Recommending Home Inspectors

It’s not unusual for residential purchase contracts to include a home inspection condition. And, when there is such a condition, buyers will likely turn to their real estate representative for assistance in finding a home inspector.

Many real estate professionals likely have a stable of home inspectors to whom they can refer their clients. Of course, while this probably occurs regularly, real estate professionals still need to be cautious when suggesting their clients use a specific home inspectors.

As of September 2011, all home inspectors  in Alberta must be licensed through the Alberta provincial government. In order to be licensed, they must have a degree, diploma or certificate in home inspection from a Pre-Licensure Course from NIBI (National Institute of Building Inspectors) or an approved home inspection designation or licence from an approved industry association or regulatory body. If a real estate professional wants to recommend or refer clients to a specific home inspector, they should ensure that individual has the required licence. The Service Alberta registry.

Remember, if a real estate professional will be receiving a referral fee as a result of referring a client to a specific home inspector, that real estate professional must disclose in writing to the client that he or she may be entitled to receive a referral fee, remuneration or other benefit as a result of the referral; and, prior to forwarding the client’s name and contact information to the home inspector, the real estate professional must be authorized by the client to do so.

Do you typically offer a stable of home inspector options to clients?