North Columbus News

Seller-led home inspections are gaining attention as a strategy to prevent last-minute contract cancellations in the real estate market. With nearly 15% of homes under contract falling through in May, according to Redfin, pre-sale listing inspections are being seen as a proactive measure.

Matt Cook, director of business development at HomeTeam Inspection Services, notes an increase in demand for these inspections across their franchises since they began promoting them in 2017. "Everyone thought it was silly at first," Cook says. However, he now believes that more people, especially listing agents, recognize the advantage of having a pre-listing inspection.

Home sellers can benefit from addressing minor repairs before putting their homes on the market. This approach can prevent buyer panic during escrow when faced with an inspection report highlighting potential issues. Melissa Bailey from the Jason Mitchell Group in Scottsdale observes that even minor repair needs discovered during inspections can lead buyers to back out of deals.

Cara Ameer of Coldwell Banker's Vanguard Realty recommends pre-listing inspections as a crucial step for sellers preparing to list their homes. She emphasizes that understanding a home's condition before going on the market is vital and provides confidence to both buyers and sellers.

The benefits cited by agents include marketing the home as "Pre-Inspected" for credibility, addressing potential red flags early, avoiding post-inspection renegotiations, and showing transparency to cautious buyers.

In today's high-interest and high-anxiety market, Ameer believes that pre-listing inspections offer a proactive approach to selling homes. "Pre-listing inspections can help derail a lot of the surprise and shock that might happen from inspections—for both the buyer and the seller," she says.