This month's REALTOR Magazine runs InterNACHI's Buy Your Home Back Guarantee ad.

Agreed

No ad can both attract the attention of REALTORs and promote every member. I have one promoting Move-in-Certified. That will attract the attention of REALTORS, but very few members participate. I have on promoting the free “Now That You’ve Had a Home Inspection” book. That will attract the attention of REALTORs, but not every member provides a copy. I have one promoting free continuing education for REALTORs. That will attract the attention of REALTORs, but I only have approval in 34 states, not all 50. And even in those 34 approved states, most of our members don’t even know we offer free CE to agents, let alone use the program for marketing purposes. At least this ad mentions the $10,000 honor guarantee which every member has. Try to come up with an ad that can both attract the attention of REALTORs… and… promote every member. I’m all ears.

This We’ll Buy Your Home Back" Guarantee ad worked. It’s been out for a day and the click-thrus are through the roof. We are able to track them because we changed the URL printed in the ad from www.nachi.org/buy to www.nachi.org/go/buy The “We’ll Buy Your Home Back” Guarantee ad works for the same reason it works for the participating members who use it. It has that “Wow!” factor.

I don’t know if I quite agree with that. While the buy back program does promote “participating” members, it also makes it obvious that InterNACHI is confident enough in its members to offer it. I think that benefits all its members. You don’t see any other association offering anything like it.

Well maybe so. Except the link in the add only goes to the “participating” members. So if you don’t participate (which I see you do)…

Are any of you who don’t like the ad going to post an idea for your own concept that will both attract the attention of REALTORs… and… promote every member?

Let’s see it.

Kevin? Bob? Christopher? Just post your ad concept in text here. Our marketing department will make it. I’ll run it.

How about an ad explaining why agents should only recommend inspectors with IR cameras?

Or how about an ad explaining that every home should have a radon and mold test?

Or how about an ad reminding agents to confirm their inspector is insured?

Oh… wait… not every member has an IR camera, offers radon testing, offers mold testing or has insurance. Dang… this is hard. Forget I posted this. Let’s wait for Bob’s concept. :wink:

Just another reason for the insecure to attack Nick so they can feel better about themselves.

Nick creates marketing tools, training and tools that inspectors can use or not use as they see fit. Then the tiny little handful of whiners come along to attack Nick at every turn, all the while inspectors experience success and income from these things that they say are all wrong and will not work. ROTFLMAO.! How is that causing damage to anyone?

Realtor trivia quiz:

  1. What is the largest Inspection Association in North America?
  2. What association offers it’s inspectors the most extensive inspection education program?
  3. What association offers Realtors free CEs?

NACHI.ORG

It’s not bad Kevin. Here are my criticisms of it:

First, #1 is a big yawn. Who cares? A REALTOR is a self-contained business unto his/herself. The ad, for it to attract the attention of an REALTOR, has to provide some benefit to that REALTOR. The fact that some inspectors in her market belong to an association that is the largest isn’t even worth mentioning.

Second, #2 is 4 or 5 steps removed from having any meaning to a REALTOR whatsoever. How is the REALTOR’s business improved by the fact that there might be an inspector in her market that is a member of an association that offers education that the inspector might have completed? Snoooze.

Third, #3 suffers from your original complaint. We only have continuing education for agents approved in 34 states. So not only does it fail to promote every member, it isn’t even available to every agent.

Fourth, your ad exclusively promotes a trade association, InterNACHI, not its members. I want the ad to promote you. How does reminding agents that InterNACHI is big… promote Kevin?

Fifth, it doesn’t have the “WOW!” factor that the “We’ll Buy Your Home Back” Guarantee does. I give a presentation about the “We’ll Buy Your Home Back” Guarantee to real estate agents. They literally stand up and say “WOW!”

Let me help a bit more. Unless an agent is brand new…ALL AGENTS ALREADY HAVE INSPECTORS THAT THEY WORK WITH AND REFER.

Let me say that again, because it really is an important fact. I’ll even Bold it and Underline it this time:

Unless an agent is brand new…ALL AGENTS ALREADY HAVE INSPECTORS THAT THEY WORK WITH AND REFER.

What are you going to tell an agent to make her choose to refer you the next time she has a client who needs an inspection? Are you going to tell the agent that you are thorough? Are you going to tell the agent that you check to see if the dishwasher was recalled? Are you going to tell the agent that you are a member or this or that association? Are you going to tell the agent that you arrive to your inspections on time?

C’mon. You’d better come up with something to blow that agent’s socks off if you want her to risk recommending you over the inspector she has worked with 50 times before. It better have the “WOW!” factor.

You need something that benefits the consumer also. Good post.

This statement has multiple applications!

I noticed that too Jeff, but, he’s in so deep he can’t see or hear your observations.

Oh, I’m also certain he has me on ignore. He never could handle people that speak the truth.

I know this, when I add the “Buy your home Back” to my elevator pitch, I garner the full attention of my audience. The body language is virtually always the same. Astonishment. And before they roll back from off their heels, I one-two with “To make a promise like that, you’ve got to be good.” And if it’s a Realtor I’m pitching to, I add “It gives your clients confidence at a critical time of one of the biggest deals they perhaps will be involved in in their life.”

If you’re not using the “Buy Back” program, I’ll take your clients from you if we’re in competition.

Everything negative is jibberish and the caterwalling of malcontent. Thanks Nick for having the vision for the program, and I hope it lines your pockets - its cheap insurance for me if I do my job.

Same reaction I’m getting from agents. This thing has the “Wow!” factor.

Your sales pitch sounds great, and probably works in some situations.

But the “You’ve got to be good” line is Not true.

All one has to be is a member of INachi and signed-up for the pay-as-you-go Buy Back program. There is no requirement that you have to be a good inspector. And unfortunately, as we all know, not all InterNachi inspectors are good.

Christopher, the program is self-screening. If an inspector is the type who can’t recognize the over obvious marketing benefit of it, even after participating members have explained it… he/she probably isn’t going to notice a damp basement on an inspection, even when standing in 6" of water. :wink:

It’s a marketing tool. Just like “money back guarantee!” And one that has brought me some more work and at least one more referring realtor, so why the hell not use it…