New from Texas

Anna Melton · 06-28-2009, 10:09 AM

Hey all, I am Anna Melton from Dallas, Texas! I thought I would try this to see what information I can get in order to make my business grow at more then a snail's pace! So if any of you have any information, let me know!

Thanks

Anna Melton

Similar Threads:

Ted Menelly · 06-28-2009, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Anna Melton

Hey all, I am Anna Melton from Dallas, Texas! I thought I would try this to see what information I can get in order to make my business grow at more then a snail's pace! So if any of you have any information, let me know!

Thanks

Anna Melton

Welcome

Waxahachie to Dallas is a bit of a spread.

One thing you could do to grow your business is to tap Rick Hursts home and cell phone

Another thiong you can do is say a few big prayers that the economy does not shrink again and actually takes off a bit. Put a listing under google maps and try to get other addresses around the Metroplex that people do not mind if you use. A good website and good website SEO

**Rick Hurst** · 06-28-2009, 10:32 AM

Anna,

Looks like with your license number your still considered a noob (newbie) and with the way the market is right now, your lucky to be doing anything.

I'll step out on the limb here and even say that as a female your going to have to expect to have to work harder at it to prove your capable of performing inspections to persons. Many women come into this and either make it or crash and burn quickly. Its just reality.

You might want to research the forums on marketing as it has been gone over many times on here.

Best of luck to you.

rick

**Rick Hurst** · 06-28-2009, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Welcome

Waxahachie to Dallas is a bit of a spread.

One thing you could do to grow your business is to tap Rick Hursts home and cell phone

Another thiong you can do is say a few big prayers that the economy does not shrink again and actually takes off a bit. Put a listing under google maps and try to get other addresses around the Metroplex that people do not mind if you use. A good website and good website SEO

Better yet, take me to lunch.

LOL

Anna Melton · 06-28-2009, 12:48 PM

Rick,

This market is definitely a bad one!!! And yes, I am a newbie here in the state of Texas. Either way though, I am willing to travel wherever, whenever if need be. I have even done some marketing down in Corsicana. Heck, I have even told people in Weatherford. I have gone places multiple times, sent emails, met tons and I mean TONS of agents. I am on Coldwell Banker concierge program, as well as Century 21 Judge Fite. I know as a woman, people are second guessing my abilities, yet I also did inspections in California before coming out here. I have gotten numerous on the spot "tests" and I have proven myself in that regard. On top of that, I don't think it helps that I am young, being almost 30 years old. So I have a lot of thigs against me, but I have more then enough tenacity to make it through this, and I want to make this work!

Who is this Hurst fellow you are talking about? I have never heard of him...

Thanks

Anna

Anna Melton · 06-28-2009, 12:51 PM

It would appear that I confused the two emails from Rick and Ted! So sorry!!! New to this, so trying to figure out how this works and what is what!

Thanks again from the info both of you!!!

Anna

Ted Menelly · 06-28-2009, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Anna Melton

It would appear that I confused the two emails from Rick and Ted! So sorry!!! New to this, so trying to figure out how this works and what is what!

Thanks again from the info both of you!!!

Anna

Rick has been around here for only 80 years or so

. Anyway maybe 15 to 20, not sure. Myself, I have only lived in TX for 5 years so compared to those 15 to 20 in one area, yes, I am a newby.

I get a lot of referrals from past clients to other prospective home buyers but those don't add up to a lot. It is the folks that are now buying another home after 3 to five years that I enjoy so much and fill many holes in my schedule. Those folks don't have that ignorant first question like "How much do you charge for a home inspection" They don't care because you did a great job on their last home.

With Ricks decades in one area around him he gets second, third and even forth home inspections from the same client. That in and of itself is priceless.

I did not know that The Evil Empire, Coldwell Banker had a concierge program. I hope it works for you. I have had a few bad run ins with "Their Agents" (a quote from their corporate headquarters in the area). They thought for some very strange reason that they were my boss and actually could dictate to me. One was an agent where the buyer told me to stop the inspection because of the massive amount of MAJOR concerns in the home. The Realtor actually demanded that I complete the inspection or she would report me. My God man, what was she thinking. The home was an as is HUD foreclosure, as is, absolute dump , that she was trying to pass off to a highly restrictive type FHA loan and beside that the client did not have 2000 for repair (or even 200), certainly not 50 to 60 grand.

