The final piece to selling to realtors is following up effectively. Once you have been seen in the office it is important to keep that reputation as the go-to home inspector. If you remember back to our previous segment where we talked about when your meeting comes to a close with your primary realtor. Your first follow up question should be are there any other realtors that I could be introduced to right now or to leave a sample in their office with your business card. This allows you to have a reason to come back into the office and to call the potential new realtor if he has received your sample and if he is interested in setting up an additional meeting.

Also, ask if you could leave a copy in the lobby so that the public can compare the different inspectors in the area. If you are given permission, write “Lobby Copy” on the front of the binder so nobody will walk off with it by mistake. However on the inside cover leave plenty of your business cards and brochures for prospective clients to compare your services with other in the area. This is a great marketing tactic for you to have self promotion and a way to boost more referrals.

Always be sure that this binder is well stocked with brochures and business cards; also with your primary realtor who often referred your services. Stop by on a regular basis to replenish the brochures and business cards. This gives you another opportunity to interact with agents in the office and to heighten your status as the go-to home inspector. In this day and age selling to realtors face to face is the nature of better selling, it allows you to make a personal connection with the ones who give you a majority of your business.

For all of our followers who have been reading this series with us we hope you learned some new tactics and the importance of selling to realtors. Use these as guides and adapt them to your marketing strategy and selling tactics to gain more business. Once again if you haven’t already picked up your kit you can click here to purchase yours today. Don’t forget to share all of these posts on LinkedIn and to follow our LinkedIn page for more content posted every day! 

Now that you successfully have had your first meeting with a real estate professional it’s not time to stop now! Using your first connection is a perfect way to connect with more realtors in the office and marks you with added credibility when realtors ask for home inspectors from colleagues. As your meeting concludes with your primary realtor offer to leave a kit as a tool for him/her to show clients options when picking a home inspector. Most likely, you will be the only inspector with enough forethought to have given a complete sample report and presentation kit. This tactic abides to last week’s discussion about distinguishing yourself from your competitors, yet allows your reputation and professionalism speak for itself. Point out that one of the main reasons you upgraded to this new package was to bring your image up to the highest possible level so the realtor is reflected as a professional like yourself. Ask if there is one other realtor in the office who might like to see the benefits of your new professional presentation kit. It would be ideal to be introduced right now, but if they are not in offer to leave the copy on their desk with your business card. This will give you a reason to call them back and see if you can have a separate meeting with them to demonstrate the added benefits when using your services.

By setting up meetings with your primary realtors and offering samples of what type of business you run makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd. Using this tactic stated above where being seen in the office and knowing a select few of primary realtors offers you a tremendous upside when it comes to gaining referrals.

In next week's segment we enter the final part of our series where we will discuss bridging the gap of meeting with new realtors that you have connected with. Along with follow up ideas for meetings and staying in contact with the realtor office. Remember to share this post with your network on LinkedIn and follow our company page for updates every day! 

To begin, every home inspector should have a comprehensive business plan and state how your company will be different in the market. Failure to communicate your value proposition is one of the main keys to losing traction in the industry resulting in setbacks when trying to market yourself and your business. Click here for important elements to include in your business plan and marketing plan. When developing a strategy to overcome this it is important to spend time to make a plan and stick to it!

When crafting a good marketing plan it is important to have 3 thoughts in mind. Which include:

1. Be clear, are your customers unclear who you are and what value you bring to them as a home inspector.
2. Be concise, keep your message short, but be clear of what you want your customers to know about your business.
3. Be compelling, by following the two statements above make sure to be compelling for your customers to take action.

Now when you start to write your home inspection marketing plan following the 3 statements above will add value and professionalism. You should also include: your company objectives, a detailed scan of the current market, a complete SWOT analysis of your company, and an actionable plan to reach your company objectives. By devoting time to crafting this plan for your home inspection business you will cut out any unnecessary expenses, by sticking to your plan new opportunities will rise where you can stay focused on marketing to yourself to new clients. To conclude, this plan must be kept flexible as possible, and not to scramble if you veer off from your plan. Having the ability to adjust your marketing plan to shifting markets keeps you competitive and differentiate your company as one that adapts to new market trends. If you fail to keep this as one of your most valuable business assets it is possible that you are not taking full advantage of all the ways to target your audience.

Next week stay tuned as we dive deeper into what to include in your marketing plan and how to target the client base you have always wanted. Use the links above to start drafting your business and marketing plan, but keep in mind the 3 C’s of writing a successful plan for your home inspection business.

Now that you have gotten some appointments from following what we discussed in Part 1, you need something to say when you get to the office in order to knock this meeting out of the park!

When it comes to selling to relators who are always pressed for time and packed with meetings throughout the day. Therefore it is important to get right to the point and have it last about 5 minutes. However, the longer you are there the better your relationship will be. Realtors have heard every sales pitch in the book and are exceptional salesman themselves. In order to differentiate yourself from other inspectors to get more referrals you must make the most of this 5 minute meeting.

What you need to say the right way is defining a unconsidered need of the realtor. Lead with a problem that your realtor is often faced with (they may not even have known this was a problem!) then respond with your solution to fix this problem. Your competitors have probably sold their high quality service or exceptional attention to detail as main selling points; however, in your pitch begin with the realtor as the main selling point and cater to your realtors needs. For instance, a problem that your realtor is often faced with is dealing with unprofessional home inspectors, who simply staple their home inspection reports or put the 15+ page report in a 10-cent folder.

