| The first thought in your mind may be that your | | | | I believe as a professional home inspector that |
| home inspector is working for you. I hope that is | | | | loyalty is due to the person paying the bill, you |
| the case. I have attended marketing training | | | | the prospective home owner. In order to conduct |
| sessions where a well noted speaker talks about | | | | an objective inspection and present the |
| the definitions of a customer and a client. In their | | | | information in a non-biased manner the inspector |
| training the customer is, you may have guessed | | | | needs to stay clear of subtle or outright conflicts |
| it, the real estate agent. The client is the person | | | | of interest. The home inspector should subscribe |
| buying the home. What does this mean? I think | | | | to a professional code of ethics. My firm, Safe |
| there is a subtle conflict of interest in that the | | | | Family Home Inspection Services, adheres to the |
| home inspector may be working for their next | | | | American Society of Home Inspectors Code of |
| job and may not have your best interests in mind. | | | | Ethics and we hand out a copy to the customer |
| Another conflict of interest for home inspectors is | | | | with every home inspection report. I also offer |
| payment at the close. I often have customers (in | | | | them to the customer before each inspection |
| our case that is the person buying the home, not | | | | along with the Standards of Practice. |
| the agent) that ask if my inspection fee can be | | | | Number one in the ASHI Code of Ethics is: |
| paid at the closing. I have to decline these | | | | "Inspectors shall avoid conflicts of interest or |
| arrangements and I offer other forms of | | | | activities that compromise, or appear to |
| payment like credit cards for example. In some | | | | compromise, professional independence, |
| cases the information that is revealed during a | | | | objectivity, or inspection integrity." |
| home inspection is enough for a transaction to not | | | | To prevent a possible conflict of interest I also |
| go through. If the home inspector is counting on | | | | advise that the only industries in which the |
| the transaction to close in order to be paid, it puts | | | | inspector participates are home inspection related. |
| into question the quality of information you | | | | Your home inspector should only inspect homes |
| receive. Information you depend on to make a | | | | or provide environmental testing like radon, mold, |
| qualified decision to go through with your home | | | | or asbestos testing. The inspector should not |
| purchase. | | | | participate in remediation or mitigation services for |
| Here is the best one yet. I was recently handed a | | | | environmental problems. I also am not sure you |
| brochure from a home inspection firm and the | | | | can get an objective opinion about your furnace if |
| business card attached to it was the home | | | | the home inspector sells new furnaces. |
| inspector with the title of real estate agent. I don't | | | | Make sure your home inspector knows who the |
| think there is any question that there is a conflict | | | | customer is; make sure it is you. |
| of interest here. | | | | |