Ben Doctor, a former food distribution executive, found a new purpose with HomeTeam, blending his passion for real estate with business ownership.
After a 26-year career in the warehouse food distribution industry, including leadership roles at companies like Gordon Food Service and Smithfield, Ben Doctor was ready for a change. Despite a nationwide job search in warehousing, he found himself drawn to a different path — franchising. Guided by his long-standing interest in real estate and a desire to own a business with strong values, he discovered HomeTeam Inspection Service, a home inspection franchise that lined up with his personal and professional aspirations.
“It felt like a lot of my core values aligned well with [HomeTeam],” Doctor said. “Hearing the story about how it was built, what they believe in, how they treat their people and customers — that’s what really drove me to the brand.”
With plans to leverage his leadership experience, Doctor is eager to grow his HomeTeam franchise in Hartford County, Maryland, aiming to become the premier home inspection provider in his market while building meaningful relationships within the real estate community.
Doctor recently sat down with 1851 Franchise to share his story and insights on his journey into franchising. Here’s what he had to say:
1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?
Ben Doctor: For the last 26 years, I’ve been in the warehouse food distribution service. Most of my career was at Gordon Food Service. That’s what led me to Maryland for an opportunity out here. Since 2022, I have worked at a couple of other places but all in food distribution. For about the last 20 years, I’ve been in some type of leadership role. When I left my last company earlier this year, I didn’t have anything lined up, but I needed to leave as my values didn’t align with the company’s. I thought, “Well, I’m going to find another warehouse job, managing warehouses and leading people.”
I opened my search up across the country, looked at lots of jobs in various states and a couple in our own state here, but nothing either panned out or just wasn’t the right fit. At the same time, while I was doing this, I was also talking to somebody about franchising. I continued to go down that path. She put me in contact with three different franchises, HomeTeam being one of them. HomeTeam, I could tell pretty quickly, was different from the other two from a cultural standpoint, which really drew me to it.
When I was younger, I loved real estate, but I never fully immersed myself into it. I flipped about five houses, a couple of which we lived in. This was a great way to get started in real estate without going through the training to become a REALTOR®. HomeTeam seemed like a great company to start a new career in the real estate industry. It’s my own business, but it’s still got an incredible support system/team, which seemed like a great opportunity for me.
1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?
Doctor: I didn’t know a lot about it, but I didn’t really think it was something that I would ever be interested in, and I didn’t think I would ever run my own business. Once I started talking to folks and learning more about it, my perception started to change. It seems more like a corporation willing to support your success, but you have the freedom to make your own decisions and build your business the way you want to. I really like that corporation network around you to support you and help you grow.
1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?
Doctor: As I continued to talk to people in the company, it felt right. It wasn’t a must-have, but I was really kind of looking for a family-owned and operated, faith-based company. I thought I had found this in Maryland at one point. I got to the very end of the interview process, and I thought, “Yeah, I’m going to end up working here.” It felt good, but I had some reservations. Ultimately it didn’t work out. I’m glad it didn’t. For HomeTeam — a lot of my core values aligned well with them. Nobody really said anything about faith; it just felt different and you could tell through conversation. I did enough research on their social media to see that my assumptions were validated to some extent. That was really a big part of it. Hearing the story about how it was built, what they believe in, how they treat their people and customers — those are the things that drove me to the brand.
1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?
Doctor: Initially, I know it’s going to be a grind. Everybody’s told me that. My long-term vision is really to be the premier vendor for serving clients and real estate agents in my market and growing that into several teams. Eventually, I’d like to have several teams out there, with a director of operations overseeing the day-to-day while I focus on building relationships and growing the business.
1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?
Doctor: I feel like everything in life happens for a reason. I am where I am today because I’m following the path that was meant for me. I feel like HomeTeam was placed in front of me for a reason, and I feel like the doors to other opportunities were closed for a reason.
1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?
Doctor: Don’t close a door without taking a peek inside, you might like what you see. A game changer for my wife and I was investing early in my 401(k). We financed through the ROBS program, an IRA funding method. Without it, we would have had more reservations. If the finances can be figured out, and you have people that believe in you (including yourself), I would recommend looking into franchising. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback about the home inspection business in general — there’s enough business out there to feed everybody which makes me excited to get started.
About HomeTeam Inspection Service
Founded in 1992, HomeTeam Inspection Service is a full-service, independent home inspection franchise serving home buyers, sellers and real estate agents. For 30 years, HomeTeam has built a reputation for providing professional, reliable, efficient and accurate inspections on both residential and commercial property, focusing on electrical and plumbing systems, HVAC, exterior and siding, gutters and drainage, mold inspections, air quality reports and much more. Unlike other inspection companies, HomeTeam sends a team of certified inspectors to every appointment in order to provide a better and faster inspection, every single time. The brand’s reputation for excellence has made them a top choice among real estate agents and earned them the title of #1 home inspection franchise by Entrepreneur magazine’s 2022 Franchise 500 listing. Now, HomeTeam Inspection Service has grown to include over 200 territories nationwide.