Anyway I am sure there are a lot of great agents that work under Coldwell Banker (I guess I just never found them) but I avoid them after one, two, three strikes your out, along with their corporate office telling me to STOP marketing their agents. All that was enough for me.

Are you an independant or a franchise or are you an employeee for another inspection company or franchise??????

Anna Melton · 06-28-2009, 01:29 PM

Ted,

I am an independent type person. Just starting out, I did not have the money to get into a franchise, and there were no people that were hiring...so here I am! Getting my name out there and all that! I have talked to other inspectors, and they say they are doing 2-3 a day currently. I look at it by saying all I want is one a day! But it has been interesting!

With Coldwell Banker. Well my first inspection was for Coldwell Banker, and the place was a horror. You name the issue, this place had it! It was horrible. The agent was nice, she wanted to talk to me before hand so I didn't scare away the buyer (which I understand...so I can keep jobs coming!). So I haven't had a bad experience with them. Except I was told that I had to be on the list for them and century 21 before I could get jobs from any agents, yet I am still waiting! Nothing, it is crazy!

I know jobs are out there. I just need to get the phone to ring.

Anna

**Scott Patterson** · 06-28-2009, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Anna Melton

Ted,

The agent was nice, she wanted to talk to me before hand so I didn't scare away the buyer (which I understand...so I can keep jobs coming!). So I haven't had a bad experience with them. Except I was told that I had to be on the list for them and century 21 before I could get jobs from any agents, yet I am still waiting! Nothing, it is crazy!

I know jobs are out there. I just need to get the phone to ring.

Anna

Anna, not to be the bearer of bad news but if you let agents direct you on how you should report your findings, you will be out of business within a couple of years if not sooner.

The CB program that you are on has been the cause of numerous lawsuits around the country. Most of the time the inspectors are the ones who are named over the agents. I have heard that the CB Concierge program is illegal in a few states.

Ted Menelly · 06-28-2009, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Anna Melton

Ted,

I am an independent type person. Just starting out, I did not have the money to get into a franchise, and there were no people that were hiring...so here I am! Getting my name out there and all that! I have talked to other inspectors, and they say they are doing 2-3 a day currently. I look at it by saying all I want is one a day! But it has been interesting!

With Coldwell Banker. Well my first inspection was for Coldwell Banker, and the place was a horror. You name the issue, this place had it! It was horrible. The agent was nice, she wanted to talk to me before hand so I didn't scare away the buyer (which I understand...so I can keep jobs coming!). So I haven't had a bad experience with them. Except I was told that I had to be on the list for them and century 21 before I could get jobs from any agents, yet I am still waiting! Nothing, it is crazy!

I know jobs are out there. I just need to get the phone to ring.

Anna

The highlighted statement is the kind of statement I am talking about. Once the inspection is in your hands they should keep their prospective mouths shut. NOT WANTING YOU TO SCARE AWAY THE BUYUER. That is literally unethical because in and of itself it is telling you to soft soap the concerns in the home instead of stating them like they truely are. If you name a concern and it scares away the buyer to look for another home, oh well, you did your job, what happens after that is basically none of your concern. The eveil empire must trail "their aghents" to speak of such because that is what I have gotten to me from every agent that I have dealt with from them, including the listing agents that were Coldwell Banker. No, I am not being slanderous, just telling it like it is. Beware of any agent that tells you upfront to sugar coat an inspection report. Walk around with a smile on your face during the entire inspection of the dump being inspected. The house might literally be falling down but mention something nice like "what a lovely neighborhood" or, "oh, such pretty flowers out front"

Stay away from them or you will be marked and come falling down with them somday.

Just the fact that she pulled you aside at all.............................says more than a volume of encyclopedias about her (or his) credability or ethics. No Realtor should ever say anything to you at all about an inspection other than an address or disclosed items from that property or anything for that matter that she (or he) does not want the buyer, YOUR CLIENT to hear. Oh yeah....The client you are there to look out for, by the way.

