Thread: "Please send me your best price."

I received an unusual e-mail today from a prospective client (aka price shopper). I have no interest whatsoever in entering a bidding war for an inspection. I'm curious how you would respond to a request like this.

The e-mail (with some information modified) is below:

we are looking to buy this FHA accepted home for sale.
however we will have to pay out-of-pocket to see if this home will
pass FHA's inspections.
please send me your best price.

thank you
Harry Homebuyer 7195551212

Prop Type: Single Family
1313 Mockingbird Lane
Fountain, CO 80817
Subarea: La Mesa Fontana
Year Built: 1972
Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Sq. Ft. % Finished Room Sizes
Mbr Lvl: 12 x 12 M Upper: 0 N Upper: 0 LR: 13 x 15 M
2nd Lvl: 11 x 11 M Main: 2 F,H Main: 941 DR: 12 x 13 M
3rd Lvl: 10 x 11 M Lower: 0 N Lower: 0 0% KT: 12 x 13 M
4th Lvl: 0 x 0 Bsmt: 0 N Bsmt: % FR: 0 x 0
5th Lvl: 0 x 0 5pc: Tot. SqFt: 941 PD: 8 x 8
Other 1: Full: 1 Fin. SqFt: 941
Other 2: 3/4: 0 Abv Grd SqFt:
Other 3: Half: 1
Office: Rough In:

EXTERIOR AMENITIES:
Garage #: 1; Garage Type: Attached; Garage Amenities: None;
Construction Status: Existing Home; Floor Plan: Ranch; Structure: Wood
Frame; Bsmt/Foundation: Crawl Space; Siding: Wood; Roofing: Composite
Shingle; Window Type: Vinyl; Patio/Deck Description: Concrete; Drive
Way: Concrete; Fence: Rear; Alley: None;
INTERIOR AMENITIES:
Fireplace: None; Hear/Air: Forced Air; Entry: Carpet; Floors: Carpet;
Appliances: 220v in Kitchen, Disposal, Microwave Oven, Refrigerator;
Master Bath Amenities: Carpet; Master Bed Amenities: Carpet; Living
Room Description: Carpet; Dining Room Description: KIT/DR Combo;
Dining Room Atmosphere: Nook; Kitchen Description: Eat-In/Country;
Laundry Facilities: Main;
LOT INFORMATION:
Acres: 0.19; Lot Sq Ft: 8,450; Lot Description: Level; Lot Location:
Near Fire Station, Near Park, Near Schools; Landscaped: All; Street
Description/Access: Paved; Existing Utility: Cable, Electricity, Gas
Available, Natural Gas, Telephone; Existing Water: Municipal;
Sanitation: Sewer; Existing Well Permit: N;

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Originally Posted by Bruce Breedlove

I received an unusual e-mail today from a prospective client (aka price shopper). I have no interest whatsoever in entering a bidding war for an inspection. I'm curious how you would respond to a request like this.

The e-mail (with some information modified) is below:

we are looking to buy this FHA accepted home for sale.
however we will have to pay out-of-pocket to see if this home will
pass FHA's inspections.
please send me your best price.

thank you
Harry Homebuyer 7195551212


N;

I get 5 or 6 email like this every year.
I tell them my experience, let then know what I will do for them, send a link to the HI org I belong to, send them a link to the state Lic board ,listing when I was licensed , and give them a price.
Most of them email me back to schedule.

Some of you could do this guys inspection.. Me I would pass. He is one of these guys with to way much time on his hands and you could never make him happy for the amount of money he would pay.

Pass...

Best

Ron

Looks pretty straight forward to me. He ask for your price based on the information provided which he just copied from the info the agent sent him. Faster than calling. Other than the word "best" I see nothing that sends up a red flag.
I would have to tell them that I don't do FHA compliance inspections so I could not speak to those standards specifically.

Anyone have anything from FHA?

Originally Posted by Ron Bibler

Some of you could do this guys inspection.. Me I would pass. He is one of these guys with to way much time on his hands and you could never make him happy for the amount of money he would pay.

Pass...

Best

Ron

Send them all to me, I'll do them.
Many of them don't have a clue of what we really do, after explaining that, and taking time to reply, they are more than willing to pay.

The last one I got was a lady for a new home inspection. I ended up answering 3 emails, the last one, two weeks latter she asked when could schedule it.

After the inspection I asker her why she hired me, her reply, she sent the email to 3 other inspectors, 2 never replied, the other one that did, [he is a darn good inspector] was short with his answer.
Since doing her inspection I did 2 of her neighbors inspections. Turns out she is the 1st one in the subdivision, and head of neighborhhood watch, there are 30 more in that subdivision coming up for their 1 yr in the next few months. I think a few of them will also be calling.

