think one role or the other is going to suffer, and not be performed as well as the other. I wouldn’t hire someone who is trying to do both of those jobs.
REPEAT AFTER ME: “Conflict of interest?”
But, this is, after all, California. It totally makes sense.
Gee, let’s find material, legal fixes for moral and ethical questions. :shock:
And they say that Illinois is messed up!
The Owner would be a Broker. Big Conflict of Interest!!! As the owner (Broker) he earns 1/2 of the commissions that come through his office. (Sometimes there are some variables to this statement.) That sounds like he could be bordering on a lot of legal issues. He could even be breaking some laws. Then again someone would have to come up with the charges, bring him up on charges & take him to court. I’m sure he knows the gray areas of the laws and is making sure he is protected there.
Checks and balances. A wonderful thing.
Until…
Real estate agent/ Certified Home Inspector
Let me guess! NACHI Certified?