22 October Building Confidence as a New Home Inspector October 22, 2024 By Melisa Rana Inspection Tips, Marketing client satisfaction, inspection industry, networking, training 0 BUILDING CONFIDENCE AS A NEW HOME INSPECTOR October 22, 2024 | Inspection Tips, Marketing | inspection industry, traning, networking, client satisfaction By Jon McCreath, NPI, Inc.'s Technical & Training Director Starting any new business is an incredibly exciting time. It can be natural for one’s imagination to run wild, envisioning what growth looks like one year into the future, two years, five years, and even eventual plans for passing on the torch to their successor. In the midst of all of this excitement, solo operators still have to do that first job though, and maybe more often than you’d expect, that first job can be a humbling experience. When business owners enter into a brand new field, it simply takes time to develop a knowledge base. Undoubtedly, questions will come up with answers that are a bit too elusive, but clients still want to see confidence for them to feel reassured. This period of learning is even more important for home inspectors, as describing their findings to agents and clients with confidence is absolutely essential for anyone who wants to gain a foothold in their market. Acclimating to the home inspection industry doesn’t always have to be a painful experience, however, as there are a few ways to navigate the learning curve with a bit more efficiency. To learn a bit more about building confidence and hit the ground running, here are a few things to consider! Acknowledge Your Expertise The first thing to remember as a new home inspector is that, although you don’t know everything, you know more than you give yourself credit for. If you’ve studied for a state licensing exam or you’ve taken a national exam, you’ve achieved an impressive level of knowledge before even performing your first inspection. When it comes to the building sciences, home maintenance, local inspection nuances, and the inspection process, rest assured, you will know more than the vast majority of real estate agents or clients. The tougher task is to conduct yourself with confidence when facing contention from builders and contractors. These are professionals working in your same field, after all, which is why so many younger or less experienced property inspectors struggle to hold to their guns when disputes come up in these situations. Again, time and experience are the best way to build confidence, but there are a few tips that you can employ during these difficult discussions: 1. Familiarize yourself with the local codes. One very common source of a builder’s disagreement will boil down to this: “Well, that’s not code here.” Every state has its own process of adopting updated standards, and many areas will vary from area to area, and district to district. Code Check offers great resources to help you stay up to date, so start here to make sure you know the code nuances of your area! 2. Take a look at the NAHB. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is to homebuilders what InterNACHI and ASHI are to home inspectors, and they publish their own guidelines. Look into these resources to further understand where builders are coming from. 3. Understand which source is the ultimate authority. Builders and inspectors reference different standards too often, and knowing which one to follow can be confusing. Remember this - manufacturer requirements will trump local codes, which can maybe be better defined as minimum standards. When in doubt, refer to the manufacturer. Learn Who You Are Outside of the technical know-how, conducting oneself with confidence can be greatly aided by a deep understanding of oneself. At NPI, we think very highly of the DISC personality assessment, which focuses on communication styles, and how to approach a conversation with someone who might have a different approach to discussions. Whether you pursue this personality test or another, introspection can often lead to valuable insights on why certain situations cause your confidence to dwindle. A support system is also vital for a growing business, which includes family and friends, as well as industry contacts (coaches, mentors, and peers). Having a person or group of people to share your wins and coach you through your struggles can be invaluable when it comes to reassuring that you made the right move, or adjust for the future. Note: Of course it can be difficult to form close relationships with the competition. This is why joining a franchise can be so valuable - learn more about NPI by requesting your free info packet today! Control the Controllables Finally, one aspect that can solidify confidence like none other is preparation. If you look good, feel good, and you’ve covered the details that you can control, everything becomes easier. As an inspector, that means having a professional business card in hand, wearing a branded uniform, and driving a vehicle with a high quality wrap. Looking like you have the small details handled will confirm your client’s confidence in you, and confidence can be contagious. A great goal to have as a new home inspector is to produce a report that leaves no questions. Inspectors have different opinions on what a high quality report looks like, but the ones that avoid ambiguity as much as possible are most likely to avoid problems later on. When it comes to controlling the controllables, inspectors should always look to refine their product, and delivering a report that boosts their confidence is a much better plan than delivering one that makes them anticipate a follow-up phone call. Doing the homework, self-understanding, preparation, and organization - all of these things will lead to increased confidence in home inspectors of all experience levels. And a confident inspector makes a happy client. You’re in the right place to learn more about running your home inspection business! Interested in joining the NPI family? Contact our recruitment team. About the Author Jon McCreath, Technical & Training Director A former NPI franchise owner and real estate agent, Jon joined the NPI corporate team in 2019. With his inspection expertise and foundation in classroom instruction, Jon teaches and mentors new franchisees during their two-week training course in Omaha. He also handles technical support calls during and after office hours and guides franchisees through the state licensing process. Comments are closed.