Getting new business as home inspector

[Tyler Wierzbicki]

What are the best, most successful ways to get new business as a home inspector? Should I create mailers/ flyers and solicit them to real estate agencies? What are some of the tricks of the trade?

I would also like to know how to get business doing commercial property inspections. I work in California in the San Francisco area.

Thanks!

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Join NACHI and you will have access to all of our "Marketing" discussions, where these, and many other questions can be answered. . .

[Tyler Wierzbicki]

To join I have to pass all the tests and forms, right? And then pay the $300 fee? What kind of questions are on the test, what should I study and expect?

[gporter]

Welcome Tyler. Have a web site made by a strong company like grassfrog. Study your books from your home inspection course

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by jpope

Join NACHI and you will have access to all of our "Marketing" discussions, where these, and many other questions can be answered. . .

Agreed

[Tyler Wierzbicki]

Originally Posted by gporter

Welcome Tyler. Have a web site made by a strong company like grassfrog. Study your books from your home inspection course

Got a website. Designed myself. www.tbaservices.net

[Stephen Root, CMI]

Originally Posted by Tyler Wierzbicki

What are the best, most successful ways to get new business as a home inspector? Should I create mailers/ flyers and solicit them to real estate agencies? What are some of the tricks of the trade?

I would also like to know how to get business doing commercial property inspections. I work in California in the San Francisco area.

Thanks!

JOINING NACHI IS A MUST, and that will get you some good referrals, having a good web-site also will help a lot too, but to tell you the truth, as far as my business has gone, nothing beats hitting the streets and soliciting the Realtors. Believe it or not, I think that the majority (or at least a very large portion of them) of the home buyers don't even know we exist, or if they don't personally know one they pass on the home inspection. The Realtor is your best advertisement. The (good) Realtor WANTS a home inspection to take any pressure off them if the home has problems discovered later on by the buyer when they didn't have an inspection done. For the cost of a Yellow Page Add (which is absurd and unnecessary) you would probably have to perform (at least) 20 inspections just to cover the cost of the add. Putting a "GOOD QUALITY FLIER" in a Realtors office will pay off ten fold (minimum). That is of course if you are performing a good quality inspection, and the Realtor likes you and what you do for their (and your) client. After you have been in business for a little while, word of mouth is your BEST advertisement. I haven't solicited new business in at least 4 or 5 years (other than refilling the Realtors offices with new fliers and business cards).

NACHI and a good web-page are a must, but nothing will get you more business than a little leg work and getting out there and introducing youself to the Realtors. Yes...YOU ARE WORKING FOR THE BUYER...but the buyer doesn't usually know you even exist without the Realtor.

[gporter]

Originally Posted by sroot

JOINING NACHI IS A MUST, and that will get you some good referrals, having a good web-site also will help a lot too, but to tell you the truth, as far as my business has gone, nothing beats hitting the streets and soliciting the Realtors. Believe it or not, I think that the majority (or at least a very large portion of them) of the home buyers don't even know we exist, or if they don't personally know one they pass on the home inspection. The Realtor is your best advertisement. The (good) Realtor WANTS a home inspection to take any pressure off them if the home has problems discovered later on by the buyer when they didn't have an inspection done. For the cost of a Yellow Page Add (which is absurd and unnecessary) you would probably have to perform (at least) 20 inspections just to cover the cost of the add. Putting a "GOOD QUALITY FLIER" in a Realtors office will pay off ten fold (minimum). That is of course if you are performing a good quality inspection, and the Realtor likes you and what you do for their (and your) client. After you have been in business for a little while, word of mouth is your BEST advertisement. I haven't solicited new business in at least 4 or 5 years (other than refilling the Realtors offices with new fliers and business cards).

NACHI and a good web-page are a must, but nothing will get you more business than a little leg work and getting out there and introducing youself to the Realtors. Yes...YOU ARE WORKING FOR THE BUYER...but the buyer doesn't usually know you even exist without the Realtor.

Agreed, but 80 percent of my calls are coming from my website

[gporter]

field inspection commercial inspection field representative field inspector commercial inspector insurance inspection insurance inspector foreclosure inspection foreclosure inspector Insurance Inspections Merchant Site Inspections Inspector Rush Inspections Rush Inspector Drive- by Inspections Drive- by inspector Occupancy Verifications Bankruptcy Inspections bankruptcy inspector Sale Date Inspections sale date inspector Retail Outlet Verifications Merchant Credit Card Site Verifications Floor Plan Inventory Inspections Inspector Title One Inspections Title One Inspector Automobile & Vessel Inspections Inspector

You need to work on meta tags to move up in web rankings. It mentions nothing about city or area's served

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by Tyler Wierzbicki

To join I have to pass all the tests and forms, right? And then pay the $300 fee? What kind of questions are on the test, what should I study and expect?

This should be a cake walk. . . http://www.nachi.org/forum/f11/newbie-do-charge-15123/

[Christopher Currins]

It's only $289 and if you can't pass the test without studying, you really shouldn't be doing home inspections. Not that it is that easy, but if you already have a web site and are ready to advertise as a home inspector, to be able to serve your client properly you should at least pass this test before you start.

After viewing your web site it looks like you've already taken some classes from R.R.

[gporter]

I saw that also.

[gporter]

Where is Ray Ray. Last post 10/24/07

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Originally Posted by gporter

Where is Ray Ray. Last post 10/24/07

He is sort of hobbling around. His little kitty threw him to the ground and broke his ankle. Something about bad tuna...... or warm margaritas. I think the fires were a concern down there also, although last I talked to him he was still ok. He usually does pet rescue during times like these but the ankle is putting a damper on that. I guess kitty wanted all the attention.

[gporter]

Ok. Thanks