TOPIC: Pricing Structure

The short term warranty is a nice hook. There are Superior Courts all across the country full of low ballers just waiting for their day. You get what you pay for.  ;D

The short term warranty is a nice hook. There are Superior Courts all across the country full of low ballers just waiting for their day. You get what you pay for.  ;D

Perfectly put

We have a little different market on the east coast of Florida because there are still inspection firms out there that will cut their throats to get a deal.  We are staying put on our prices just like our sister office in Tampa.  These fillers are what is keeping this officestrong currently and with the uptick in activity do to foreclosures and shorts sales, we should be able to keep moving. 

Realtors are the ones booking their clients many times for us.  Showing them loyalty and high quality, not low balling, is a great way to keep them happy

John:

Six hours for an inspection is waaaay tooooo long.

I am assuming you take hand written notes and photos at the inspection then go home and prepare the report????


Get yourself a tablet PC prepare your report as you conduct the inspection. 

Now here is the rub... do you feel confident enough to print the report on site and hand it to the client?  If you do, then print it and move on.

If not, take it home tweek it and send it to the client. 

This is how I do it

Prepare report on a tablet PC as I conduct the inspection ( my template has canned naritives I have developed over time -- you can download a copy from this board if you like).  I tap on them then move on.

I print the report on site with a portable printer, burn the photos on a CD  (Dom wants me to insert them in the report but that is another story ;D) Put it into a binder with some other heplful information and hand it to the client after they pay me.  Then I'm on to the next one.  I have been doing three a day during the busy spring market for the past three years.

Usually takes about 2-2 1/2 hours / inspection

I get a minimum of $350  The investment in technology justifies the higher cost of the inspection
Sell that to the clients who call.

Reporting on site might just be the thing that sets you apart from the rest.  Agents I work with love this process because more often than not they get their waivers signed right then as well.  No body has to wait for the report!

BTW  My inspection agreement contains a clause that allows me to make changes to the onsite report within 48 hours of the inspection.  I do review it at home with a view to correcting any errors but I have not had to, yet!

Hope this helps

Cheers

I agree that you are spending way too much time for the inspection.  We all took longer in the beginning, but all developed a style and order that helped save time.  As far as doing it onsite, I prefer taking notes and pictures on site and then developing the report back at the office.  Don't want to rush and get a report to the buyer on site when I feel I can do a better job at home.

I am considering a tablet PC like the Samsung, but need to weigh the cost basis per inspection right now.  Business is starting to pick up, but what it a little busier before we do more.  Just bought a new 2008 Tahoe and that put a dent in the account.

I plan to do almost everything you said, but I must do it in baby steps.  I first need to focus on getting enough inspections to pay bills.  I think that is an understatement.  The one thing I want to try to stay away from is printing the report.  I will print them if they want one, but I want to use the web as much as possible.

As for the time frame, I will get faster but I must crawl before I walk.