True,many agents seem to control the process, which includes home inspector selection, mortgage broker selection etc. i always ask my clients
- would you let your agent choose the car you drive?
- would you let your agent choose the person you marry?
then why would your agent control the home inspector/inspection on the biggest purchase of your life???
Think about it?
we as home inspectors work for the client and must be unbias, fair and do the best inspection possible within our standards of practice.
The public should be educated on this as well
thank you
allen cavdek
Well said Allen.
I have been trying to spread the idea here that the realtor should not be recommending any inspector or handing out their “personally approved” list. They have a conflict of interest in that **they have the second or third largest amount of $$$ involved in the sale/purchase. How can they be truly unbiased?? **(Btw, we have the least $$$$ involved but are assuming the most potential liability after the lawyers!!)
e.g. In a 1.3 million house transaction a few months ago, the purchaser, a doctor with the rest of his family very involved in construction and investment properties here, after interviewing “just about evey inspector in the book with a larger ad” (his words) chose me because I didn’t “sound like a rubber stamper”. The realtor had tried his best to disuade the Dr. but no luck!!
The house was 3,500 sq ft with breezeway attached 3 car garage, rooftop hp/ac, HRV and a Steffes heat storage unit for hydronic radiant floors (doctor said not one other HI interviewed even knew what he was talking about with radiant heating storage while I could provide the name and style of the unit on the phone)
The realtor had only allowed 2.5 hours for the inspection!!! HUH??? When I got to the house, he mentioned that so I said call the owner and get me another 2.5-3 hours…said he couldn’t do it, we had to be out by 5 PM. So I said get us the time tomorrow or else I won’t start today…to which the Dr. agreed and backed me up! Can you imagine doing a decent job on this house in 2.5 hours?
BTW, house was designed/built 2.5 years ago by an architect for his brother. I found 6 code violations, the worst of which was the bedroom windows which did not meet the egress requirements, 3 bubble tubs and 1 washroom receptacle were not GFCI protected and no exhaust fans met code. It had a municipal occupancy permit!!!
MORALITY QUESTION: The agent was on both sides of the deal and stood to make about $32,500 commission. How can he be unbiased?
Agents are even controlling how much we earn. They tell buyers that it’s OK to seek their own inspector, but not to pay much because every inspector is equal in qualifcations. The cheaper is better syndrome seems to dominate this lawless profession.
http://www.independentinspectors.org/conflictofinterest.html[
check this web site out very informative and to the point amazing what you will read about](“http://www.independentinspectors.org/”)
Brian
amazing what we find,it just keeps us shaking our heads,not to mention the great real estate agent that was involved in that offer
i know of a fellow an RHI from tottenham, allister gibson i believe/housemasters,he is a excellent inspector very thorough,banned from many local offices, agaents call him a deal killer,to to bad
Are you sure his name is Allister Gibson? could it be Aulden Gibson?
They are brothers.
Bill Mullen
Makes sense, now I know why he would piss off RE Agents!
BTW, IMHO Aulden Gibson is a hell of an Inspector,he catches everything. I would have no problem hiring him to inspect a purchase!
Thanks Bill
Allister is no longer a RHI.