TOPIC: Marketing Ideas

In my monthly E letter to realtors, I have a sectin for next months topic. There are several choices and THEY vote on it, or I take suggestions. This way they are getting information they want and need. Sometimes I have to do a little more research, but the realtors in my area love that I try to teach them about homes and inspections, not just cram stuff down there throat.

great idea. I have been taking them information on state grants available for certain types of home improvements. Your right anything to make there job easier, especially in todays market, will go along way. 

Here in California a copy of the report is given to the seller by the buyer and or buyers agent.  It's part of the standard purchase agreement.  Once the seller and listing agent has the report it becomes part of their disclosure for subsequent transactions.  It's important for the inspector to NOT give the report to the sellers side of the transaction directly, doing so makes you liable to the seller and any subsequent buyers of the property weather or not you've ever met them and or been compensated by them.

I provide my reports to the client and clients agent, NO ONE ELSE, period!  If an agent calls and asks me to email the report to another agent or the seller, I instruct them in the proper use of the "Forward" email feature...

In PA the law states if the Home owner asks for a copy of the inspection report I must supply them with a copy free of charge. But I do make them sign a contract and they have to follow the same rules as the original client. So they can't use it, copy it, or hand it out to anyone without my and the original clients approval.

Linkedin's "International Real Estate Network Group" is up to 1250 members.  Have you joined yet?  Don't procrastinate, its another valuable tool in the marketing tool box....

www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=84809

Linkedin's "International Real Estate Network Group" is up to 1250 members.  Have you joined yet?  Don't procrastinate, its another valuable tool in the marketing tool box....

www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=84809

Certainly is Will...I have received numerous inspections from the Linkedin site...it's a VERY good marketing tool and I have not even touched the tip of the iceberg linking to others, have not had the time, but if you need exposure that site is great...!

Marketing before inspection

1) TV and Radio ads may work (but are costly).
2) Join your local chamber of commerce
3) Vehicle signs
4) Put flyer's on houses with for sale signs in the yard.
5) Flyer on grocery store bulletin boards
6) Press release to newspapers/TV stations/Inspector associations
7) Bus bench advertisements
8 ) Attach large banner to vehicle and sit on a popular corner for a day.
9) Most of us have websites.  So how can we get our sites in front of all those clients (other than SEO)?
10) I thought if you travel around with your IR gun, play with it in front of people, and give them your business card.
11) Advertise with Angie's list
12) Join a networking group like BNI
13) Distribute pens, brochures, magnets and business cards to offices and include with inspection materials.
14) Place a sheet of paper or a post card with your info on it, place in a clear newspaper plastic bag and fill the bottom with pea gravel and delivery to local area and place by drive apron or mailbox.
15) Discount Coupons
16) Open houses


Marketing during inspection

1) Leave a brochure and business card at ever home you inspect.
2) Use company info and make labels for the homes main and interior shutoffs.
3) Put magnetic business cards on every refrigerator you can.
4) Use company info and make HVAC maintenance sticker (to determine when maintenance was done)
5) Use company info and make electrical panel label sticker (label breakers)

Marketing after inspection

1) Send out cards when people do not expect them.
2) Mailing post cards
3) Monthly or weekly newsletters
4) Gifts for new client referrals


Realtor Marketing

1) Have a small flyer done up with logo and website address and distribute them to every realtor mail box in your service area.  In my case, that would be over 20,000...
2) IR scans without the home inspections may be one way to entice Realtors
3) Advertise to Realtors one free inspection for every 10 you do for them (could do this on a monthly basis too, count resets every month).
4) Join your local real estate association
5) Active Rain
6) Make a coupon with the Realtors name on it.


Multi Functional Marketing

1) Do pre-sale inspections for free, leave 30 copies of your report on the counter for potential buyers to pick up and look at the great report. These buyers will need inspectors and now have your report. Make sure to call the owner to see if they have run out.
2) Get a booth at small festivals and charge $10 or so for taking peoples pics with the IR gun and print it out for them.  Then hand them your business info too.
3) Give away nice golf shirts with your company info on it.
4) Get a booth at an area real estate home show
5) Create a client and realtor questionnaire (Survey)
6) Blog and add Realtors to your list of inclusions.
7) Group marketing collaboration/business venture (group of local inspectors pull resources together for marketing and share the rewards)


Additional Services

1) I have been thinking of offering termite inspections as a one stop shop for Realtors!
2) IR Inspections
3) Well/Septic
4) Radon
5) Mold
6) New construction warranty inspections
7) Commercial Inspections
8 ) Pool Inspections
9) Sprinkler System Inspections
10) Home Maintenance Inspections