I couldn’t agree more with this statement but InterNACHI’s success goes beyond that… An organization that distances themselves from their own future…meaning their newest members…is an organization that will ultimately fail.
InterNACHI recognizes this better than any other trade association and I salute them for that.
To treat new inspectors, many of which being more than competent and thoroughly trained as if they had the plague, is by any definition foolish and displays a complete lack of business sense.
At a time in their business development when they need the support and legitimacy provided by their association, other organizations “stiff-arm” the future of their ranks. InterNACHI is right there with them…as it absolutely should be.
InterNACHI certainly got it right! This more than any other factor is the key to their success.
The economy…and in particular, the real estate industry…is in a depression, and there are fewer home inspectors to recruit as members to a home inspector association in 2008 than there were in 2003.
This means that…for Nick…the home inspection industry no longer offers him the financial opportunities that it used to, when he first formed the National Association of Home Inspectors.
So…being a “money maker” first, his objective is to create a new niche…creat new SOPs for his new niche to operate from…and recruit members to the association that will be the biggest, best, largest…ad nauseum…whateveryouwannacallit association of inspectors.
Since I am a home inspector who loves his work and is still making a living at it and still (what time is it?) a member of this association, I object to NACHI’s metamorphasis and stepping back and away from those things that are of importance to the home inspection profession.
If you are new and have no other point of reference, you will not notice how far from being a home inspector association that NACHI has become. You will simply be looking for cheap, free ways to begin your business…whatever it may be, and will be happy to sign on and read the various vendors pitching their wares as if they are essential to the industry.
Here in California, CREIA “California Real Estate Inspectors Association” is the top dog.
NACHI doesn’t exist here in California, with the exception of a few hundred inspector members. I’ve still to this day, have not encountered a single client or agent who has ever heard of NACHI.
Most agents know CREIA and to a lesser degree, ASHI… I believe from a marketing, promotion and or exposure point of view, here in California CREIA is head and shoulders above the other associations.
I joined NACHI for two reasons:
#1. I was searching the web and found the NACHI site. I noticed that NACHI had a e-newsletter program which was very appealing with my push for more website and or online marketing and exposure. That program never got off the ground. Instead, it’s been used to spam me on a regular basis.
#2. I liked the free online continuing education options and still do. Although the association has moved drastically away from providing free options and has focused more on selling classes and other crap.
I’m so invested and tied to NACHI, its hard to leave. NACHI is on every page of my website, hot links, link backs, etc… All my marketing and business materials have NACHI all over them as well.
But, I’m loosing interest in NACHI as I’m sure other members are as well. I believe Jim B. hit the nail on the head. Clearly NACHI is being transformed into a HI service and product provider, and by doing so, is making other more traditional associations look a little more attractive.
and once again I ask what is better?
…chirp…chirp.
Everything here is whats bad about NACHI ,yet nothing telling me what is good about the others .
Branding? because you feel nobody has heard of NACHI?
I want the clients to care about me and not my association.
Education and answers is all I care about.
Again I ask which association is better and why? chirp…chirp.
Fellow members take note of this thread and the poor answers from the posters .
It’s interesting to read posts like this from new inspectors. Kinda reminds me of myself when I 1st started out. Yep I Knew it all, thought it was kool to get an instant certificiation and see my name listed on a website telling all I was the best.
Ahh yea those were the days :o nobody could convince me any different.
Now 7 years later despite 30 yrs of construction experience,countless hrs of HI training and 3000 plus inspections I look back and cannot belive that I made it to this point with out harming a customer.
Maybe I’m just lucky
Maybe it was a blessing that nobody knew about this org.
Stop being so hard on yourself, Bob. You mean well.
As to the answers you seek but do not seem able to gleen from the responses…understand that the next time you choose a restaraunt, you are likely to decide first what you are hungry for, and choose accordingly. It may or may not be the “best” in town.
Jim the only thing I see here is the attacks on this association and nothing positive about any others which would lead me to assume that this association is still the best.
Now you there in Missouri seem to feel you must belong to ASHI in order to get business fine and dandy but this is not an excuse to attack NACHI.
Perhaps licensing would have solved your problem.
Here in Illinois we have no such problem as we are chosen according to our individual qualifications.
“Most agents know CREIA and to a lesser degree, ASHI… I believe from a marketing, promotion and or exposure point of view, here in California CREIA is head and shoulders above the other associations.”
My clients could care less and have never heard of any associations.
