hat's the deal about ASHI?

[Sean Fogarty]

I am fairly new in the inspection buisness, and I have discovered that many of the offices around my area, mainly Coldwell Banker, won't even consider you if you are not ashi certifed. The make no considerations for any other orginazations at all. Obviously someone long before me has convinced all the old bitties that is the only way. Any feedback?

[mnahrgang]

Old story but common. ASHI has brainwashed the agents into thinking that they are the only ones out there. As a former CB agent myself, I highly suspect that there is some very high up relationship between CB and ASHI as well, that goes beyond brainwashing. But that is just my own personal suspicion.

You will need to market yourself and your services very well. And come up with a good comeback for when you are asked if you are "ASHI".

The one that I use here that seems to work pretty well is...

Q: Are you ASHI?
A: Well, no I a am not. I am a member of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. That is another organization.

Q: What is the difference?
A: Well in regards to the standards of practice, not much. We pretty much inspect the same things. Even though I know ASHI is very predominant in the minds of agents here in the area, I chose InterNACHI because of the membership requirements. Since I had known about ASHI before, I went there first, and when I discovered that all it took to be an ASHI member was to write them a check, I was a little put off. I wanted my certification to actually mean something from day one. InterNACHI wouldn't even let me fill out an application until I had proven myself by taking their basic test.


Alternate answer I sometimes use...

Q: I've never heard of InterNACHI before, what's the differece?
A: I'm not surprised. ASHI's primary focus is to promote ASHI and ASHI inspectors to real estate agents. InterNACHI's primary focus is on educating and developing great inspectors....for example you as an agent are required to perform 12 hours of CEU every two years. An InterNACHI inspector is required to perform 24 hours of CEU every YEAR.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

That is exactly what happened to me Mark.
Looked at the two and weighed the differences.
One wanted my money up front and the other wanted to know what I knew by taking the online exam first.

Was an easy decision for me which organization I choose.
I don't regret it.

It is all about running a business, and not necessarily mean that an inspector from one is better than the other. There are good inspectors on both of them.
It is a preference to the individual as to which one he prefers to stay with or want to increase their knowledge and stay with an elite team. Inachi it is.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

I remember talking to an old ASHI inspector and he told me of the days when ASHI actually had high standards. Way different than what they have now. The way he talked about it, it was a topnotch organization. Now he is disgusted by it. Sad but true.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by sfogarty

I am fairly new in the inspection buisness, and I have discovered that many of the offices around my area, mainly Coldwell Banker, won't even consider you if you are not ashi certifed. The make no considerations for any other orginazations at all. Obviously someone long before me has convinced all the old bitties that is the only way. Any feedback?

Old Bitties are a tough crowd, especially if you call them Old Bitties.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

In over 4 years, I don't recall EVER being asked if I belonged to ASHI or any other national organization. It's not a big deal here.

Just tell them you're nationally certified when you do your spill to them. They probably won't ask any detailed questions after that.

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

What is ASHI? Is it edible?

[Gary Farnsworth]

Thanks to all on this thread. You just gave me a great subject to discuss on my radio show this weekend, along with Kansas licensing.

[Nick Gromicko]

Privately email me the "old bittie's" information. We'll sue her and subpoena all her former client's records so that we can contact them to see if they've suffered any financial harm by the old bittie knowingly steering her clients toward members of the one inspection association with the weakest requirements. We've done it before.

Here is my email fastreply@nachi.org

[dbelmont]

If you look at ASHI literature you'll find reference to to how the home inspector will tell you the good things about the home too.

They (ASHI) have sucked up to a group of folks that likes suckups. I've seen several ASHI inspections that were nothing more then rubber stamps of the disclosure statement. ANy wonder the agents (especially the old guys) love ASHI.

[William J. Decker]

Around here, I ran into this when I first started out. That was at the height of the so-called "branding" campaign. Remember that ASHI national headquarters is only 5 miles west of where I live. I got told, by agents and brokers that being ASHI is the same as being licensed.

But, I worked at it.

I also worked with other NACHI guys areound here, like Russ Myers, Pat Bolinger, Jeff Merritt and others to overcome this misperception.

Many Realtor presentations, Network group talks, setting up the Chicago Chapter (which covers 7 counties and is a licensed state CE provider), and a lot of other stuff. I ALWAYS promoted NACHI at these events, not my own business. To this day, when I do an investors, Realty office, Seminar with Mortgage people or other seminars, I do not where my orange buxiness shirt, by a beige NACHI shirt I won during one of Nick's giveaways.

The reason is this. No one wants to sit through a sales presentation, like a time share sales pitch. But people DO like to sit through an entertaining, funny and, most of all, informative presentation. Entertain and educate.

Now, the distinction is no longer in place. I regularly refer agents, brokers, mortgage brokers, bank loan officers, RE lawyers and clients to the NACHI site and to the public threads (on specific inspection topics, like Roofing, Exterior, Electrical, etc). They all see the site as a real resource, as well as the free, downloadable book that Nick wrote. In my area, I have personally printed out this book, bound, created a cool looking cover, and placed in some 300 RE offices.

NACHI is the first thing that the clients see.

Also, following Russel Ray's lead, I spend most Sundays going to open houses and leaving a copy of this book, along with the NACHI brochures. I NEVER give the agent a card unless they specifically ask.

Around here, ASHI is, pretty much, on the skids and that other association is important only in the minds of their ever dwindling membership.

Now, this is the responsibility of every inspector who is a real member:

ALWAYS do an outstanding inspection and produce and outstanding report. If you do, you will elevate and grow your business.

If you don't, you will hurt your fellow members, as well as your own business.

Now, I don't worry about associations. NACHI has more than parity with the others, and is growing. In fact, I am friends with many ASHI inspectors in my area, and have brought many of them to join NACHI. And I have earned their respect. Most importantly, I have earned their referrals, when they run into an issue dealing with specialties that I do (condo transition inspections, thermal imaging, water intrusion inspections, mold, etc) and they don't. Referrals from ASHI inspectors, last year, accounted for about 23% of my revenue. A market is a market, so market to it (even if the market is other inspectors).

One other point. I have gotten nothing but praise for handing out Ben's book. I, usually, hand it out only to first time home buyers, but soemtimes, I give a copy to new Realtors. Not the "old biddies", but the new guys (and gals). It really does work and presents much wanted information. In this way, I accomplish what ASHI was never able to do, personal interaction, outstanding inspections and reports, and earn respect for my association. ASHI never did this because they hired a PR firm to do it for them.

With NACHI, our members do it for ourselves.

Hope this helps;