When you work in the property industry, it’s easy to forget that most people don’t know much about the process of buying and selling property.
It’s a fact that most people don’t buy or sell property very often. Because of this, they rely on various industry professionals advising them. That includes real estate agents, solicitors, lenders/brokers and property inspectors.
It’s also easy to consider someone who’s looked at a few properties to be experienced. Of course, they aren’t. They are as confused as anyone and need help. As an agent, you can help them by steering them to good information and good support.
When it comes to inspections, a lot of agents think that the inspection report is the service.
Once someone has a report, they should be ready to make a decision. In particular, we see this where agents give inspection reports to buyers; so called “free” reports. The report usually has strings attached, like no follow up support or insurance protection unless you pay a large fee. Agents promoting this style of inspection report definitely think the report is the whole service. They also don’t believe in protecting their clients or themselves from risk. Ironically, these “free” reports are more likely to be an inferior quality because inspectors don’t think they are on the hook for their work. If you missed my article about report quality, you can read it here.
So, we’ve actually done something about “free” reports. We’ve developed a service that’s always free for buyers – with no strings attached. Find out more about EYEON Zero here.
This might surprise you, but the report is not usually the most important part of the service.
People need to get a report because it sets out the findings of the inspection. But buyers (and often sellers) need help to understand their report and the issues it raises. Most follow up support involves the buyers trying to contact the inspector, who’s usually a one-man band. Few inspection companies make the effort to contact the buyer to check in with them about the report and encourage their questions. Providing good service shouldn’t be hard, but few businesses can be proud of their service. We are.
Another thing about inspection reports is they can become outdated quite quickly. For example, with strata reports, new meetings might be held only days after a records inspection. Our system triggers a follow up to get the new information so we can update our report to keep interested buyers informed. This is another way we help reduce risks for your clients and improve their experience in dealing with your listings.
Do you know what type of customer support your clients are getting from your current provider?
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Start ExploringBest Regards,
Michael Ferrier
MD EYEON Property Inspections
At EYEON Property Inspections, we help you buy and sell with more confidence.