TOPIC: Short presentations to Realtors...

All good points fellas, and I really appreciate the input.  I was a Realtor in OKC and worked out of a KW office.  KW was very diligent about keeping an "arms length" from the transaction.  Doing the right thing, which I appreciate.  Then again, most agents had their list of several people that we referred or circled their company names on a list.  Here in Tulsa it's alot different.  Seems EMP is popular among some Realtors that then bring in a PE to look at the structure.  Personally, we bought a home here in August and spent $300 for an EMP and another $300 for the PE who told us everything we already knew about the home.

Don't get me wrong, PE's have their place but I should have declined the expert and gone with my gut but I was very new to the business then and a bit naive.  In my inspection business, I am upfront about everything (why shouldn't we ALL be?) and tell the client and Realtor if we need to bring in a specialist.  I am not in any way an alarmist but know several here in the Tulsa metro that don't get calls because they tend blow things out of proportion.  Objectivity has it's rewards...

Ron I'm glad you spoke up.  Do me a favor and go look at the sample reports on my site.  In a Realtor mindset, tell me what I can do better.  The only feedback I have ever gotten was make my report no longer than 5 pages long.  A blank report is about 7 pages, so that isn't going to happen any time soon.

I'm looking to add some kind of verbiage to promote home warranties.  I hope to use this as a Realtor motivator to use me.

If someone tells you that you need to make your report less than 5 pages, tell them to go fly a kit. That's ridiculous. For most inspectors, the photos alone take up 5 pages! Also talk to Charley Bottger who uses HIP and is in Oklahoma. He's doing well and using Infrared and getting jobs off it too.

One of the Realtors is a friend of mine.  I told him there is no way for me to do an inspection in 5 pages and I also told him as a Realtor its not his place to dictate how long any home inspectors report should be.

I do also state to others that we as inspectors need to try and point out the positives of a house too.  Its too easy to get caught up with all the defects in a home.

John - I don't know about OK, but here in VA, and various of the associations, require that certain things get reported - type of roof, electrical, plumbing, style house, etc.  On my report the section describing the "Systems and Components of the House" all by itself is 3 pages.  Your agreement should say what you treat and do not treat on your report.  If you limit its size you may not be complying with what you say you are.

I think trying to limit your report size may not be beneficial for other reasons too.  You will have to decide that.  However, too long and no one will read it.  If you are wondering, you might ask a couple of clients what they think about their report and/or how you could improve it.

Again, and we have talked about this, I don't include pics in my reports, except for IR.  I don't know how useful it is to say, "The laundry room wall switch cover plate is missing" and also have a photo of it...  One time I did throw in some photos for a client stationed in Malaysia (State Dept) who was buying a house sight unseen.  His brother found the house.  I didn't like the house at all because of the defects and swayed his opinion not to buy it with certain photos.  In a separate communication, not my report, but "as a friend," I gave him some opinions.  He was grateful and did not buy the house.

John - I don't know about OK, but here in VA, and various of the associations, require that certain things get reported - type of roof, electrical, plumbing, style house, etc.  On my report the section describing the "Systems and Components of the House" all by itself is 3 pages.  Your agreement should say what you treat and do not treat on your report.  If you limit its size you may not be complying with what you say you are.

I think trying to limit your report size may not be beneficial for other reasons too.  You will have to decide that.  However, too long and no one will read it.  If you are wondering, you might ask a couple of clients what they think about their report and/or how you could improve it.

Again, and we have talked about this, I don't include pics in my reports, except for IR.  I don't know how useful it is to say, "The laundry room wall switch cover plate is missing" and also have a photo of it...  One time I did throw in some photos for a client stationed in Malaysia (State Dept) who was buying a house sight unseen.  His brother found the house.  I didn't like the house at all because of the defects and swayed his opinion not to buy it with certain photos.  In a separate communication, not my report, but "as a friend," I gave him some opinions.  He was grateful and did not buy the house.

One change I did make was to put the summary at the beginning of the report.  That way people don't get too freaked out by thumbing through 30 pages to get to the summary that could only have one thing listed on it.

I also try to limit serious concerns (in my opinion) to the summary page