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Father-Son Duo Take on Home Inspecting

 by Kendra Budd, Editor

When you ask home inspectors why they got started in this business, a significant portion of them will answer that at least one of their parents was/is a home inspector. The same can be said for Justin Blick, whose father, Maurie Blick, began home inspecting in 2004, inspiring him to take up the mantle as well. Now the two operate and manage a flourishing HomeTeam inspection service in Topeka, Kansas.

Together, they offer a compelling story of intergenerational success and growth within the home inspection industry, building a strong reputation as they go. But how did they accomplish such a feat? The two started off in electrical construction and now lead a reputable and successful team.

Working RE Home Inspector magazine sat down with both Maurie and Justin to find out exactly how their business model works, and what makes it thrive. Here’s what we learned.

Working RE Home Inspector: Tell us a little bit about yourselves. What’s your story and how did you get started in the home inspection industry?

Maurie: Well, I have a background in construction, and I operated an electrical contracting business for about 25 years. The business kind of went off the rails at a point in time, and we were looking for another opportunity. I had a friend that got involved in a franchise business.

He was just sky-high about his experience working within a franchise system, and that’s what really got my attention. So, when I was out looking for inspiration and new opportunities, the home inspection franchise opportunity was a good fit.

Justin: As far back as I can remember, I was tooled up and helping in the field. [Maurie] was great about including me, getting me involved with the business. He was a single father, raising sons, and doing his best. I have a lot of admiration for him. Of course, that is natural for a son to his father, but I see a lot of similarities in him and I.

I followed in his footsteps, did work in the family electrical construction business for a while, but of course, branched off from there when it closed. I went on to get my electrical license and [had a] pretty successful run in the electrical construction business, dabbling a little bit in my own company. When Maurie got started in HomeTeam, it certainly caught my attention. I thought it sounded very intriguing and interesting. As he built up and started to grow, he needed some help. So, who better than your son if he’s got an interest? And I did, so he brought me in, and it’s taken off since.

Working RE Home Inspector: How did you get involved with HomeTeam? What started that part of your journey?

Maurie: I got involved with HomeTeam after they had already been up and running for about 12 years. In the process of my investigation into an opportunity, I looked at several different inspection franchise companies and HomeTeam really appealed to me because I thought their team approach to inspections was really unique. It seemed like using a team approach provided a better product. I ended up liking the guys that I met in Cincinnati and their approach. So, I selected HomeTeam back in 2004 and I think I made the right choice.

Justin: What Maurie left out was the hard times. You know, when he started out, as you might with any small business—you got to ramp up. You have to get started. There were quite a few years in the beginning that he hit the grindstone and got it done. Now we’re absolutely thriving, 100 percent.

Working RE Home Inspector: What has been your approach to making your franchise successful?

Maurie: In our case, I think we have worked really hard and have been very diligent about creating a better product in our market. We’ve competed on professionalism, producing an exceptional report, and engaging with the local real estate community with a service that goes above and beyond expectations.

I really think that was our primary focus. Of course, you have to market. In those early years, you just have to go out and “gladhand” people and promote the company. Once you get a start, I do think that the key to success is to produce a better product and compete out in the field professionally.

Working RE Home Inspector: What is it that makes HomeTeam Inspection Service different? Could you tell us a bit about your business model?

Maurie: Well, here in Topeka, I compete against quite a few other home inspection companies. One big advantage we’ve got is my affiliation with a corporate partner. My corporate partner provides me with all the legal framework I need to keep everybody safe. They also provide us with marketing and with all kinds of operational guidance every step of the way. I feel like, had I gone into the home inspection business without the benefits of a corporate partner, and all that comes with it, I probably wouldn’t be nearly as dominant in my market as we are.

Justin: This comes firsthand from a lot of the Realtors that we work with and why they enjoy working with us. Our background in construction gives us an advantage. Today, you’ll find a home inspector that went to trade school, took a course and tooled up and he’s ready to do a home inspection, which is good and fine. I’m sure many of those guys are perfectly fine inspectors. But what the Realtors appreciate is the experience that we have in construction and the fact that we’re still licensed electricians is incredibly attractive in the scope of a home inspection.

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Working RE Home Inspector: As home inspectors with that extra background in electrical construction, would you advise other home inspectors to broaden their horizons to increase their marketability?

Maurie: I think people going into the home inspection business, that have a working knowledge of the residential construction industry, come in with an advantage. However, it’s certainly not a requirement, it just presents a longer, steeper learning curve.

Working RE Home Inspector: Tell me a little bit about how you go about each appointment with your clients. Do you two operate under a specific structure or does your work cater to the specific client?

