Bribery?

[esch]

I was picking up a key yesterday in a real estate office, in walks another inspector with 2 pies from a scratch baker down the street.

As hes smirking he sets them down on a desk with 5-6 realtors watching then leaves and their all talking about him and his pies etc.

Talk about something kind of aggravating, I wish he had known who I was when I was 3 foot from where he sat them down.

All the Realtors were asking each other if some one had sold something and the conclusion was no, so I supposed he thinks I've been getting ALL their inspections? (No I haven't its been slooow)

Any one ever see this happening? It seems very very wrong to me.

I did some repair work on some houses for a friend of mine(A non active realtor, not the home owner) and was handed a report as my guide, Upon completing the repairs I could have made a page long list of stuff that was missed from 1/4" settlement crack on solid masonry wall on 2 places to rotting wood around doors and in garage. But I'm not opening my mouth, I wasn't paid to give my opinion, I was paid to make repairs.

Just had to tell some one about this and was interested on some feed back, evidently Tahlequah is still as crooked as it once was.

Matt

[Scottpat]

I was picking up a key yesterday in a real estate office, in walks another inspector with 2 pies from a scratch baker down the street.

As hes smirking he sets them down on a desk with 5-6 realtors watching then leaves and thier all talking about him and his pies etc.

Talk about something kind of aggrivating, I wish he had known who I was when I was 3 foot from where he sat them down.

All the realtors were asking easch other if some one had sold something and the conclusion was no, so I supposed he thinks I've been getting ALL thier inspections? (No I haven't its been slooow)

Any one ever see this happening? It seems very very wrong to me.

I did some repair work on some houses for a friend of mine(A non active realtor, not the home owner) and was handed a report as my guide, Upon completeing the repairs I could have made a page long list of stuff that was missed from 1/4" settlement crack on solid masonry wall on 2 places to rotting wood around doors and in garage. But I'm not opening my mouth, I wasnt paid to give my opinion, I was paid to make repairs.

Just had to tell some one about this and was interested on some feed back, evidentally Tahlequah is still as crooked as it once was.

Matt

Like it or not, it is smart marketing. I bet the other inspector had several or his card stuck on or in the box as well. I would call it passive marketing through food!

I don't see anything wrong with it. If you are into visiting real estate offices, you might want to give something like that a try. Call the office and ask whoever answers when they have their weekly sales meeting and about how many show for it. Tell them great and thank you and that you will be bringing by some goodies for them. I bet you might even get a call or two just from that single visit.

Yes, it is slow in my area as well. I have started to pull my marketing ideas out of the box they have been sitting in for the past few years. You have to get your name out and in front of folks before they will ever call you and food can be a good way to do it!

[esch]

Well I cant make myself do it, Its morally wrong in my opinion.

Matt

Maybe I'll go back to building

Maybe its just me

[Chad Fabry]

Like it or not, it is smart marketing. I bet the other inspector had several or his card stuck on or in the box as well. I would call it passive marketing through food!

It's illegal in NYS.

Would it be smart marketing if the inspector gave each Realtor the 15 bucks the pie cost? I'll quit this gig before I bribe someone to refer me.

[Bob White]

Did you get a piece of pie?

[esch]

Did you get a piece of pie?

The realtors offered, I accepted

It was good, maybe I should call him, tell him who I am, and say thank you?

Matt

[Ben H]

Did you get a piece of pie?

They offered, I accepted (realtors not inspector)

It was good, maybe I should call him, tell him who I am, and say thank you?

Matt

Thats EXACTLY what I would do!

[John Dirks Jr]

I'll never do anything like that. To me its like exposing your soft under belly to them. You're showing them you are willing to "do things" for them so they remember you.

I draw a very distinct and bold line between whatever they do and my responsibility as a HI. My clients seem to like my approach quite a bit.

[Marc]

I went for years without making a business profit because I wouldn't sell out to agents. Had lots of harrassment from them for the first 5 years or so. They're very crooked here. You know you've arrived when clients start telling you that they rejected their own agent's choice of inspector and came your way because they had heard about you.

Marc

[Chad Fabry]

They're very crooked here.

Oh come on... the agents are crooked? Do you really expect us to believe that?

[Bain]

I went for years without making a business profit because I wouldn't sell out to agents. Had lots of harrassment from them for the first 5 years or so. They're very crooked here. You know you've arrived when clients start telling you that they rejected their own agent's choice of inspector and came your way because they had heard about you.

Marc

Wear it like a badge, Marc. On my company's Facebook page, one of the few RE agents who sends me business actually says that others call me the "Real Estate Deal Killer," before going on to thank me for taking exceptional care of her clients.

[hausdok]

Oh, I dunno,

I think there are a few decent agents out there. I think that this guy might qualify as a conscientious agent.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[mgbinspect]

I guess in the end it cuts both ways doesn't it? I haven't marketed in years and really don't care what my competition is doing.

The largest Real Estate firm in our town started a "preferred vendor" list, about eight years ago, which cost $2500.00 a year up front to be on. I think that has to be totally illegal. When they first developed it and asked me to get on it, I told the lady that devised the whole scheme, "As far as I'm concerned, that's blackmail." and I told her to go jump in a lake! Basically, you have to do a bunch of free inspections before you start making money again, just to get their business. Some of our local chapter ASHI guys went ahead and paid to be on the list and caught so much flack from the chapter that they left and joined another association and stayed on the list.

Yet, a lot of the heavy hitters in that Real Estate firm defy the "Preferred Vendor" list and have continued to use me faithfully.

