TOPIC: Short presentations to Realtors...

Amen brother.

Steve - you have posted that story before about the other home inspector.  You should get it around more often...  That agent had no business doing such a thing to you or to that other guy.  I would have put him/her on my doo-doo list and not accepted inspections referred by them.  And told them so.

I use the exact words you mentioned - "alarmist," "molehills," "sugarcoating," and so forth.  The way something is written is important, but most important to me is that I  mention it and cover myself from a future problem.  I tell people that I have never killed a deal, but a lot of houses I have inspected have!

In this C.Y.A. world we live in now a day you almost can't "sugarcoat" things or it may come back to bite you hard!

You know, to be honest, I'm getting tired of trying to sell myself to Realtors.  Since I started inspecting, I have put most of my time, energy, and advertisement money towards Realtors with NO results (fliers, business cards, marketing events).  I think its time to brain storm and come up with other means to get our business.

I am starting another post for a list of ideas.  Hope to see your input.

John,
I hear you and some organizations WILL NOT market to Realtors.  Without a better clue, even now included, I thought what better why to get business than through realtors?  So that's what I did, and it worked.  There are actually four realtors here in the area that use me exclusively for home inspection--actually, I think the way it works is they give the recommendation to their clients and the client calls me and then the client becomes my client as well.  We've placed ads in the newspaper, we've placed decals on our vehicles, and of course web site SEO.  But we've received probably 95% of the business we do from realtors.  I wholeheartedly hope to name brand to the point where we're receiving cold calls only from clients (without realtor help) but when it puts food on the table for my family, I won't squawk where the business comes from.  One of the realtors is a buddy of mine--retired Coast Guard.

I'm completely with you for help with this.  I believe our web sites will make a great difference especially in this day of technology.  I also believe the add-on services we perform is yet another way.  I think I saw you have IR?  Market that.  Bill Warner is a personal favorite success story. 

v/r
Greg

John,
I hear you and some organizations WILL NOT market to Realtors.  Without a better clue, even now included, I thought what better why to get business than through Realtors?  So that's what I did, and it worked.  There are actually four Realtors here in the area that use me exclusively for home inspection--actually, I think the way it works is they give the recommendation to their clients and the client calls me and then the client becomes my client as well.  We've placed ads in the newspaper, we've placed decals on our vehicles, and of course web site SEO.  But we've received probably 95% of the business we do from Realtors.  I wholeheartedly hope to name brand to the point where we're receiving cold calls only from clients (without realtor help) but when it puts food on the table for my family, I won't squawk where the business comes from.  One of the Realtors is a buddy of mine--retired Coast Guard.

I'm completely with you for help with this.  I believe our web sites will make a great difference especially in this day of technology.  I also believe the add-on services we perform is yet another way.  I think I saw you have IR?  Market that.  Bill Warner is a personal favorite success story. 

v/r
Greg

I don't think you can honestly start up an inspection company and discount marketing to Realtors.  I think they are a must, just because they are the central hub of most Real Estate transactions.  But having said that, how do we as inspectors change their opinions of us?  How do we get them to use "my" company?  ;D  Oklahoma is not saturated with inspectors.  How can I find my way into the market.  I think IR is the way to do that.  I think its the future and am pointing my company that direction.  Time will tell if I am wrong!