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Pre-Listing Inspections on the Rise: But Why?

by Bill Redfern

bill-redfern-home-inspectors

Bill Redfern is founder and CEO of A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections.

As a Miami real estate agent, you might be noticing a growing trend in the housing market — an increasing number of sellers choosing pre-listing and pre-sale home inspections.

Seller inspections (sometimes referred to as pre-listing inspections) are becoming more popular because they eliminate the pitfalls that can sometimes come with waiting to do the home inspection until a buyer is found.

When the inspection is done pre-listing or pre-sale, all the cards are on the table, so to speak.

A pre-listing home inspection, as you likely know, is essentially a comprehensive inspection paid for by the seller before even listing a property. A certified inspector puts together a professional electronic report complete with full photographic coverage when doing a pre-listing inspection. It details the mechanics, the exterior and interior of a property including thermal imaging, and identifies major shut offs.

Miami sellers and agents alike are realizing many advantages to conducting a pre-listing inspection. It immediately provides full disclosure to buyers, making the selling process less susceptible to hiccups near the end of it. This reduces liability and can be used by realtors and sellers as another tool to market their homes.

There are a number of reasons why agents might favor pre-listing home inspections. Here are several worth noting:

• Pre-listing agents are alerted to any immediate safety issues found, before other agents and potential buyers tour the home
• Repairs made ahead of time might make homes show better
• Reports hosted online entice potential buyers to tour the homes
• The reports provide third-party, unbiased opinions to offer to potential buyers
• Clean reports can be used as marketing tools to help sell the homes

Our home inspection franchise completes some 30,000 inspections system wide every year and our certified inspectors are noticing the upward trend toward more pre-listing and pre-sale inspections. Real estate agents, buyers and sellers all appreciate a comprehensive report provided before any offer is made. It makes the process smoother for all parties involved.

Plus, pre-listing home inspections provide homeowners the opportunity to fix any issues discovered during the home inspection and receive the maximum selling price. Of course, if the homeowner chooses not to fix any of the issues uncovered by the home inspector, the selling price can be adversely affected.

One intricacy worth noting: when pre-listing inspections occur in town homes, condos and gated communities, the home inspector is focused on the unit. The inspector does look at the common area and, whenever possible, speaks to the maintenance personnel about the building and its overall condition.

So, if you’re noticing a trend of more pre-listing inspections, fear not: It might make the whole process a little more transparent and smooth for everyone involved. And as an agent, you might appreciate a higher volume in closings.


Bill Redfern is founder and CEO of A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections, a company with dual headquarters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Pompano Beach, Fla. With multiple franchise offices in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, Redfern oversees a network of specialized home inspectors trained to work hand-in-hand with real estate agents while offering customers a comprehensive, industry-leading home inspection report. For more information on the franchise company, visit ABuyersChoice.com.

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