Infrared cameras and real estate agents

[Michael J. Parker]

For those of you that have infrared cameras, do you find that real estate agents like the idea or does it scare them? I'm asking for home inspections only. Other people have done focus groups and the result was it scared the agents. I think that the public wants the technology but in some areas the realtor controls the leads. I wondering if marketed correctly you would pick up additional business from the public and loose from some of the agents. Thanks

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by mparker1

For those of you that have infrared cameras, do you find that real estate agents like the idea or does it scare them? I'm asking for home inspections only. Other people have done focus groups and the result was it scared the agents. I think that the public wants the technology but in some areas the realtor controls the leads. I wondering if marketed correctly you would pick up additional business from the public and loose from some of the agents. Thanks

WGAF?

Is your job to use all the skill, training and tools at your disposal to provide a complete, accurate and unbiased report on the condition of a house.....or to please a used house salesman? If a salesman fears the inspector's use of a thermal imaging device during his inspection....the thermal imaging device has already revealed something very important to the buyer.

[Nick Gromicko]

If a salesman fears the inspector's use of a thermal imaging device during his inspection....the thermal imaging device has already revealed something very important to the buyer.

Brilliant.

[John Harrison]

Originally Posted by jbushart

WGAF?

Is your job to use all the skill, training and tools at your disposal to provide a complete, accurate and unbiased report on the condition of a house.....or to please a used house salesman? If a salesman fears the inspector's use of a thermal imaging device during his inspection....the thermal imaging device has already revealed something very important to the buyer.

Nicely put

[kweiss]

It will scare many of them. The same ones that tell you not to scare their client, don't want you to find any big problems (even if they exist.)

I did a presentation on IR in the inspection process at one of the biggest offices in DFW last summer. The first question asked was "why on Earth would we wnat you to find those things?" My answer: "would your client rather know about the big roo leak before or after they close? Would they want to know the foundation was bad, the ac did not work, etc etc. If you want to negotiate this stuff you have to know about it."

Obviously, that agent will not be calling me. But then she probably would not have liked my reports even without the IR.

So to answer you question, it will further galvanize the positions of agents. Some will shun you even more for being "too picky" while others will search you out because they want the best for their clients. Personally, I would rather work with the later group anyway.

[Chuck Evans]

It depends on who you associate yourself with and your professional reputation. Agents, like other professions run the full spectrum of knowledge and ethics. If you operate you business in a manner that those agents who are skilled, knowledgeable and ethical want to associate with you, then your IR imager will not scare them off.

I got a booking for a high end home today from a new, to me, agent who contacted me after reviewing my credentials online. She said she switched to exclusively recommending inspectors with IR capability 5 years ago (that would make her a very early adopter). She also told me that she was switching from one of her current inspectors because although he did IR, he was not "FLIR certified" (her words).

While I don't market to agents, I do get referrals from good number of them. Take a look at who is referring you. I believe good agents refer good inspectors and crappy agents refer crappy inspectors.

Are you willing to be a client of the agent who refers you?

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by jbushart

WGAF?

Is your job to use all the skill, training and tools at your disposal to provide a complete, accurate and unbiased report on the condition of a house.....or to please a used house salesman? If a salesman fears the inspector's use of a thermal imaging device during his inspection....the thermal imaging device has already revealed something very important to the buyer.

Exactly.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by kweiss

It will scare many of them. The same ones that tell you not to scare their client, don't want you to find any big problems (even if they exist.)

I did a presentation on IR in the inspection process at one of the biggest offices in DFW last summer. The first question asked was "why on Earth would we wnat you to find those things?" My answer: "would your client rather know about the big roo leak before or after they close? Would they want to know the foundation was bad, the ac did not work, etc etc. If you want to negotiate this stuff you have to know about it."

Obviously, that agent will not be calling me. But then she probably would not have liked my reports even without the IR.

So to answer you question, it will further galvanize the positions of agents. Some will shun you even more for being "too picky" while others will search you out because they want the best for their clients. Personally, I would rather work with the later group anyway.

They're only 2-3% of all realtors so get your website and referrals working for you!

[Russell J. Hensel]

Kinda of a weird post. What if outlet testers made Realtors nervous? Flashlights? Screwdrivers? Cameras? Computers...my point is who cares! Do what you need to do to serve your client in the best way possible. My saying is that if you 100% concentrate on quality for the customer, you will never have to worry about money.