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Should you attend the home inspection?

If you are a seller and are wondering if you should attend the home inspection, go check out our blog based on that.

On the other hand, listing agents, buyers agents, and home buyers, you may ask, “Should I attend the home inspection?” While the answer can be a simplified yes, there are some things you should remember.

Buyers Agents Attending the Home Inspection

Realtors who are working for the home buyer should undoubtedly try to attend the home inspection. This will definitely help you understand what is going on with the home so you can set expectations with buyers and possibly form a repair list after the inspection.

Moreover, attending the home inspection allows you to spend more time with your buyer and inspector so you can build more meaningful relationships!

If an agent were not to attend the home inspection, the agent would be relying on the home inspector’s report and what the buyer perceived from the inspection (if they attended). This leaves room for interpretation rather than listening directly from the home inspector.

Home Buyers Attended the Home Inspection

We advise all of our clients to attend the home inspection. The reason being is although the inspector is hard at work, they can explain all of their findings for you at the end of the inspection. Also, if you have any questions or concerns, that would be the perfect time to ask!

It happens on rare occasion, but it is possible for buyers to become too involved in the home inspection process. For example, consistently asking questions during the inspection process can hinder an inspector’s job.

To illustrate this, if someone was to work in accounting, you would not want someone staring over your shoulder asking questions. You simply would not be able to focus at the task at hand! – The same goes for a home inspector.

Furthermore, in some places, you cannot follow the home inspector, such as, the roof or attic.

Overall, buyers should attend the inspection and it is best practice to ask the home inspectors if it’s okay you follow them and watch. In MOST cases, home inspectors are happy to walk you through the inspection and have light conversation! 😁

Should Listing Agents Attend?

Although the home inspection community would prefer listing agents not attend the inspection, we do understand why they would in some cases.

Some homeowners are just not as comfortable with allowing strangers into their home so having their agent there makes them feel more comfortable. And that is all okay! We understand!

On the other hand, listing agents who attend the home inspection should try to keep their distance from home inspectors at work for the home buyer’s privacy. In general, listing agents should not be involved in the home inspection process since their client is not the one paying for the home inspection – the buyer is!

So, as a listing agent, should you attend the home inspection? Try not to, but we understand if it would make the homeowner feel more comfortable especially if the buyer’s agent is not able to attend.

Concluding

Realtor.com has a great article on 8 home inspection mistakes buyers should avoid. They cover attending the inspection and becoming too involved in the inspection so check it out if you want another perspective!

If you have further questions, drop a comment below!