Sorry to be so critical but honestly, I lose agent giving referrals all the time because they may give me a few clients in a row that may be getting shown dumps or even high ends dump (such as many concerns with them) and then they lose those home sales because they do not have the ability to negotiate with the seller or show them homes they can afford that are not falling apart at the seams. Next inspector, eventually the same thing and then on to the next inspector.

The realtors I keep are the ones where the client asks me of an impartial opinion of the home and wants an honest answer. Some realtors are so ethical they actually ask me in front of the client what my professional opinion of the overall of the home. They look at me and say is it a move on to the next home or is it x amount of dollars and it could be a really nice home. Well, being the person I am I will give my beyond inspector opinion and tell the,m exactly what I think. Sometimes they will still get the home and put the money into it or move on to the next. Those clients come back a hundred fold with referrals.

Yeah yeah, trust me there are a lot on here that will say that is going to far. Not I says he. If I am asked a direct question like "With x amount of dollars, is this home salvagable". It may be yes. It may be no. If it does not fall into a dollar value drift then it is no. If it does and it could be at least a half way decent home then the answer is yes. If a realtor is happy with honesty then they refer me forever. If they want me to "not scare away the client" then they move on to the next client.

Anna Melton · 06-28-2009, 03:11 PM

I know what you two are saying with unethical realtors. My husband and I have come across several unethical realtors in the course of buying homes!

When I said the stuff about the realtor, I did not explain myself fully I guess. The place had foundation issues, and I didn't jump up and down screaming it. I merely looked at the client and said "dude, you need to have this checked by a professional. I am sure your realtor knows of some people you can look at." I did not cover things up. But I also refused to give "fixes" for the problems I found and stated so. I am not a handyman, and even if I was they would not be able to hire me!!!

With CB, I am not sure what is what. All I know is I have paid, yet I have not received any jobs from it, despite going into offices all across the metroplex! I have passed out I have no clue how many business cards as well! I was told it takes time, but this is ridiculous! I know homes are selling!

Do any of you have any ideas on how to make things work, or other strategizing tips for getting jobs that worked for you (of course, I understand, I am competition...)

Thanks

Anna

**John Dirks Jr** · 06-28-2009, 09:41 PM

Anna,

Do you have a website? If you do, great! If not, get one up. Like the others have said, do not let the realtors jockey you into position. You work for your clients only. Deliver that message clearly in all aspects, including your website. It will take time. Stick with it.

As far as the following article and CB is concerned, they are reported to be one of the less ehtical reeltors. < oops, spell check had a problem with that one. Oh well....

Team 4: Home Inspector Fees - Team 4 News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh
.
.
.

Anna Melton · 06-29-2009, 05:42 AM

John,

Thanks for that link. It was really insightful. I merely got on the list for the sheer fact that I was told I could not get jobs via coldwell banker unless I was on the list, and this was by realtors! Century 21 was similar as well, as they have a list here too. It makes it a pain to saythe least! However, Coldwell Banker onlyhas three inspectors, to include myself on the list, yet I am not getting any calls from them. So I doubt the fact that the realtors can only go off the list....that is complete bs in my mind! Otherwise I would have jobs!

I just have to try to get new marketing techniques down. I am trying to figure this stuff out as fast as possible so I can get jobs as soon as possible!

Anna

Ted Menelly · 06-29-2009, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by Anna Melton

John,

Thanks for that link. It was really insightful. I merely got on the list for the sheer fact that I was told I could not get jobs via coldwell banker unless I was on the list, and this was by realtors! Century 21 was similar as well, as they have a list here too. It makes it a pain to saythe least! However, Coldwell Banker onlyhas three inspectors, to include myself on the list, yet I am not getting any calls from them. So I doubt the fact that the realtors can only go off the list....that is complete bs in my mind! Otherwise I would have jobs!

I just have to try to get new marketing techniques down. I am trying to figure this stuff out as fast as possible so I can get jobs as soon as possible!

