Why do we have such a high turnover rate?
Of Home Inspector’s or Nachi Member’s on the MB ???
???
not sure what you are referencing or asking…
If your talking about inspectors its because this is a business.
So many people see what we do, yet they do not see the 'behind the scenes" stuff that goes on. It is a cheap business to get into, or so they think. They think they have been in the ‘construction’ field for 15 years and the bones are getting old and looking for something less hard on the body.
The do not realize it is a political profession, a marketing profession, a computer profession, a technology profession, a continuing education profession, a entrepreneur profession and then you have to make all this happen while paying your present bills and trying to upgrade your services such as Thermal Infrared, Wind Mitigation and ancillary inspections.
It just takes a special person to make it in this industry…and I truly think very few have the skills to make it a viable profession, hence the high turn over rate.
If you’re asking about inspectors in general; they become discouraged when they don’t make that $150,000 yearly income as quickly and easily as AHIT and other schools led them to believe they would, even working part time.
Another problem is that licensed states won’t approve InterNACHI’s business courses such as http://www.nachi.org/customer-service-communication.htm They only want technical courses.
I agree with Russell, You need more skills than swinging a hammer for 25 years, that does help. I have worked construction and attempted real estate and figured out how to keep going after 2 years takes being a people person and selling yourself. Also continuing your education all the time. I am currently trained in Mold, Radon, Asbestos, lead and next week I will be certified BPI energy auditor. To start out I was already a licensed electrictian and HVAC Tech. I also contracted my services to a federal housing project and 2 local towns and this has been very beneficial.
I must admit working in the electrical HVAC and plumbing field I enjoy this a whole lot more and know a few guys that would be great inspectors but have no people skills. Also in this line of work if you are 25 years old the people will not give you the credit you deserve, you need to be a little older than the 1st time home buyer who usually call you.
I hold my real estate license just for the information on the market for real estate if you want me to sell you a house great but I am very honest and I do not inspect homes I sell unless when we are looking at it and I give my honest advice. My broker has informed me I am too honest, but I want people to know what they are the buying the good and the bad. There have been a few comments of the negative nature towards me holding a real estate license as well as a home inspection license, but home inspectors are in the real estate business.
Education is the key to success always attempt to make yourself better than you competitor down the street, but never criticize them as this brings your own creditability down.
Damn, I’m sure I saw you on that flight from Asia that landed in Vancouver, BC the other day. What were you doing over there?
$150,000 per year is mere pittance…A home inspection franchise operation working out of Halifax, NS (near where I live) has a regional master franchisor in British Columbia stating on their website…$270,000/year gross after you get the training from them!!! I’m moving to BC!!!
Because it is incredibly easy and cheap to get trained and certified in some systems…and every body wants to be a home inspector. What other trade/profession has such easy entrance requirements?..everybody can be a home inspector…not!!
Diploma mills/franchisors turn out high numbers that only last a year or two. Many have stated here that 80-85% of HI’s will last only 2-3 years. A good example is the “poster boy” HI that for about 2 years was on the front page of the local HI franchise operation spouting all the praises of the company. He no longer is on the website and he hasn’t renewed with the association he was with…NACHI or any other that I can see!
There’s too much hype and spindoctoring in the HI profession!!!
Marketing…
All the technical courses in the world won’t help you survive if you aren’t a businessperson. I know many people who are great cooks, but that’s a long way from being a restaurateur.
IMO, the biggest contributor to turnover is the misguided soul who decides that he will do inspections “part time” and, when he starts getting enough business to carry himself, he will do it full time. I think that of the 90% who will fail before their third year in business, 80% fall into that category.
A part time commitment and part time effort gets only part time results. You have to not only invest money and time into training and tools…but commit to the fact that the time between inspections is when you actually are working the hardest to market and prepare your business and your skills. Add to that the fact that the part time newby doing $175 home inspections will NEVER earn enough to quit his full time job.
Jim, excellent insight. If you start a thread in MISC forum regarding this, I will propose a solution.
JB comes up with a few good lines here and there.
Used your 7 ways to use a inspection yesterday at a presentation Jim.(Thanks)
You did write that?
Yes, sir.
Saved my butt as I threw it all together out the door and that made for a very good opening.
I do most of my stuff improv style but needed that to get started.
Thanks again ,as I will be using it again.
Where is this?
You’re very welcome.
I was having lunch with my wife and a friend of hers who sold real estate and she was pretending to be interested (and knowledgeable) about home inspections and remarked how…in “certain cases”…they were something that she would recommend to a client.
When I shared with her all of the many uses for an inspection report I was stunned to discover that all she considered them useful for was to cover her rear when she knew that a house “had problems”. I thought I would blog it to get the word out. It’s been re-published in quite a few places.
I guess sometimes we just take for granted that people know as much about our product as we do. Educating the public is a big part of marketing. I’m convinced that, with sufficient knowledge, the public would oppose the real estate salesmen’s agenda to license and control the home inspection industry if we could educate them on that, too.