The Marketing Tool That Keeps on Marketing

Make sure your local real estate office has at least one.
 
 

What are real estate agents reading while waiting for you to finish the home inspection?  Make sure it isn't the sports page! Give them something interesting to read.  Fill this 3-ring binder with some of the following:

Make sure one of your flyers or business cards is actually taped to the inside cover.

Do not include anything that indicates that you are a "Candidate" or "Associate" member of any other inspection association. These derogatory terms will work against you (especially on the internet). Many agents blacklist associates and candidates.

The words "International Association of Certified Home Inspectors" alone have strong marketing value. This is especially true with agents who are unfamiliar with you or seller's (listing) agents. The binder itself says a lot about you and your inspection service.

Some members have created labels on their own color printers that say "Please Read" or include their contact info. It is not difficult to match the label's color to the blue of this professional 3-ring binder. However don't personalize the outside too much. You want the outside to appear to be a general reference from a national association.

If you notice the real estate agent sitting down, offer this binder to read. If you notice the real estate agent taking an interest in it or if he/she asks to take some of the literature in it, offer the entire binder to take and keep.

Permit sellers to read through them too. Most sellers are also buyers and you may get another inspection.

Nick's Tip:

The time, energy, and cost of producing nicely packed binders makes them too expensive (unless you form a family assembly line) to give out to sellers in hopes they use your services on the buying end. Sellers can potentially only give you one inspection at most. However, real estate agents will give you many inspections. Let them have the binder to keep. It is too nice for them to throw away and appears to be an office reference (because it is from a national association, not a specific inspector). It will likely be kept on their office book shelf or in their real estate office library surrounded by other real estate agents. So make sure at least one of your business cards or flyers is taped to the inside cover.

Advanced Tip:

If you are leaving the binder at a real estate office, take a marker and write "DO NOT THROW OUT" over the back white check mark. Write it a little sloppy and at an angle over the check mark. I won't explain why...just trust me on this one.

To order visit Inspector Outlet.

Questions or suggestions (but not actual orders): please email Nick Gromicko.
 
How to make your own clean copies of InterNACHI documents.
More success Tips.
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
Subject: InterNACHI binders
 
Dear Nick,
 
My name is Steve Henderson I am the owner of 1st Choice Home Inspections. I have been an inspector in Texas only a short time. I have 12 years prior experience as a home builder.
 
I have been following all the marketing info that I can find on your website. And i want to thank you for such a great job. I recently got a case of InterNACHI binders. I copied all the suggested documents added a few of my own and had Kinkos print it all on card stock with their high end laser printer. I began passing these out to the most successfull Realtors, when one lady phoned me and said that there was three other ladies in their office wanting a notebook. Wow people asking me to market to them , amazing. I went and met two of the ladies at this office which just happens to be one of the largest in my city. I spoke with them about doing pre listings and offered to do one complimentary for them. They loved the notebook so much they asked if they could show  it to their broker. Of course i told them sure . Well long story short I have now been invited to give a presentation to all,  around thirty  REALTORS in this firm. I wanted to ask if you have any specific info that i should use . Also I was thinking of spending most of the time promoting pre listing inspections. Which according to the REALTORS in this area no one else is doing them. Yea. Any info or realtor testimonials about pre listing inspections would be greatly appreciated.
 
Steve Henderson