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Home inspections, who should attend?

Should a real estate agent attend the home inspections?

 

If they are a Sellers Agent, Transaction Broker of Facilitator, than they do not need to attend the home inspection because they are not working for you the buyer.  

 

However, if the agent is your Buyers Agent than they for sure need to be at the home inspection.

 

Here is a home inspection question recently posted on a Real Estate forum:

 

The question was about whether or not agents should attend home inspections.  I was shocked that the majority of agents who call them selves “Buyers Agents” but don’t bother to attend the home inspection.  Not only that, but they don’t even understand why an agent should or even would attend the home inspection.

 

Here are some of the SO-CALLED BUYER AGENT COMMENTS:

 

• No, that would be a waste of my time.
• Honestly, that is like watching paint dry.
• There is nothing an agent can do at a home inspection that will change the outcome of it.
• I have never attended home inspections but think it is a good practice for the agents who have time.
• No, it is too much liability.

 

OMGOSH!  Seriously… Some Buyer Agents need to stop pretending!

 

If an agent believes that they should not attend a home inspection, then they should STOP PRETENDING to represent a buyer, because they really do not understand what their job is.

 

Being a BUYERS AGENT comes with the fiduciary duty of putting the BUYERS BEST INTEREST ABOVE THE AGENTS INTEREST.

 

It is the buyer agents job to attend the home inspection.  

 

No “if’ and’s or but’s”.  

 

A real Buyers Agent has a FIDUCIARY DUTY to do whatever it takes to make sure that  both themselves and the home buyers have a clear understanding of the condition of the property.  You can’t get the true picture from not being there or reading some report.

 

 

Why attend home inspections?

 

Aside from it being a fiduciary duty of the Buyers Agent to attend home inspections, it is necessary to make sure there is access to the property and also make sure that the electric, water, gas are on so the home inspector can do a good home inspection.  

 

…and the agent that commented that they “look for home inspectors that will not scare the buyer” needs to go take a class on  Agency Relationships, because they are acting like they are working for the seller.

 

Every property has some kind of deficiency issue.  

 

Sometimes the home inspections reveal minor issues which was no big deal and sometimes is it a true deal breaker.  

 

Other times it is something that simple needs to be re-negotiated.  Either get the seller to fix it or reduce the price.  

 

Without actually being at a home inspection and seeing what the problem is, there is no way that an agent can properly evaluate the problem.

 

Inspectors SHOULD find problems.

 

I have been a Buyers Agent for 25 years and never found a a home inspector that finds too many problems on a home inspection.

 

I want home inspectors to call it like its is and if that means the buyer no longer wants to buy the property, so be it.  If a solution cannot be found, we simply move on to another property.   There is always another home to buy. NO PROBLEM.

 

For expert BUYER REPRESENTATION from true buyers agents that do attending all home inspections and walk-thru’s prior to closing, call Buyers Broker of Florida 407-539-1053.  You will be glad you did…check out our reviews.