If that is the only thing better in another group of cranky old guys ,I will stay right where I am,unless you are going to tell me of fantastic education benefits above NACHI’s.
I also would not have access to this forum , which I understand is a whole heck of alot more lively than the others.
I imagine a ASHI board as a place to go for help and have a bunch of self righteous Know it alls ,just make fun of my spelling.
That is if they dust the cobwebs off their keyboards.
I know this to be true because Jim.B pretty much has said so in past threads.
Sounds like the NACHI machine is just what you’re looking for. Don’t fault others of us for having a different opinion and or higher expectations from our association and or affiliations. I don’t know much about ASHI, but CREIA is an entirely different animal here in California.
With regard to this MB. Any message board for that matter is way down the list of priorities with regard to operating a successful home inspection business. For the first 20 years of my home inspection career, I’d never been on a single message board. This one has had absolutely zero impact on my business.
With your claimed level of experience one would think that you would have learned a thing or two about business in that time.
Your success and longevity in ANY business rests with two basic elements…your ability to provide your stated services at a level that sets you apart from your competition and more importantly, your talents as a business person. PERIOD.
We’re currently witnessing the largest “weeding out” of the weak that this industry has ever seen and the weak among us wear badges from many trade associations, including those that claim to have higher certification standards.
If an agency’s adopted certification process is the measure of a competent inspector, how do you explain their failure? The market? The economy? Maybe its that their certification is as hollow as any other and ensures nothing other than the ability to survive to a pre-defined number of inspections and pass a test. That’s it my friend. You can tout their way as better all day long, just be sure to give them a shout of encouragement as they lose their business.
It’s not the best inspectors that will survive this market although many survivors will be some of the best…it’s the best business owners that will ultimately survive and prosper and in that light, no association can give you those skills. You either have them or you don’t, regardless of association affiliation.
When a business owner spends money on one of these associations, that dollar can only fit one category. Its a marketing dollar. I can’t comment on how you spend your company’s money but when I spend mine…I had better get something in return beyond a group of overpaid lobbyists.
You will support and legitimize my business from the start, or you will pack sand.
I agree with this statement completely when it comes to Chicago chapters. I think it’s because most of the older guys came from unions so they think that just because you are new to the group (doesn’t matter how long you have been doing home inspections) they treat you like your beneath them. I heard the Great Lakes Chapter isn’t as bad and the Indiana chapter wasn’t as bad either when I was there three or so years ago.
After going to some of the ASHI CE classes and talking to others, Indiana and Chicago CE classes did not even come close to impressing me.
I just felt with ASHI that if I wanted to get directly involved, the $ I would have to spend would be high, the time I would put into it would be high but the return would be low. There are not many things that I want to put a lot of work into just to get a little out of it.
I have to disagree with that statement. There are a lot of part time home inspectors out there right now doing home inspection as a secondary income instead of the primary income; which has resulted in them working for somebody else while doing home inspection at night and weekends. Those inspectors and the ones already doing this part time are likely to make it no matter how good they are as a home inspector or their talent as a business person.:neutral:
I would like to think that you are right but I’m going by what I see here and when I lived in Kentucky.
I used to think that NACHI rocked, NACHI rolled, and NACHI ruled.
But then came all the negativity from about 20 people under the guise of free speech.
Now I think that InterNACHI rocks, InterNACHI rolls, and InterNACHI rules.
Notwithstanding that, neither NACHI nor InterNACHI has had any effect on my business, good or bad.
And I give 100% credit for that to my understanding of marketing.
As my wise old grandmother said, “A successful business is 80% marketing and 20% technical know how.”
Ahh I sure have. I learned from the start after talking to a HI francise that started out in Phx, and seeing many of those francise inspectors that were inspecting ,signed a contract that amounted to over $50,000 over 10 yrs, were being marketed as certified to the public for years , could not pass the state exam.
Ahh yea… The same exam ole nickey claims kindergardners can pass:)
After talking to the francise guy, and seeing how little those inspectors knew about inspecting,
I realized that I needed to activate my BS detector:twisted::twisted:
After it was up and running I soon figured out since the invention of the internet there are far too many people that will take your $s making you believe you cannot survive with out them.
I also figured out there are many new HI that think they know more than any body else despite their years of experience, and try to impress others with their new certificiation.
Typical words and attitude from a newby.
LOL
Not yet :D… Nick is still sending her letters to get her $289.00
