HomeTeam Inspection Service raises the bar in a competitive industry
For Paul Spires—founder of HomeTeam Inspection Service—the idea to introduce a team of inspectors onsite came from his desire to provide a more thorough home inspection and relieve a common problem he heard about within the real estate industry: the length of time it took to get an inspection.
He created a way to speed up the home inspection process for both real estate professionals and their clients. And, for the last 30 years, HomeTeam has been utilizing this unique team concept to deliver a better client experience.
“Everything we do is centered around the team concept of having multiple people at the inspection and the benefits it brings to the client and their agent,” says HomeTeam President Adam Long.
With a greater percentage of homes being inspected today—a trend that will continue to accelerate—HomeTeam’s steadfast commitment to being fast, trusted and accurate is a true competitive advantage in today’s real estate environment.
“People, especially real estate professionals, don’t have 3-4 hours to spend on a home inspection,” says Mitchell Rothenberg, owner of HomeTeam Inspection Service in Tampa Bay. “Not only does the sophisticated concept developed by HomeTeam cut the amount of time involved in the process, but it also lays the foundation for a better inspection.”
While the home inspection industry has continued to evolve over the years, HomeTeam has never wavered when it comes to elevating the home inspection experience through professionalism and technology—two areas the company has prided itself on from the beginning.
“We’ve put a lot of emphasis on professionalism,” says Long, who notes that when Spires started the company 30 years ago, the home inspectors wore ties to be seen as reputable resources to real estate agents and their clients.
Today, with the level of professionalism throughout the industry still fragmented, HomeTeam inspectors dress in HomeTeam-branded attire and arrive in a HomeTeam-branded vehicle. “While standards have changed over the years, HomeTeam understands the importance of professional dress and demeanor in earning a client’s trust,” says Long.
Setting a high level of expectation among today’s consumers, HomeTeam uses technology to streamline each and every component of the inspection process.
Online scheduling has been a critical part of this. Not only can inspections be booked in real-time, but the team approach also makes it easy to book inspections more quickly since the company can get more inspections on the calendar on any given day.
Real estate professionals can use a HomeTeam app on their smartphone to access any reports created in the past. “The app is very sophisticated,” says Rothenberg. “It even gives real estate professionals the ability to view open time slots and schedule an inspection with the click of a button.”
HomeTeam’s future is focused on continuing to integrate new technology as it continues to advance.
“The industry as a whole has improved in the area of technology over the last 30 years, but HomeTeam has always been ahead of the curve,” says Long. “When HomeTeam started out, we used a DOS-based software and reports were printed, bound and delivered to each client. Today, the reports are created using collaborative cloud-based software and are electronically delivered to the agent and the client. Not only do our reports highlight material defects and safety concerns, but they also include a detailed summary, color photos and technology that allows the client to easily access information by hyperlinking within the report to specific items.”
Benefitting the company from both a reporting and technology standpoint, Rothenberg notes that HomeTeam’s inspection reports are another point of differentiation that make the company unique.
“Unlike other inspection companies that use a checklist, our report is written in a narrative style,” says Rothenberg, who explains that the consumer is always welcome at the inspection.
But it doesn’t end there. HomeTeam is constantly looking at what can be done to make the process easier for clients and agents. “Everything is streamlined from a technology standpoint in order to keep up with client expectations and provide a better experience for both the client and real estate professional,” says Long.
Upping the ante when it comes to customer service, the HomeTeam system automatically sends a feedback survey to each client and agent once an inspection has been completed. “We consistently hear from our providers that we have one of the highest net promoter scores they’ve ever seen, and the agent’s and client’s feedback reinforces their positive sentiment about the thoroughness the team concept provides,” says Buddy Stark, director of operations at HomeTeam.
Looking toward the future, HomeTeam will continue to raise the bar and shape the professional landscape of the home inspection industry, delivering a client experience that is second to none. And while the industry continues to adapt and change, there’s a lot to look forward to in the next 30 years—and you can rest assured that the team concept isn’t going anywhere.
