Hello Everyone. I have a client who wants me to inspect a home for them. I believe he is under contract to buy the home. The seller’s agent sent me an email stating that the seller will be working from home during the inspection. The seller is dictating that only the inspector be present for the inspection. The buyer would not be allowed to attend. Is this a red flag? I’ve never come across this situation before and my client wants to attend the inspection.
Seller’s agent should be contacting the buyer’s agent instead of you.
I would ignore the email and do the inspection with my client. But that’s me. LOL!
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It’s their home, they can request or dictate whatever they want.
I’ve had similar messages over the years, either due to work , family in town, someone is sick, etc etc.
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I’m guessing the email was sent to inspector and agent.
Either way, he gets to do his inspection.
If the client (buyer) has a problem with that request, they can sort it out amongst the RE agents.
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The home inspection is your time to inspect the house. It’s not the buyers free time to walk through the house. They can schedule that time with their agent.
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Thanks for the feedback. It made me feel like the seller was trying hide something or eliminate possible witnesses. I can’t imagine selling a house and not understanding that you will be inconvenienced by inspections.
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Exactly. I like to have my clients come for a walk-through at the end of the inspection if possible, but I do not like it when they treat it as a showing with their parents, friends, etc.
To the OP, I would just give your client the heads up that the seller has asked for only the inspector to be present and that if they wish to contend that, they will need to have their agent talk to the sellers agent. Either way, the inspection go’s forward.
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I would ask my client if they were planning on attending the inspection and relay the message that the sellers don’t want the buyers present for the inspection, if the buyer wants to attend the inspection, as they should, I would re-schedule the inspection for a different date.
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I agree 100%. Buyers also have a tenancy to distract you while you’re inspecting and you may miss something.
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Eliminate Possible witnesses? 
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I would let the buyers agent handle it. If the buyers want to be present, find another time. I would schedule a review with the buyers right after inspection to go over findings. This could be in person at a local coffee shop or over zoom/face time.
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Relax. This is no place for an inspector to insert their opinion or jump to conclusions. I call this “inserting myself into the transaction”. Don’t do it.
The seller is sensitive to interruptions, chatter, etc. because of their work. Let the buyer decide how to proceed. No biggie.
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Yep… .
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This is why it’s helpful to know your local standard real estate contract.
In California, The standard purchase contract says the seller must make the house available to the buyer for the investigation period. Although sellers often try to make crazy stipulations, unless they modify the sales contract and the buyers agree to the new terms in writing, they are legally obligated to make the home available during the contingency period.
What it says in other states’ contracts I have no idea.
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