… by next week. I’ll have the details next Wednesday and will post them here.
CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR
Can I get a personal loan from time to time? 
Absolutely. You have an 800 credit score in my book John.
Thanks Nick… I was just joking, but I know you would help me if I ever needed it.
I may need one, too. Only 53 inspections so far this year in 4 months. Being a CMI has not helped, perhaps even hurt my business.
I am lowering my price to $199 to compete. No choice. I have bills to pay. I have not seen it this bad for me in 10 years. April was my second worse April month since April of 2003.
Dan B. is not doing much either. KCRAR stated only 1,308 homes sold in eastern Kansas and western Missouri KC metro area in March, lower than March of 2010. I have not had one phone call since last Wednesday.
I can help you, but I can’t help Dan.
Dan is on the real estate agent’s do-not-use list in his area, so I understand his problem and there is no solution to it. It’s only going to get worse for him and all other diploma mill ASHI members. He’s collateral damage.
That’s a short-term problem for you if you rely solely on real estate transactions. You say you haven’t seen it that bad in 10 years. That means you have 10 years worth of clients. Correct? Do you have those clients in an electronic database?
Wow, 1308 homes in March is 309 more than sold in Western South Dakota last year. Comparing numbers is fruitless but really I can’t see how CMI could possible hurt you at least with ethical agents. Just picked up another agent I’ve been working on for 7 years by talking up CMI and giving her the great brochure NACHI has available. CMI works in this area. Agents are looking for stability and experience. (at least the stable and experienced agents are) No better way to show it.
Feel free to call me about it.
I do have a few ideas.
Nice Keith!
Thanks Bob.
Gary, watch your Karma too. Think, speak, and act POSITIVE.
The thing here is Kansas laws really allowing cheap, basic reports. Several inspectors here are in the $199 to $249 range. One company is at $249 on any size home with termite. Really hard to compete. It is all about pricing here. There are only 3 CMI’s in Kansas, all three of us are here in KC. I have advertised, sent out email blasts to clients, agents, and office brokers. No effect. I am considering “Listing Widget” to perhaps send out an email blast to over 9,000 agents in the KCRAR region. Cost is around $95.
Visited over 120 offices so far this year delivering over 5,000 fliers promoting the benefits of a CMI. Most all of my inspections are from referrals from past clients. I realize that marketing to agents may be a lost cause, but getting to the buyers is the tough part. With over 26,000 homes on the market, and only 1,300 selling per month, it is really tough. I have heard from some agents that the main reason of slow business is that banks are tight with their money.
I appreciate all the help from Nick and all of the people on the message board, and as funds develop, I can start spending some on marketing.
Let me be very straight up with you. I saw that flier. Let Jesse make you an inspection flier that works for you. This is a free membership benefit. This is some of Jesse’s work: www.nachi.org/marketing-library.htm
That’s step one IMHO.
What we think about most is our reality in the end.
PMI baby or how could any of us create a reality where people pay us at a business that has no storefront,no merchandise,and exists only on our own creation from our minds.
This means it is all about thought and creativity to succeed eh?
What needs to be done is creative thought and the belief it will solve our business issues since that is what created the business in the first place.
Never stagnate or continue what you are doing if you want change for the change comes from you and not your surroundings.
Maybe someone can help me with this but I believe it goes What we think about becomes what we say and what we say becomes our actions and our actions define us.
So what are we thinking about right now???
Bob, that is so true. Some will think it mumbo jumbo, but what you said is really true.
I am sure many think it is Mumbo Jumbo which is why many fail.
We all create our own Heaven or Hell.
Losing is often much more reassuring.
I know what it takes. I worked in management for 20 years in a top fortune 75 company. I was awarded national buyer of the year twice; only person to ever do that. And I got laid off in 2001. Company did $8 Billion when I started, and was doing $35 billion when I left.
What it now takes is relationships with agents who all want to never alarm any home buyer with home defects, so they can make commissions. Write basic reports for $199, take the liability for anything that goes wrong, get business. Sad.
Last fall I purchased an ad in several “Real Estate Book” editions that are found on racks at most all grocery store front doors. Expensive, and almost no inspections from it. I am really at a loss.
I have never tried a print ad in my life and the closest would be craigslist which I use for the hits.
Never steeped foot in an Agents office either.
Gary you have not tried everything and this first piece of advice is promised to work.
Look at that big empty space to the right of your company name on your Header.
I dare you to put your name and number there.
Now take that picture of you and put it at top but not the same picture.
That picture would make me not want to call you and not because you are bad looking but because the picture shows you looking angry…
SMILE…Now take that picture and put it up below the header in the text area.
Putting the CMI logo next to your name may help also.
That is a start.
Google Gary Google!! I did a search for Kansas City Home Inspectors and you’re no where to be found on the first page. Pay for an ad there. When searching for a home inspector people find us three ways in my opinion.
- Web – #1 source of leads for me. Gary you must be found here to compete.
- Realtors – Just keep putting your name in front of them. They might come. If they do most likely you’ll see them only 2 or 3 times a year.
- Friends – Do a good job, be positive they shall come.
I have to agree with Bob. You need to scroll down too far to find your number.
Good luck and keep us posted.
At the conclusion of each inspection, I query each client as to their opinion of my service performed, and how they “found” me…
This is a direct quote from a client last week…
“…I Googled ‘Home Inspectors’, and like any good Minnesotan I called the first one on the list.”
Dan Bowers with Holmes Inspection is always at the top of the web site list when you google KC home inspectors. He is having the same problem I am. Check out this thread he started just this morning, and my comments there: