In past Resource Articles we focused on Sellers and Buyers. Now we turn to that vital group in the real estate world which brings those two together, namely all the brokers, Realtors® and sales agents out there. For simplicity, you are all referred to as Agents here, with no disrespect to any designation or title. Also, I’m an Affiliate of NAR/MAR/GBAR/SSR, and a member of the Community Outreach Task Force with South Shore Realtors®. We’re all Friends, amirite :)
Read on to find out how I approach partnering with Agents.
The Premise:
It’s common knowledge that Agents are the primary source of referrals for many professions in the real estate world, including home inspectors. So, it’s no surprise to Agents when they are solicited and serenaded by we Inspectors on the regular.
To Wit
We assemble swag bags with pens, water bottles, snacks, and other trinkets and we drop in on your open houses to try to foist them on you (because you’re not there to meet buyers, of course). We cold-call you and email you with a generic introduction (who doesn’t love that). We walk unannounced into your office and try to get past your ever-diligent gatekeeper to meet agents (lol). We randomly Like or Love or Laugh on your social media posts with no comments (kinda meaningless). We silently follow you online for no apparent reason (kinda creepy). We ask to do presentations at your monthly staff meetings where we also feed you (fun times). We try to explain how thorough we are, how many gadgets we have, and how we follow the required Standards of Practice (so the bare minimum is great, apparently). We might cold-call you and email you some more. We brag that we show up early (um, we all do). We brag that our reports are ‘digital’ and have color photos (another lol)! We tell you that we’ll treat your buyers like family (okay). We try lots of stuff, clamoring to get your attention. We ask for a lot – your trust – and offer little in return.
Plot Twist! <gasp>
Well, “we” isn’t Kensa! (You saw that coming, right?) Actually, to be fully factual, I have done some of those things myself in the early days of launching Kensa. But as the founder, inspector, and wearer-of-all-Kensa-hats, I learned to take a very different path. I start with WHY. Why am I a home inspector?
Background
Agents know that most inspectors give the same generic answer (if any) about Why that goes something like this, “Buying a house is the biggest financial decision you’ll ever make, so you should know what’s wrong with it. You should hire me to inspect it because I’ll do a good job.” That approach has several problems. First, it’s kinda preachy. Buyers already know the magnitude of the commitment required because they’re smart and because Agents educate them. Also, it focuses on the negative -- finding problems (Kensa also emphasizes the positive). More to the point, it’s really not much of an answer at all. It’s neither compelling nor inspiring. So, no.
Instead, this:
Higher Purpose
Our purpose statement reflects why we exist. It describes our deepest beliefs and serves as our north star. Regardless of what we do as a company or how that might change over time, our why, our higher purpose, will never change.
We believe trusted and successful home inspections are inclusive and collaborative.
We believe in the common good and breaking down traditional barriers of ‘us’ vs. ‘them’.
We believe the best outcomes require a genuine understanding and appreciation of the goals and priorities of everyone involved.
We believe trust is critical for authentic collaboration and is earned through consistent transparency and objectivity.
We believe the right decisions are made when people are comfortable, informed, and included rather than overwhelmed by uncertainty and unknowns.
We believe it is an honor to support the buying and selling of houses that will eventually become homes, and we are fueled by the privilege of this responsibility.
That is Kensa's Why
It is the basis of everything I do as Kensa's founder and home inspector. It is fundamental to my interactions with every Client and every Agent, and to how I perform every inspection. It’s never just a transaction for me, it’s far more.
With that foundation in mind (see what I did there? foundation?), instead of all the bland generic stuff that other inspectors try, my approach to Agents is this: I would like to hear how I can help you. Tell me what your most common problems are with home inspections and home inspectors. Describe something(s) you have always wished for but never had that would make that part of your life easier. Test me on how I would handle any tough situation you can think of. Challenge me to solve your toughest home inspection pain points. I will listen carefully and then I will do everything in my power to solve them for you.
In other words, I am not just giving you some swag and expecting your next referral. I am asking you to tell me how I can help you, and to then let me show you I can. The rest is downhill. That, my Agent friends, is the Kensa Difference – it’s the power of our higher purpose combined with a default bias toward helping you succeed.
Let's Meet
With that in mind, please feel free to reach out to schedule a coffee or lunch or office meeting to talk it over. Use our Contact form, call, text or email, whichever you prefer. Kensa Inspections is ready to be your partner in serving our mutual Clients.
All the best,
Ken Ray