Most of us would assume that home inspectors would prefer clients or buyers to select inspection service of their choice instead of letting a real estate agent to choose for them. However, the truth is that a lot of home inspectors are dependent on real estate agencies to get them clients. This is often the case with large firms that have multiple inspectors working for them.

Agents looking for profit

The field of home inspection should be the same as any other open marketplace. In an open marketplace, companies that supply average products or deliver unsatisfactory services ultimately shut down as they don’t survive the competition. In the real estate world, such a marketplace can fall under the control of the agents. This means that the inspection services listed or recommended by agents get most of the business, regardless of their qualifications and capabilities.

While this may not hold true for all home inspections, buyers are often disappointed when they are sold houses inspected on a superficial basis aimed at making a sale. Even though buyers are covered under consumer protection laws, it is still a hassle – often ending up in arbitration or courts.

Better to choose independent inspector

It is clear that employing an independent home inspector is a much smarter decision than blindly selecting the inspector recommended by your real estate agent.

Real estate agents often use the belittling phrase “deal killer” to refer to home inspectors who operate independently and provide buyers with an honest and objective review report after the home inspection is completed. This could obviously lead the buyer to reconsider the buying decision and may even make him/her look at other options.

Independent home inspectors will work by keeping in mind the best interest of the buyers. That is the reason they are often considered as a challenge by real estate agents who are trying to sell the property to create income. The so called “deal killers” are viewed as enemies by real estate agents and a number of tactics are employed to manipulate the process of selecting the home inspector to ensure that the potential buyer does not choose an independent one.