Anna

JF is a compnay I listed with for a year when I first moved here. The more you spend the higher your listing blah blah blah. I did to breakfast meetings with them and the managers for the offices were literally counting down when my time had ten seconds left of the whole 2 minutes I was given for an intro. I did actually get some biz thru them, not much but some. Half of which were of the "I own you because I refer you crowd. The other half were all right. When I cancelled my advertising with them the kindly continued it on for another year (with out me ok ing or signing anything) and I knew nothing about it, Six months after the second year advertisement they had a collection company calling me. The collection company doubled the cost of advertising (that I did not sign for) and was looking for 1,200.00 from me. When I demanded proof of a contract, what did they send me, the first years contract. I signed for nothing else. Oh well, so much for the collection. By the way, CB offices and the C21 offices are owned by the same mother company along with US Inspect (which by the way is the company the CB tells everyone of their realtors to refer)

Just to give you an idea of the vast connection with Real Estate Offices C21, CB, Home Inspectors US Inspect, rental cars, hotels etc etc. It is amazing how there are so many connected by a mother corp and you might have thought they were all independant. Some of them actually do *act* independant.

The CENTURY 21 Global Referral Network. As more and more potential homebuyers move to Atlanta from other cities, many sales originate with referrals from out-of-state realtors. Your home with benefit from our global referral system, linking your home to buyers who visit CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, and ERA offices around the world.

The CENTURY 21 Connections™ Program: To help you with those extra expenses when buying or selling a home, this program provides discounts on home services, transportation, temporary housing, and various financial and real estate services. Go to www.Century21.com and click on "learn" to print coupons for services by such companies as US Inspect, Budget Truck Rental, Avis, Howard Johnson, Ramada Inn, Brinks, and Cheaptickets

**Scott Patterson** · 06-29-2009, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by Anna Melton

John,

Thanks for that link. It was really insightful. I merely got on the list for the sheer fact that I was told I could not get jobs via coldwell banker unless I was on the list, and this was by realtors! Century 21 was similar as well, as they have a list here too. It makes it a pain to saythe least! However, Coldwell Banker onlyhas three inspectors, to include myself on the list, yet I am not getting any calls from them. So I doubt the fact that the realtors can only go off the list....that is complete bs in my mind! Otherwise I would have jobs!

I just have to try to get new marketing techniques down. I am trying to figure this stuff out as fast as possible so I can get jobs as soon as possible!

Anna

Programs like the ones you have signed up for are nothing but pure profit for the broker/owner of the franchise. This is one reason that they are promoted so strongly. The agents in that office are free to refer and most do use inspectors who they are comfortable with. I'm sure the broker/owner recommends that they use the folks on the list from time to time, but that is about as far as it goes.

Paul Johnston · 06-29-2009, 07:29 AM

Anna,
If you lose your integrity what do you have left? Realtor s want to sell houses at anyone's expense.

Ron Bibler · 06-29-2009, 08:06 AM

Anna there is a list of thing you can do to get things going.

1. get your web-site up and running. each time you post on this site put you web address on this on this site. GOOGLE will pick it up for you..

Name your web-site after the largest City in your area that you plane to work. must hove over 100K People.

2. hand our cards to every Real Estate agent and be in at least 1 Real Estate office every day of the week. don't over look this one point...
I you want to get some work your going to need Real Estate agents. you will find some good one along with a few bad one's Deal with it...
they can be entertaining making one of them get red in the face can be fun...

3. Keep doing these things over and over and over. along with the norm shaking hands and just talking to people.

Best

Ron

A.D. Miller · 06-29-2009, 10:19 AM

AM: To add to RB's sound list:

Once you get one hosted, get someone to optimize your website in the search engines. If you know or can figure out how to do it yourself, even better.

Court the favor of the agents while you can. As long as you are new, inexperienced and cannot identify much on an inspection, they will refer you all over the place. As you become better at what you do, those referrals will dwindle. When you become really good the referrals will stop altogether and the agents will then go out of their way to steer their clients around you in order to grease the skids to the collection of their commission checks.

So then, during the interim between being Queen of the Ball and being blackballed you must build up a clientèle for referrals. Start a database. Set up a newsletter and use it to communicate on a regular basis with your clients.

Find a local chapter of one of the HI organizations and join it. Go to all of the meetings and ask lots of questions. Learn everything you can as fast as you can in order to get up to speed.

You have taken the most important step already by joining this forum. Do not be shy. There is a wealth of info to be had here. Some of it is good and some of it is BS, but you will soon learn to discern between the hacks and the pros.

Welcome.