In the end it all works out. The best marketing that ever existed is a good consistent job. If you can't deliver that, all the pies in the world won't save you...

Esch,

You just have to change the way you look at the whole thing: It's like when I ran a masonry company. Sometimes we'd loose a sweet job to a competitor that bid so low that they basically bought the job. That never bothered me. I now knew where he was going to be for the next few months - on a job bid so tight that one mistake could turn it into a break even proposition. He's basically stuck out there somewhere treading water - off the table, which works for me.

Similarly, your competion has an operating budget line item you don't - weekly pie purchases. And, do you REALLY think that pies are going to earn confidence? Nah...

[:-graduat

[John Dirks Jr]

Oh, I dunno,

I think there are a few decent agents out there. I think that this guy might qualify as a conscientious agent.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

I agree. There are a few who believe it's best for buyers to know as much as possible about a home before they buy, or decide not to buy a particular home.

[Brandon Whitmore]

There are a few who believe it's best for buyers to know as much as possible about a home before they buy, or decide not to buy a particular home.

I agree. I had a Realtor that I've worked with for years cause my jaw to drop the other day.

Some repeat clients hired me to inspect a house they were attempting to purchase. The client's asked me to "take it easy on the house this time" in front of the Realtor. Before I could say a thing, the agent jumped in and said something along the lines of " heck no, you need him to tear this place apart so you know what you are getting into"

On an inspection with this same Realtor the following week, she let me know that I had "killed" 6 of her last 7 deals within the last 6 months or so.

[mgbinspect]

Gosh, Richmond Realtors, for the most part, want you to tell it like it "T I S tis". The days of the perceived "deal killer" are long gone and have been for probably seven years or more. It's hard to believe that areas of the country that still deal with that mentality...

The big concern here: "For God's sake don't miss anything!", which is just fine with me.

[Phillip]

Gosh, Richmond Realtors, for the most part, want you to tell it like it "T I S tis". The days of the perceived "deal killer" are long gone and have been for probably seven years or more. It's hard to believe that areas of the country that still deal with that mentality...

The big concern here: "For God's sake don't miss anything!", which is just fine with me.

Come to Tuscaloosa Alabama. The "deal killer" mentality still lives.

[mgbinspect]

Gosh, Richmond Realtors, for the most part, want you to tell it like it "T I S tis". The days of the perceived "deal killer" are long gone and have been for probably seven years or more. It's hard to believe that areas of the country that still deal with that mentality...

The big concern here: "For God's sake don't miss anything!", which is just fine with me.

Come to Tuscaloosa Alabama. The "deal killer" mentality still lives.

I hear ya, Phillip.

The only explanation for Richmond that comes to mind is this: The 100 - 150 year old homes, which were run down and considered to be in really bad neighborhoods, have been reclaimed and renovated. Many of them sold through ferocious bidding wars for as much as $20K over the asking price. The folks that were brave enough to do this doubled their money in as little as five years up until the economy tanked.

At the same time the number of homes in almost every surrounding zip code has doubled in ten years due to new construction.

I think that real estate environment, which has been on steroids since about 1993, forced a crash course upon Realtors regarding the horrors of being the listing or selling agent of a poorly inspected property.

Now agents here don't mind problems getting to closing and see them as the red badge of courage, but they definitely don't want any problems after closing period, which will get one instantly and forever removed from their short list.

[Phillip]

Here I am seeing a lot of bank own rundown homes. The realtors know there is a lot wrong with the places and they are cheap compared to other home in the area.

They know I will find a lot of things and some are hoping that my client will back out and by a higher price home.

Of course there are a few realtors that wants the best for their clients but most are just trying to make a sell.

[Jim Morrison]

Well, I've never bought a broker a gift, but I have a hard time seeing some mook dropping pies off at the office as a 'bribe'.

[Jim Katen]

Well, I've never bought a broker a gift, but I have a hard time seeing some mook dropping pies off at the office as a 'bribe'.

Yeah, really. It does't quite rise to the lofty height of a bribe. It's just boorish and kind of pathetic, a step or two below those WIN chocolates. (Which never stopped me from eating them.)

[Brad Manor]

Well, I've never bought a broker a gift, but I have a hard time seeing some mook dropping pies off at the office as a 'bribe'.

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-Brad

[Tim Maxwell]

Now that's a BRIBE pie there......

[Chad Fabry]

Well, I've never bought a broker a gift, but I have a hard time seeing some mook dropping pies off at the office as a 'bribe'.

Not me. A pie a week is 500 bucks a year at minimum.

When I did the FEMA gig I was instructed to take absolutely nothing from the applicants. My employer came through and spoke with about 50 of the 1,000 or so applicants I handled and asked them if I accepted anything... even a glass of water. They were dead serious about a clean line between applicant and inspector.

Thank God they didn't interview the grizzled old guy in Lafite, LA. I couldn't say no to his spicy fried pork rind fresh out of the fat.

[Scottpat]

OK, I'm guilty as charged! Today my wife on her way to work dropped off a box of fresh Blueberry Scones at a local real estate office that is right down the street from her office. Our company name along with a few cards were on top of the box. I told her to wait till the first of the week, but she wanted to do it today (Friday).

Dang if it did not work! I have never had a call one from this office and today I booked a job for next week and have had a second call for a price from this office. Yes, it cost $8 but I think it might be worth it.

I was told by another inspector who does a fair amount of marketing that this works best if you can have another person other than you the inspector to drop off the goodies. Kind of like a marketing person...