Originally Posted By: rmoore
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
If this were for all agents (buyer’s and seller’s) then it’s a double edged sword.
Some will laud removing the realtor from the mix to create a level playing ground and it will certainly help the newer inspectors. It will also mean that unscrupulous agents will no longer be able to automatically get a soft report from their pet "realtor friendly" inspectors or franchises. That, of course is a good thing.
On the other side...I actually believe there are a lot of good realtors (despite the opinions sometimes voiced on these forums). These agents do care about their long term relationships with their clients and realize that a thorough inspection, even one that "kills" the deal, is in everyone's best interest (OK...maybe not the seller). These agents may have a very short list of HIs they know will provide a thorough, professional, timely, understandable, courteous, informative inspection. The law would prevent a
good agent from recommending a
good inspector and, instead, their clients would be left to the mercy of chance and could end up getting one of the "soft" inspectors, an a$$, or someone who just manages to scrape by each exam.
A year or so ago, when I was less than busy, I would have yelled "Great Idea!". Now, I think it would actually penalize me. I have built up a relationship with, and get steady referrals from, a number of agents, not by providing soft reports (I've "killed" deals for almost all of them), but by being very professional, punctual, flexible, and even a little "fun". They also appreciate the clarity of the reports I produce for my clients. Some have hired me to inspect homes they were buying themselves, which I believe speaks volumes.
It does seem unfair that ethical professionals would not be able to protect their clients by recommending an inspector that they
know would do the best job possible. On the other hand it would be nice to break the stranglehold some "friendly" companies have with certain brokerages.
So...I'm torn. It's unlikely to happen here in the near future as licensing would seem to be a mandatory prerequisite and we don't have it, yet. If it does, I would like to see more of a "guarantee" that a buyer will get a good inspector rather than just removing the realtor. I can see the very expensive, flashy full page ads in the yellow pages now, and I don't want to.
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Richard Moore
Rest Assured Inspection Services
Seattle, WA
www.rainspect.com