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Takeaways:
- A marketing and real estate referral company has launched a program that offers sellers a free, upfront home inspection.
- The company also matches sellers with Realtors, who pay a referral fee to help pay for the free inspection.
- The seller’s only fee is the standard listing agreement fee for the sale of the property, which is due at closing.
Certified Pre-Owned Home (CPOH), a marketing and real estate referral company, has launched a new program that offers sellers a free, upfront home inspection — before buyers even get involved.
According to the Bradenton, Florida-based company, most homes require a home inspection, but they usually occur after a buyer makes an offer. Lisa Gray, CPOH’s project manager, said this process is “broken” and “the worst possible scenario for the both buyers and sellers, often resulting in last-minute price renegotiations, delayed home closings and inflated repair costs.”
To solve this problem and introduce more transparency into the home-selling process, CPOH has designed a three-pronged program comprising:
- A free, upfront home inspection (a savings of up to $400).
- A property inspection disclosure to provide to buyers prior to them making an offer, as well as signs stating the home has been inspected to display on “for sale” signs and online photos.
- A statistical match to a consumer-ranked, third-party-verified Realtor.
The Realtor will have the highest list-to-sale-price ratio in the seller’s neighborhood, help price the property correctly and put conditions in place for a smooth sale.
The program will give buyers “a no-surprise home purchase, full disclosure of any and all potential repair costs, a quick sales process and peace of mind,” said CPOH founder Jim Morton.
“What people want from the homebuying and selling process in today’s world is transparency,” Morton said. “This makes that process a cleaner, more efficient, more trusted model. Buying and selling a home should be a positive experience for people. This system helps ensure that happens.”
CPOH is able to provide free inspections because it is paid a referral fee by the Realtor. The seller’s only fee is the standard listing agreement fee for the sale of the property, which is due at closing.