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  1. #1
    Ron Bibler's Avatar
    Ron Bibler Guest

    Default Agents at the inspection

    Sometimes its not good for the listing agent or seller to be at a home or pest inspection.
    On an inspection just last week the listing agent was so paranoid of loosing the sale that every time I wanted to explain something to the buyers the listing agent would jump into the conversation. If I pointed out a broken window He would say something like most homes have window problems like that... Most agent are very good at these inspection.

    But Santa Rosa California Home Inspection - Exterminating & Thermal Imaging I find it best for the inspector to have an open conversation with the buyers.

    Best

    Ron Bibler
    Excellence Home/Building Inspection Service
    SANTA. ROSA. HOME. INSPECTION.COM.
    Santa Rosa Home & Business Thermail Inspections

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    Last edited by Ron Bibler; 09-16-2009 at 01:49 PM.
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  2. #2
    Ted Menelly's Avatar
    Ted Menelly Guest

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    The listing agent and or seller should never be around when you are disclosing your findings from the inspection.

    The golden rule of home inspector client confidentiality. Undo influence and ethic questions abound with that one. Even when I was in Florida the buyers agent would maybe come in the beginning and then maybe back at the end of the inspection when you were going over your findings with the buyer. The seller should absolutely never be present at an inspection with possible influence to your findings....Period.

    All of you boast about legal ramifications all the time. All tout ethics all the time. All of you talk of liability all the time. If you are there by yourself until the end of the inspection with no little birdies talking in each ear and then you can have rane over your clients with undevided attention along with your clients Realtor (not necessary) and the client is not wandering anywhere and poking around in nothing of the sellers your liability just recieved the gold star.

    This is the same age old argument on whether you should be left undisturbed for the inspection or towing around your 300 pound ball and chain while you are inspecting.

    I have said it a hundred times and will say it now

    No one but you needs to be there for an inspection until the end with the exception of the termite folks if you use outsiders.

    You have liability insurance. You have E&O insurance and an honesty bond. Keep everyone out of the sellers home until you are ready for them when the inspection is done. And no sellers or sellers agents.

    One in a hundred or maybe 150 inspections that I do is the seller there. Never and I repeat never is the listing agent there. The vast majority of time the buyer just comes in the end of the inspection and sometimes the buyers agent comes at that time as well.

    Now I know everyone differs on this subject matter but in case no one notices everytime I make this statement is right after I here of the buyer hanging in the kitchen after he follows you for ten minutes, seller and buyer talking to each other, sellers agent interjecting crap, buyers roaming all over the place because hubby got bored following you etc etc etc etc.

    The home needs to be empty with the exception of you. Way to many reasons to have it empty to even consider passing the thought around the brain cells about how many should be there with you.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Rockwall Texas
    Posts
    4,521

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    AMEN!
    PREACH ON BRO. TED

    rick


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Oklahoma City
    Posts
    357

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    I totally agree. It seems to be a teritorial thing here. I work in Norman OK most of the time (south of OKC and home of the once mighty SOONERS) I don't know after last weekend.

    I rarely have to deal with sellers or their agents there. But when I go to the north side of OKC, almost invariably, the seller, the sellers agent, the sellers dog, the sellers kids, parents, you name it are there. The carpet guy, the countertop guy, the remodelers, every damn body you can think of. I hate it. I can't even talk to my client to get the agreement signed sometimes. Not only that, but for some reason, the listing agents up there always think I am nit picking and try to interupt me on my walk through. I usually put them in their place real quick but I get really pissed sometimes and it shows. Must be why I don't get many referrals from anyone on that side of town. Fine with me.

    Sometimes I wonder what in the heck the inspectors up there are doing because the agents there act like they have never heard of some of the things I write up. I had one the other day up there and one of the garage walls had rotated about as much as I have ever seen in over 3500 inspections and the listing agent starts in about how it has been that way since the sellers bought it etc. I told her that I have inspected over 3500 homes and asked her how many she has sold. She just got pissed and walked off. Then when I started telling my client about the fireplace falling apart due to not having a rain cap, she goes off about how that is not a defect, blah, blah, and I was about ready to really go off on her. Luckily I kept my cool and told the client that we should go somewhere else to discuss the issues. That crap really gets my blood boiling. The sellers and their agents need to just wait for the report and take it from there. I do my best work when it is just me and I have all the time I need with no bullcrap.

    If it weren't for lawyers, we would never need them.

  5. #5
    A.D. Miller's Avatar
    A.D. Miller Guest

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    If the listing agent and seller wish to be present, and the buyer wishes them to be there, I allow it. If one peep is heard from the offending parties I remind them that this is not a discussion, so please do not interrupt.

    On the next peep I go out to my van and put on the hat. This hat:

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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Southern Vancouver Island
    Posts
    4,607

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    Quote Originally Posted by A.D. Miller View Post
    On the next peep I go out to my van and put on the hat. This hat:
    "Thou shalt not piss off the inspector."
    Piss off's no good, so piss on's OK?
    I wouldn't wear that hat in this crowd.


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Caledon, Ontario
    Posts
    4,982

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    You cannot stop a vendor from being present, he owns the home and you are a guest.

    However if I have something to say and the vendor is breathing down my neck or following me around I will pull my client aside and tell the vendor I would like to discuss with my client in private.

    Most agents up here have the vendor go out during the inspection and most always the vendors agent is present and not the listing agent.

    Also what do you do if the agent is both the vendors and sellers agent (dual agency)?


  8. #8
    A.D. Miller's Avatar
    A.D. Miller Guest

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    Quote Originally Posted by John Kogel View Post
    "Thou shalt not piss off the inspector."
    Piss off's no good, so piss on's OK?
    I wouldn't wear that hat in this crowd.
    JK: Perhaps not, but I would.

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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Portland Oregon
    Posts
    11

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    In Oregon our Standards of Practice state that we cannot speak to anyone (including their agent) without the client's permission. We have a clause in our contract that has to be initialed by the client that states we will not speak to anyone other than their agent without their written permission. That makes it easy to say to the listing agent or anyone else " May we please have some privacy-- by Law I cannot go over the report with anyone but my client and their Realtor". I have never had a problem after that.

    Jerry Weaver,OCHI#67


  10. #10
    imported_John Smith's Avatar
    imported_John Smith Guest

    Default Re: Agents at the inspection

    Reminds me of an inspection I did a couple of years ago. The seller was doing errands and left her ditzy agent to stay in the home during the inspection. I introduced myself, gave her a card, and the first words out of her mouth is "dont tell me anything about the inspection". I poliltely said I wouldnt, thinking that the agent was a total moron. I wouldnt tell her anything even if she asked.

    The funny part was when they (sellers agent and seller- she got back from her errands) were watching me do the inspection, they noticed me trying to turn on a light over the kitchen sink. When it wouldnt turn on, I started writing. The seller said "you mean you are going to write up a light that doesnt work" in a real smart ass way. Then her agent and her started going through the house with a box of bulbs replacing lights.

    The majority of agents are clueless. Which is why they are always in the TREC advisor as getting fined, reprimanded etc.


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