Thread: Paul Torrance

Hello,
I live in south western British Columbia and have taken the Carson Dunlop Home Inspection Course and I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions on how to market my business successfully.

Thank you

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Paul - Welcome to the asylum!

A high quality website is a must, these days.

I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions on how to market my business successfully.

Inspection Business Success Tips - InterNACHI

Paul you might try:

1. Advertising in the "Yellow Pages".
2. Create a brochure.
3. Visit real estate office with your brochure.
4. Do presentations to real estate professionals.
5. Write a home inspection related article for your local news paper.
6. Produce an email news letter.
7. Advertise on your vehicle.
8. Have a professional web site.
9. Offer an introductory price for first time users.
10. Dress and present your self professionally.

Good luck it is not easy to break in, the rejections will require persistence.

5. Write a home inspection related article for your local news paper.
6. Produce an email news letter.

Here are some inspection-related articles for those marketing purposes Inspection-Related Articles - InterNACHI

Paul, Welcome. The number one marketing goal I have is to market and maintain relationships with realtors. I get 95% of my business from realtor referrals. In the beginning I would go visit open houses. I would bring the realtor at the house a snack etc. and they are usually more than happy to talk because they are so bored. Most offices have a sales meeting day (usually tuesday) ask if you can bring in bagels etc. and introduce yourself and your services. InterNACHI has some material for these meetings also. Website is priority also. Keep it simple. Good Luck!!

Hello Paul, Congratulations on your new endeavor! A lot of great suggestions, my most utilized advertising tool that I have found is a simple business card. Find a design that is attractive and memorable, then visit every Realtor and Mortgage banker in your coverage area. They love to have business cards in their Rolodex and leave a stack behind that they can hand out to clients. They may or may not recommend you, but they will at least include you in their services lists that they hand out to THEIR clients. Try Vistaprint.com....good quality advertising materials at a very reasonable price. Good Luck!

Originally Posted by Dub Smith

Hello Paul, Congratulations on your new endeavor! A lot of great suggestions, my most utilized advertising tool that I have found is a simple business card. Find a design that is attractive and memorable, then visit every Realtor and Mortgage banker in your coverage area. They love to have business cards in their Rolodex and leave a stack behind that they can hand out to clients. They may or may not recommend you, but they will at least include you in their services lists that they hand out to THEIR clients. Try Vistaprint.com....good quality advertising materials at a very reasonable price. Good Luck!

Be extremely careful with Vista Print.

I *once* bought some cards from them....once. I use to use a particular business card that categorized expenses. I know, very foolish of me not to audit my own charges but a quick glance every month never alerted me to the fact that one month I would have a 17 and change charge and the next month a 22 and change charge. One was listed under traveling and the other office supplies or something like that. These were people associated with Vista Print. When I say people I mean businesses that were really not businesses because of course they never notified you or billed you for the businesses other than sucking that 17.00 and then the 22.00 every month. again one , one month the other charge the next. They slowly siphoned almost 700 out of me dollars at a time.

Yes I should have caught it but when I did and called and threatened they said "no problem sir" and immediately reimbursed me every dollar. Of course that was not any allowance for ripping me off or interest I may have paid over time

Be aware. You can go down the street from your home and get just about the same deal nowadays. Avoid business expenses on the net at all cost. Larger ticket tool items from well known reputable companies is one thing. Saving a few dollars on business cards and such is useless. If things are that tight then you should fold now. A thousand cards or letter head paper and such or even sticky note pads down the road are cheap and last a seriously long time.

Originally Posted by Tom Rees

Paul, Welcome. The number one marketing goal I have is to market and maintain relationships with realtors. I get 95% of my business from realtor referrals. In the beginning I would go visit open houses. I would bring the realtor at the house a snack etc. and they are usually more than happy to talk because they are so bored. Most offices have a sales meeting day (usually tuesday) ask if you can bring in bagels etc. and introduce yourself and your services. InterNACHI has some material for these meetings also. Website is priority also. Keep it simple. Good Luck!!

95% from Realtor referrals ???????????????????????????????

Got a sample report or sample marketing ?????????????????????????

Ted....I seriously think you should invest a portion of your advertising budget in an accountant instead of business cards. I'm glad you have money to burn....good for you, the rest of us may be a little more prudent with our expenses. I have used VistaPrint for over a year with no problems. As with any expenditure, know where your money is going.

Originally Posted by Dub Smith

Ted....I seriously think you should invest a portion of your advertising budget in an accountant instead of business cards. I'm glad you have money to burn....good for you, the rest of us may be a little more prudent with our expenses. I have used VistaPrint for over a year with no problems. As with any expenditure, know where your money is going.

