Realtors Influence on Licensing Inspectors

As informed InterNACHI members, you should be aware that the NAR (National Association of Realtors) back around the year 1999-2000, set up about 14-15 long term NATIONAL goals. One of those goals was to get home inspectors licensed in EVERY state (needed or not needed). When we 1st heard this many of us thought this might be just an URBAN myth.

Two years later my sister-in-law was President of the largest Board of realtors in her state and was also part of a planning committee at the NAR’s national BoD … She confirmed the fact. Three years later my cousin was President of the Board of Realtors in another state and on the Realtors State Legislative Leadership Committee … he also confirmed this. Unfortunately instead of fighting this many Realtor friendly home inspectors took the attitude similar to ……… When the biker gang down the street burned your house and tried to rob you, instead of fighting OR going to the media, etc you said “Lets try and mend fences and build bridges and work with them”.

Very Interesting position…

So moving forward … We have now heard the same Sales Pitch to legislators in MANY states from their respective state realtor committee’s. My own personal experience in Kansas and in Missouri has reflected that: Different states / same sales pitch / MOST of it 99% BS that they state as GOSPEL and few if ANY people call them out on their lies … Examples of their BS sales pitch.

  1. thousands of people in our state have been harmed by BAD home inspectors (but they’ve never had any of those harmed people present NOR even a name - just the realtors stories about bad inspections;

  2. a home is most people most expensive purchase of their lifetime AND anybody can pick up a clip board and call themselves a home inspector (in 3/4th of states like Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, etc anybody can get a shovel and call themselves a foundation contractor; get a hammer and say they’re a roofer or builder;, buy a camera and call themselves a photographer, etc);

  3. EVERYBODY involved in building or selling a house is licensed EXCEPT for home inspectors (nope lets look at builders, remodelers, roofers, chimney sweeps, brick layers, siding contractors, bankers, etc, etc). Fact is some ARE, but may are NOT;

  4. EVERYBODY but home inspectors have mandatory E&O insurance to protect the clients (nope in states like KS & MO, builders, realtors, doctors, appraisers, termite inspectors, engineers, lawyers, etc are NOT required by law to get or have E&O insurance to get a license or do business - - its a personal business decision);

  5. IF a home inspector is allowed to use a Limit-of-Liability clause and anything ever goes wrong, the poor consumer has NO legal recourse but to get a refund of their inspection fee (**BS to the 10th degree, **if a consumer thinks they’ve been damaged there is small claims court, mediation, arbitration or suing JUST like with any other profession … LoL clauses are used by every major profession I know of including: realtors, lawyers, doctors, hospitals and schools / *last fall I took a class at a local college and before my enrollment was finalized I was given a LoL to sign stating that I would NOT hold the school responsible if me or my vehicle was hurt or damaged while on campus. *

Where do you think the build bridges and mend fences comes into this. Their ONLY bridge or fence is when they can get some of our weaker sisters (or those working on a power binge) to go along with them. I am ashamed of some of the oldest HI associations in the country for NOT using their media sources to carry our story to the public.

We inspect / they sell … The Realtors have no business writing laws that affect us because its really NOT about protecting the consumer, its about them shifting liability.

**Just my perspective after 35 years of inspecting…
**

I agree, Dan.
I witnessed the then president of the Virginia Realtors do a victory dance at a local function announcing they accomplished passing the licensing law.
I’m not opposed to licensing so much as I am it being pushed by a business interest.

My response to licensing is simply…there are a lot of licensed folks on the road that should not have a license. A piece of paper offers no assurance that the job will be right.
Now, thanks to a politician who had a bad encounter with an inspection and only received his fee refunded, VA has legislation pending to remove the limit of liability.
Cost of inspections are going to go up and may very well keep people from requesting an inspection simply because of the cost. Wonder who wins in that scenario?

Realtors influence everything in our, scratch that, their profession.

But but but Dan, A$HI is claiming they never pushed licensing at state levels.:wink:

It’s sad that associations like nachi, ashi and the like don’t step up and help fight for legislation to keep realtors out of our profession and stay in theirs.

Jim

Perhaps its about the financial resources they have and power politics of political influence. Certainly in my opinion, much deeper pockets when it comes to $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Bump