25 April Technologies That Are Innovating Home Inspections April 25, 2023 By sma Inspection Tips, Marketing business growth, digital marketing, Facebook, Google, inspection industry, time management 0 TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE INNOVATING HOME INSPECTIONS April 25, 2023 | Inspection Tips, Marketing | inspection industry, time management, business growth, Google, Facebook, digital marketing By Jon McCreath, NPI, Inc.'s Training Director The home inspection industry is a far different animal than it was just a decade ago. With new toys and tools designed to provide more thorough and precise services, home inspectors have the potential to elevate their product to higher levels than ever before. While adopting new technology can be viewed as intimidating or overly expensive compared to the value added to a single inspection, home inspectors should consider how much these tools can separate themselves from their competition. Many trending home inspection tools not only add increased accuracy to their inspection reports, but they can cut down on the time it takes to perform an inspection considerably. As any small business owner knows, additional time means more opportunity to market or book additional jobs, leading to more revenue. Read on to learn more about some of the advanced, industry-changing tools that every home inspector should consider adding to their toolset. Drones, Robots, and Scopes The first major category of tools that can elevate a home inspector’s value are those that offer increased access and mobility. Tools like aerial drones and crawling robots give home inspectors the ability to view areas that were previously too dangerous to get to, or even inaccessible in the case of tight crawl spaces or overly steep roofs. InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice describes a home inspection as “...a non-invasive, visual examination…” of a home or property. Since a quality home inspector is defined by how well they can see defects within a property, tools like drones and robots that extend their sight are highly valued by the most successful professionals in the industry. Another tool that allows additional vision for home inspectors are scopes, which are small cameras attached to retractable, flexible cables. These scopes allow home inspectors to access areas too narrow for crawling robots such as piping or chimney flues. Sewer scopes, in particular, can be an enticing add-on service worth incorporating into a home inspector’s marketing plan. Thermal Imaging Cameras In coordination with the previous tools and devices mentioned, thermal imaging cameras have radically changed what property inspectors are capable of finding during an inspection. Thermal imaging cameras are capable of detecting the differences of surface temperatures within an area, depicted through a color-coded range with colder colors reading as blue and hotter colors as red. With thermal imaging technologies, home inspectors can locate water leaks, potential mold, electrical issues (such as faulty outlets, circuits, or electrical panels), and even possible pest activity. When attached to drones or crawlers, home inspectors can see more, in more areas than ever before, and with more detail than ever more. The key to unlocking all the benefits of utilizing a thermal imaging camera only comes after proper training and experience, however. The wealth of information that the camera provides to home inspectors is only valuable if they can correctly interpret the information, after all. In particular, thermal imaging cameras pair well with tools like moisture meters that allow inspectors to confirm their readings. Client Communication and Coordination Software Finally, maybe the biggest change that’s continuing to revolutionize the way home inspectors conduct their business is the advancements in software. Client communication has never been as seamless and user-friendly as it is today, with online schedulers and the option of automatic reminders for appointments sent directly to clients’ emails or phones. With the right processes in place, home inspectors can develop a consistent flow of automatic review requests as well, setting a consistent feedback loop in place to platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. By collecting more reviews, home inspectors can expect more online visibility for new clients and agents, a wider net for developing relationships, and more business. For business owners that haven’t yet adapted to these new advancements in the industry, they risk losing ground and presence in spaces that are continually increasing in market relevance. At National Property Inspections, our team keeps a close eye on market and industry trends so that we can set our franchisees up for success. To learn more about starting a franchise with NPI, schedule a meeting with our recruitment team today! About the Author Jon McCreath, Technical Supervisor & Training Administrator 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.