It is the way it was listed on the card. Completely illegal. I did get every dime back. I can guaranty that they got a serious amount of folks for a lot of money over time. 17 dollars and change in one month ....more is lost in my car seat. Point is I did find it. Better point was to watch out (that was the reason for my post). It was listed fraudulently on the card and it was just for signing up and ordering cards thru Vista Print.

You are welcome for the warning. As far as using them for a year with no problem....maybe that is because I went thru all the necessary motions to Vista Print about the fraudulent charges to my card. They said they were very thankful. If I had the cash to throw away I would have been hiring the folks I like best to push it further.

As far as using them again....Burnt once shame on them...Burnt twice shame on me. I would not go there. Like I said I can get the same deal down the street...Without the rip off.

Paul. Email me your shipping address to fastreply@nachi.org These books really work to market your business home maintenance book - InterNACHI . I'll ship you a case for free. Honestly, they really will make your schedule full. Agents love them. No charge Paul. I want to help. We just have to get them through Canadian customs.

Hey Ted, no offense. You are right, that is what this forum is for is to share experiences, both good and bad. Didn't mean to be so touchy....I have to remember to put on my "Thick Skin" Anyway, thanks for the warning, I will be watching on my future charges.

Originally Posted by Thomas McKay

Paul you might try:

1. Advertising in the "Yellow Pages".
2. Create a brochure.
3. Visit real estate office with your brochure.
4. Do presentations to real estate professionals.
5. Write a home inspection related article for your local news paper.
6. Produce an email news letter.
7. Advertise on your vehicle.
8. Have a professional web site.
9. Offer an introductory price for first time users.
10. Dress and present your self professionally.

Good luck it is not easy to break in, the rejections will require persistence.

11. Contact Home sellers!(the most missed opportunity)

I can't emphasize the importance. It has probably been my number 1 source of obtaining home inspections.

If they moving, they are usually buying. Most sellers are actually moving only a few miles from their current location.

Farm an area of town on a constant basis for new For Sale sign popping up or if you can find a source like Zillow or an agent to give you this information off the MLS, it can be a boost to your business I can assure you.

Rick

11. Contact Home sellers!(the most missed opportunity)

I can't emphasize the importance. It has probably been my number 1 source of obtaining home inspections.

If they moving, they are usually buying. Most sellers are actually moving only a few miles from their current location.

Farm an area of town on a constant basis for new For Sale sign popping up or if you can find a source like Zillow or an agent to give you this information off the MLS, it can be a boost to your business I can assure you.

Rick

Rick is correct. And by putting out extra copies of your report on the kitchen counter for potential buyers to take with them, you've put a sample copy of the product you produce (the report) in the hands of many potential buyers, all about to hire a home inspector in your market area. More at Homes Pre-Inspected and Ready | Move In Certified

Advantages of offering Move In Certified seller inspections:

• Seller inspections allow the inspector to catch inspection jobs upstream, ahead of real estate transactions and the competition.
• Seller inspections are easier to schedule and are not under the time constraints of sales agreement's inspection contingencies.
• Working for sellers is typically less stressful than working for buyers about to make the purchase of their lifetimes.
• Sellers can alert the inspector to problems that should be included in the report, answer questions about their homes, and provide seller's disclosure statements.
• Repairs of problems found during seller inspections often necessitate the need for re-inspections by the inspector.
• Seller inspections put (via FetchReport.com) a sample copy of the inspector's product (the report) in the hands of many potential buyers who will need a local inspector soon.
• Seller inspections put a sample copy of the inspector's product, the report, in the hands of many local buyer's agents that tour the home.
• Move In Certified yard signs allow potential buyers to view real samples of the inspector's work.
• The inspector is credited, in part, with the smoothness of the real estate transaction by buyer, seller and agents on both sides.
• The liability of the inspector is reduced by putting more time between the date of the inspection and the move-in date of the buyers.
• The liability of the inspector is reduced because the inspector's clients are not buying the properties inspected, but rather moving out of them.
• The buyer might insist on hiring the seller's inspector to produce a fresh report since the seller's inspector is already familiar with the home.
• Seller inspections provide inspectors opportunities to showoff their services to listing agents.
• Seller inspections provide examples of the inspector's work to the listing agent of each home, which might encourage those agents to have other listings pre-inspected by the inspector.
• Most sellers are local buyers and so many sellers hire the inspector again to inspect the homes they are moving to.

Here is some suggested language to use if you are worried about the home being re-inspected by the buyer's inspector.

"Note: Just as no two home inspectors and no two reporting systems are alike, no two inspection reports, even if performed on the same property at the same time, are alike. This seller or pre-listing inspection report was performed for my client, the home seller, with the cooperation and assistance of my client, the home seller. It assumes full disclosure on the part of my client, the home seller. My client may choose to share my report with others, but it was performed solely for my client. Although ABC Inspections performs all inspections and writes all reports objectively without regard to the client's personal interests, performing additional fresh inspections, which of course could reveal and report matters differently, should be considered."