gsozz Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Well, I've started my business in Houston, distributed my brosures to a half dozen real estate offices, launched my web site and paid for pay per click, and in 6 months have done only 5 inspections. What else can I do??? Am I doing any thing wrong???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Hi Greg, I saw your ad w/ overture and that works well for "Houston home inspector". I assume you've entered other pertinent search terms for the ad to appear. Enter a lot of them. Google Ad Words gets better results for me, but it costs a lot more. Keep tweaking your keyword selections.. if you're doing a good job there should be at least 1,000 impressions a day. Most days I get twice that. I don't market to Realtors, but from what I've seen it takes constant and vigilant attention to get referrals from them. There's a pretty good chance that your brochures are gone shortly after you walk out the door. My yellow pages ad comes out in a month or so and I'm hoping for at least SOME results from that. I've also mailed brochures to a few hundred attorneys that specialize in real estate transactions. I can attribute three or four inspections to that effort. Paid placements like the pay per click gizmo's aren't as good as having a real placement in the top 5 or ten for search terms pertinent to your business. There's a whole science to getting placed, but at least you should register your site @ DMOZ.org...don't be in a hurry..it takes 6 months to a year for them to get around to listing it. When mine finally got listed it put me in the top ten for my area on just about every search engine except for Google. I leave cards at the banks I use, at the pizza place or just lying on desks and counters. I also tell everyone I know or meet that I'm a home inspector. I suck at shameless self promotion, but I'm getting better at it. It takes time. After about 9 months of actively trying to get work, I'm finally starting to get client referrals. I give classes for free on woodwork restoration, I stop and talk to people working on their historic homes. It's marketing non stop and I always have cards and brochures on me or in my truck. My truck is lettered loudly as well. Did I say it takes time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Greg, Chad is far better qualified to talk about how to get started than I am, but let me make a different point. No amount of time is too much to convince a RE attorney that you are the one to take exceptional care of their clients. I have about a dozen very good, very busy attorneys who refer me many tens of thousands of dollars worth of business each year. There is almost nothing I wouldn't do for them or their clients. Be the smartest, hard-workingest, most honest inspector in your area and homebuyers will beat a path to your door. Never doubt that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baird Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Greg, Did anyone mention it takes time? Looked at yer page. One word of caution. Working for the seller is a job I shy away from. The only one I have done was for a seller who was told by the buyer to get one done. To inspect as a way of certifying something for fitness or use is to set yourself up like a blowing pin. Buena suerte! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusty Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Originally posted by Jim Baird Greg, Did anyone mention it takes time? Looked at yer page. One word of caution. Working for the seller is a job I shy away from. The only one I have done was for a seller who was told by the buyer to get one done. To inspect as a way of certifying something for fitness or use is to set yourself up like a blowing pin. Buena suerte! A word of caution. Do the same job for a seller that you do for a buyer. Never ever, ever, ever make a difference. That is suicide. Write the report as if you were working for the buyer. Period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Don't quit the day job. It is a fact of the biz that everyone & their uncle is trying to break in, & the proliferation of training schools is increasing that number exponentially every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't quit the day job. It is a fact of the biz that everyone & their uncle is trying to break in, & the proliferation of training schools is increasing that number exponentially every year. Kurt Workin' the Inner City -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kurt...from your experience here in the great state of Illinois, and with all the regs they're putting in place (another way to pay taxes and fees, in my opinion)...do you think the industry will start to police itself a little? In regards to people trying to break into the market? I've come across many Home Inspectors who were very good at their job, and took pride in how they related to their client, but I've also come across those who just seem to get by. Of course, that's in any industry...I'm just curious to know if any of the rules this state, or any, for that matter, have helped those wanting to pursue this area, know that it does take alot of work to provide for their clients, the most correct and up-to-date information they can provide. Just some thoughts here...anyone have something similar, or different to add? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpkuhl Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Hey guy's, I'm a rookie as well but I read about 1-year warrenty inspections on new homes. It's an interesting idea. Has anyone tried to put this into effect or is this a dead end? It seems that it would be easy to find a list of recently built homes and use that as a database or just go to new sub-divisions and put out flyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Well, You've come to the right place to discuss warranty inspections because Mr. Prickett is, I believe, the undisputed master of the warranty inspection process. If anyone can clue you in to that he can. Meantime, I see there's another "school" turning out 3-day wonders up your way. Beats the hell out of me how anyone thinks they can teach anyone this profession in 3 days. The bigger mystery is how any official state agency would endorse such a program. Here's the link: One of many ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Meantime, I see there's another "school" turning out 3-day wonders up your way. Beats the hell out of me how anyone thinks they can teach anyone this profession in 3 days. The bigger mystery is how any official state agency would endorse such a program. Mike...You just made my earlier argument for me! Three day classes? I've been reading, studying, going out on Inspections with others I know for practice for the past year...and I still have alot to learn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erol Kartal Posted November 14, 2004 Report Share Posted November 14, 2004 Gordon, I believe that instead of the industry policing itself, it may do just the opposite and spiral out of control. This is a relatively new profession but yet the streets are saturated with inspectors. There needs to be strong regulations and disciplinary policies enforced not just written. Minimum inspection fee would be nice too, but that's wishful thinking. $225 for a 4 bedroom home in Schaumburg is close to insanity. Just think of the service these clients are getting. Erol Kartal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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