Maurie: Well, our corporate partner provides us with a complete software package. So, a lot of our correspondence and communication with our Realtors and clients is done automatically. We have notifications that go out about our order and information for our clients so they’re regularly informed. Communication is absolutely critical.

Justin: Our day-to-day operations out in the field are actually very consistent with every inspection. Arriving at a certain time, completing our task in a set amount of time, with the anticipation of meeting the potential buyer or client at the end to have a discussion. Where the challenge comes in is you’ll have very different clients every day—first-time homebuyers, seasoned homebuyers that have been through it a million times, very prickly particular buyers, buyers that are on the move and have no idea what you’re saying. Then, of course, each house is very different. So there lies the challenge—finding the defects specific to that particular property. It’s very repetitive with a lot of variance on a day-to-day basis.

Working RE Home Inspector: How does your relationship as Father-Son affect your working relationship?

Justin: Well, our working relationship started a long time ago, long before the home inspection business. I’d actually come into the electrical contracting business right out of high school. I can’t imagine the challenge that it was for [Maurie] having a teenage son in the electrical field, I couldn’t imagine, because…teenagers, right? But I got to see the business up close. He operated that electrical business for 20 years.

When [Maurie] started this venture, I had no doubt that it would be successful. So, in terms of our relationship, it has always been solid. I’d say being in the home inspection business certainly brought us closer together. You know, we’ve got to meet, we’ve got to talk. There are things that come up, but certainly for the best, I’d say. Today at 50 and Maurie being 74, we’re closer than ever.

Maurie: For all these years, I’ve always had a family-run business. And I think from the very early days, there was always the idea in the back of my mind that this could really be something in which all of my children would be able to work—that there might be a family legacy.

All three of my sons worked with the HomeTeam for several years, but my oldest son and my youngest son tried it and when it wasn’t a good fit for them, they pursued other opportunities, which was really disappointing for me. One thing that I think is important, is that when you’re working with family, you don’t put a lot of pressure on them, to meet your expectations for them.

The home inspection business appeals to some people, but it doesn’t appeal to everybody. It was a good fit for Justin from the beginning and he was very natural at it, and enthusiastic about the opportunity. So, it all unfolded the way it should. I’m just really glad that one of my boys found a good fit here and decided to really make a commitment. Now we’re at a point where we’re working out the plan to transition the business from one generation to the next. It’s really gratifying.

Working RE Home Inspector: Do either of you have any advice you would want to give other home inspectors who are contemplating joining a home inspection business?

Maurie: I would tell people that are looking for an opportunity that there are several schools around that can provide the basic training necessary to become a home inspector. Based on my own experience, I would encourage prospective home inspectors to consider going the franchise route.

I would also tell people that they should be comfortable with going out and meeting people and promoting themselves in a public setting, because it’s almost impossible to get [started] without being willing to put yourself out in front of people and introduce yourself. I would also strongly recommend that anybody thinking of trying to open up a home inspection business from dead-stop-zero should probably have a separate income stream for a couple of years to supplement them during the start-up period. It’s daunting. It really takes quite a while just to get the first couple of Realtors to say, “Yes.” And it really does take tremendous effort over a period of time to establish yourself. Once you have an ongoing, successful and well-established business, then you can bring in an additional inspector. Then you get to start all over with the new guy and build his reputation.

Justin: Be prepared to work. You’re going to have to earn it. It is hard work, but also incredibly gratifying. To be able to go out and meet with somebody on what is one of the most important days of their life, the biggest investment they’ll ever make, when they’re looking to you for advice on whether it’s a good purchase or not. There’s a lot of satisfaction that comes with that too.

Working RE Home Inspector: Is there anything you wish you had known before you started a career in home inspection?

Maurie: In the course of going out and doing hundreds of home inspections in a year, it didn’t occur to me that there were going to be unhappy customers. Customers that moved into their house and discovered an unreported issue or condition in their home that was going to end up costing them money. That’s the difficult part of my business. If you’re not willing to deal with an unhappy client from time to time, and meet with them and go through the process of trying to help them resolve an issue that’s come up with their home, then this isn’t for you.

Justin: Be prepared. Whether it’s an inspector error, a defect that was concealed by the home seller or an item that was concealed and undetectable… stress is elevated. You have to have the right demeanor when approaching that situation, because it can be incredibly volatile. Maurie set a good example for the rest of us.

Maurie: Complaints and callbacks are difficult, but it is often an opportunity to establish a reputation for integrity within the real estate community. Reputation is the key to the whole game.

About the Author
Kendra Budd is the Editor of Working RE Magazine and Marketing Coordinator for OREP Insurance. She graduated with a BA in Theatre and English from Western Washington University, and with an MFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. She is currently based in Seattle, WA.

Published by OREP Insurance Services, LLC. Calif. License #0K99465