Your solution to this problem is showing your newly upgraded presentation package to your realtor during your 5 minute meeting. Show s/he you now use a printed binder that includes easy-to-read tabs, a glossary of terms to help their clients better understand their new house, pre-closing walk-through checklist for them to use after the inspection, and a copy of The Homeowner's Handbook. Stress the reason for upgrading to this package is your belief that your service should reflect highly on the realtor. After showing the added benefits close with a “we want to be memorable” and that you believe this package will make a lasting impression on all clients that are referred to you by your realtor.

By differentiating your marketing material from your competitors not only answer your realtors need of providing professional home inspectors, yet creates a higher standard for your services that your provide when performing home inspections. This will help you gain more traction in the office and more referrals to keep providing professional service! In next week's edition of the series Selling to Realtors, we will discuss how to make your first connection in the real estate office a gateway to meeting more realtors, and gaining more referrals to become an office name as the go to inspector.

Want more updates? Read our Linkedin Page for new content every day!

In this post we will cover 3 tools that will not only add value to the service you provide, but take off the pressure of other tasks that most of us are faced with everyday, for you to focus on what is important which is growing your business.

1) Home Inspection Software

In this day and age every industry is utilizing the advancement in technology to help provide a more streamlined process and enhance the workflow for the company. Home inspection software is your one-stop-shop for creating outstanding home inspection reports and adding professionalism to your business.

Some of our favorites are HomeGauge, which is great for providing a modern reporting system and overall a versatile inspection software. Inspection Support Network, offer the most complete office and business management software for home inspectors, which includes online scheduling, data storage, and email reminders. Finally, Inspect IT is noted as one of the easiest reporting softwares on the market, which is a mobile optimized app with customizable templates and friendly user interface.

2) Drones

Technology is not limited to the business reporting side of home inspection, in recent years the popularity of using drones for inspection has spiked. The potential of implementing this technology into your home inspection business is limitless. Having a pair of eyes in the sky to inspect hard to see or reach places, such as roofs or chimneys, offers you to be safe on the ground and easily record footage for further review. Some of our favorite drones for inspecting are BLADE 180 Quadcopter, Parrot AR Drone Quadricopter, and DJI Phantom 3 Quadcopter. All of which offer live video recording which can be viewed on a tablet, long fly time in order to achieve in depth inspections, and allows you to stay safely on the ground.

3) Report Presentation Kit

Presenting your inspector report it in a professional manner is often viewed as a hassle where many inspectors choose to cut corners. Certified Inspector Store offers a Report Presentation Kit that introduces a professional persona to your client that shows you value service and quality products. The kit includes easy to read tabs (for you to insert your customized report), a glossary of terms to help clients better understand their new house, along with a pre-closing walkthrough checklist for them to use after the inspection. Impress your clients with a professional report binder that will highlight your services and attention to detail.

WIth all of the added tools stated above combining them into your business will not only add value to the service you provide, but take the pressure off other tasks that are getting in the way of what is important most, which is growing your business. 

When it comes to growing your business making new personal connections has become a necessity in order to expand your network. This series will help you feel comfortable with face-to-face networking and selling to realtors, so the next time you walk into your existing realtors office you’ll be ready to start off with a bang and gain more referrals! Before we start pick up your report presentation kit in order to follow along with the series.

1) Ask yourself, “What am I doing here?”

Having a clear goal of what you want out of this meeting is key to selling to your realtor. Due to the fact you most likely do not actually see them in person, it is even more important to have an explicit reason to see them and to not waste this valuable selling opportunity. After you receive our kits, is a great reason to call your existing realtors contacts to setup a meeting. Tell them about your newly updated inspection package and that you would love to stop by, to show them a sample, for them to keep. You can tell them that you need as little as 5 minutes to point out the added benefits of this system and why you choose to change to this method. It is important to see them in person, so they can have a visual image of the new system and have someone they trust explain the process to them. Also, having a reason to meet one-on-one with realtors where you most likely gain 20% of your referrals, it is even more significant before going in to ask yourself “What am I doing here?” and “How can I gain more referrals?”. Following this process is the start for you to gain more referrals from your realtors and grow your business!

Check back soon for the next edition of our series “Selling to Realtors” where we will cover how to start the conversation and how to add closing sale lines that will hook any realtor to giving you more business. Also, don’t forget to pick up your report presentation kit in order to follow along with future editions of this series and to share this post!

This blog is designed to be your one-stop-shop for all things home inspection, a place where you can learn as well as discuss home inspection topics, and even ask questions from one of the leading companies who has been in business for over 23 years.

We plan to provide high quality content and advice on topics including: marketing your business with an inspector slant, discuss the latest and emerging home inspection technology, and tips for a better home inspection. This blog is not one sided, we want to discuss topics that will benefit your home inspection business and bring to light your questions, opinions, and ideas! We also encourage you to post any suggestions for topics below and want to hear your feedback for what you want to see on our blog.

On behalf of Certified Inspector Store we hope you find this blog useful and stay tuned for more to come! To connect with us and read more updates head over to our LinkedIn page.