One email price shopper last year turned out to be an investor, I ended up doing 6 for him at the full price.

Originally Posted by Dan Harris

Send them all to me, I'll do them.
Many of them don't have a clue of what we really do, after explaining that, and taking time to reply, they are more than willing to pay.

The last one I got was a lady for a new home inspection. I ended up answering 3 emails, the last one, two weeks latter she asked when could schedule it.

After the inspection I asker her why she hired me, her reply, she sent the email to 3 other inspectors, 2 never replied, the other one that did, [he is a darn good inspector] was short with his answer.
Since doing her inspection I did 2 of her neighbors inspections. Turns out she is the 1st one in the subdivision, and head of neighborhhood watch, there are 30 more in that subdivision coming up for their 1 yr in the next few months. I think a few of them will also be calling.

One email price shopper last year turned out to be an investor, I ended up doing 6 for him at the full price.

One thing to remember is that communications are changing and email, texting is taking a substantial portion of the market. If you don't learn to adapt, you die. Just ask the dinosaurs.

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

One thing to remember is that communications are changing and email, texting is taking a substantial portion of the market. If you don't learn to adapt, you die. Just ask the dinosaurs.

Dam Texting, it should be banned. When it goes all to texting, I'll probley end up joining the dinosaurs.

I've noticed a HUGE increase in the email "traffic" to schedule inspections. I have several regular agents that use it exclusively. It actually works out pretty nice (until I foget to put a job in my book because I don't take the lead on the phone but I'm getting better about that )

The the email in the OP seems pretty harmless to me. I know there are a lot of us that get all fired up as soon as somebody mentions price. To me it's a fact of life.... I have way more important things to worry about than some guy asking for a deal. If I'm slow and it's a house I want (location, age, etc.) I'll often play ball.... if not, I won't. I never fault anyone for asking. This is the grand old USA.... everything is for sale.

The emails I love are the 20 question, interview type with written answers required. I wouldn't even fill out the questionaire for $350, let alone go do a home inspection afterwards. I guess I have to give these people a break too. They're usually just new to the process and have been advised by a family member or some over the top website.

I'm not an appraiser so I'd politely explain to him that the FHA "Inspection" he is referring to has to be performed by the FHA Appraiser, and explain the differences between an inspection and appraisal.

Pretty obvious that he either isn't using an agent or his agent isn't doing their job by explaining what exactly needs to be done.

Originally Posted by Ken Rowe

I'm not an appraiser so I'd politely explain to him that the FHA "Inspection" he is referring to has to be performed by the FHA Appraiser, and explain the differences between an inspection and appraisal.

Good point. I will make that distinction clear in my reply to the request.

Originally Posted by Bruce Breedlove

Good point. I will make that distinction clear in my reply to the request.

But definitely try to sell him an inspection.

I get several e-mail requests each year. Most of them come late at night.
I refer to them as "cyber shoppers". Really just another type of price shoppers, but don't want to make the phone call.

Most of them do not give enough information the first time to give them a price.

I usually take the time to answer them, and ALWAYS tell them to call the office, or give me their phone number and I will be happy to call them.

They hardly ever follow up, or call the office.

I do end up scheduling a job with some of them, but most have been just shoppers.

Dear prospective client, Please send me your credit report, along with your best offer for an inspection and i will consider whether i want to work for you.

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Looks pretty straight forward to me. He ask for your price based on the information provided which he just copied from the info the agent sent him. Faster than calling. Other than the word "best" I see nothing that sends up a red flag.
I would have to tell them that I don't do FHA compliance inspections so I could not speak to those standards specifically.

Anyone have anything from FHA?

I agree with Jim here. Nothing more to this than a buyer price shopping and having copy and pasted the listing info. And even if the buyer had typed all that info out himself, does having the time to do that somehow disqualify him as being a client you would work with?

Do we want clients who are involved in their home buying process? Or do we just want somebody who picks up the phone and hires the 1st company to answer their phone regardless of their experience or reputation? Heaven forbid if our clients have questions for us. GASP!!! Those are defintely the types to avoid (please note sarcasm here).

It's funny how some people will over analyze an e-mail or conversation just because the buyer asked about price or said "best price". And I don't see the cause for alarm with the price request coming through e-mail. I get e-mail requests for inspections all the time and some clients book without us ever having a conversation. E-mail is a preferred means of communication for some people. If I refused to deal with e-mail requests for quotes, I'd probably lose about 30% of my business. Catch up or get left behind guys.

If anybody is offended by e-mail price quote requests, the usage of the terms "best price", or anybody they determine to be price shoppers, then you need to get over yourself.