Theres no such thing as a perfect home, and as real estate agents, we know that well. When inspection time rolls around, its your responsibility to help them navigate their inspection findings in a way that results in a successful transaction for your client.

Once the day of the inspection arrives, make plans to attend. Its important to be on the same page as your client so you can hear how the inspector is framing his or her findings before the full report arrives and note any red flags you might see. Plus, each home inspection is a learning opportunity for you as the agent.

To Repair or Not to Repair When deciding what asks to make of the seller and listing agent based on the final inspection, follow this hierarchy in advising your client: 1. Safety needs 2. Large issues 3. Cosmetic items

Before making an ask of the seller, talk with your client about how it may affect the home sale. For safety and structural fixes or glaringly obvious needs, the seller and their agent are going to be more amenable to repairs without adjusting the home price. But for cosmetic changeswhich may seem important to your clientyou run a higher risk of having to renegotiate the sale price.

Whether youre negotiating much-needed safety repairs or minor cosmetic needs, dont provide the inspection report to the listing agent unless asked. Even then, only provide the pages relevant to your negotiation.

Being a Resource At the end of the day, its up to your client to decide what they want to have repaired before purchasing a new home. As their trusted agent, your expertise can help them know how their asks might impact the overall transaction.

At Benchmark, we aim to be the best real estate resource for our clients. Take our short online assessment today to find out if youd be a fit for the Benchmark team.