Referral Program

Originally Posted By: mhenderson
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I attended a few real-estate offices last week on a subject that has my shorts in a bind… Re/max & century 21 along with a few others are starting this indiviualized referral program. …basically…offices are tossing out all brochures because they say it clutters up the offices & starting individual reference books for each office with inspection companies/plumbers/electricians or any home related business at a so -called bargain price…$200 for 2 yrs…I work with 75 real estate offices & you dont have to do the math to know what it might cost me..I thats not even a guarentee theyll even use me…talkin to realtors (honest ones) they said they have their favorite companies & told their favorite ones not to even join because they will use them anyhow …this reminds me of something like protection money the mob use to do & ask for so you could stay in business…& even if I pay for a few…theres no guarentee I will be used…


any other inspectors feeling this Squeeze play yet!!! icon_evil.gif


Originally Posted By: Steve Yared
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I was approached last week by an office putting the same sort of book together. A 1/6th page ad in the book would cost $480 for 2 years. Ouch! I’ve only done one inspection so far for this office of 70 realtors. It might pay off for getting newer realtors without a relationship to any inspectors, but that’s a lot of cash to spend in the hope of snagging new business. I think you’re right about the realtors with relationships already established with inspectors, they’re going to suggest the guys they know, not a bunch of strangers from a book.


Originally Posted By: Nick Gromicko
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O.K. I guess I should jump in here. I have been a REALTOR for 13 years working AT both Coldwell Banker and RE/MAX. Notice I use the word “AT” and not “FOR.” Some brokers ask agents to “lean on” inspectors to try to get them to pay to belong to such programs as you describe. Many agents ask inspectors they never use to join and pay. Agents are FREE agents paid on commission. No silly program like this is going to influence an agent’s decision to refer their favorite inspector to their client. And failing to join a silly program like this might get you removed from some silly preferred-vendor list, but don’t worry. We agents are free to refer any inspector we like… and that is exactly what we do. Save your money.


Nick


Originally Posted By: Rusty Rothrock
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Well said Nick !!!


Realtors will always continue to use the home inspectors they know, respect, and are comfortable in knowing that a professional inspection will done each and every time (for their Purchasers). No agent is going to switch to a different home inspection firm just because his/her broker recommended that they do so.

Rusty Rothrock
Richmond, VA
www.richmondinspections.com


Originally Posted By: adufresne
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To all, I just done an inspection for a agent who works for a company named Rose and Womble, pretty good size outfit. He tells me that they, Rose & Womble, want the inspectors to pay them $500.00 to refer them to their clients. Ha!


This agent told me they were nuts and he liked the work I did and wants me to do all his jobs. These real estate agents will get theirs in the end when on of there CHEAP inspectors mess’s up a deal or the unhappy clients sues them both. What goes around will come around. Armand QHIS


Originally Posted By: mpatton
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Everything I am reading in the previous post’s sounds like a question that is based on ethics.


Who has a sympathetic ear or a direct line to the National Association of REALTORS? I would like to see them post a written statement on their position. ![icon_question.gif](upload://t2zemjDOQRADd4xSC3xOot86t0m.gif)


--
Michael Patton
AA Home Inspection
Serving Northern KY & Greater Cincinnati OH

AA@AAHomeInspection.net
www.AAHomeInspection.net

Originally Posted By: Nick Gromicko
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I do.


I will work on it. However, as I tried to explain to some of our own NACHI members who thought that our home page at NACHI.org would offend REALTORs if we talk too much about inspectors "making money"... I pulled this off of NAR's web-site:

Mission
The core purpose of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS? is to help its members become more profitable and successful.

NAR, like NACHI, is a trade association, not a consumer protection group. So I think we are going to need and should draft a simple position statement that includes something about preferred-vendor lists being outright unethical.

Nick

ps If someone knows of another association that has already written one, poach it and post it for us. I left ASHI about the time these preferred-vendor lists became popular but I think ASHI might have prohibited members from participating...no? Can someone from ASHI dig this up please?


Originally Posted By: jhagarty
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Here is the link to the PHIC website with the position statement regarding preferred vendors lists.


http://phic.info/pv.htm


--
Joseph Hagarty

HouseMaster / Main Line, PA
joseph.hagarty@housemaster.com
www.householdinspector.com

Phone: 610-399-9864
Fax : 610-399-9865

HouseMaster. Home inspections. Done right.

Originally Posted By: mhenderson
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Hi all,


1st… I called the broker & asked if I could see the list of inspectors in this new policy program that had joined this referral program…(of course that was information restricted to members only…lol) Catch22…so I suggested a meeting with all his realtors to see if they were going to use this referral program and if the ones who werent using me... would start too..(his reply was its hard to get everyone in at the same time & he doubts if it is possible) …I felt… hes the broker..hes trying to force all these realtors to use this referral program but cant even get em to meet me the same day to answer my questions..by now Im thinkin …this guy should go on tour with Riverdance the way he s dancing around my questions he oughta be the next Fred Astair..Ill let things be at that office a while and check back at a later date!


Thanx everone for your input… Until then…Im taking tap dancing lessons @ Arthur Murrays..ill be ready next time… icon_wink.gif