Copies of the inspection report along with receipts for any repairs should be made available to potential buyers.

     Seller inspections (sometimes referred to as pre-listing inspections) are becoming more popular because they virtually eliminate all the pitfalls and hassles associated with waiting to do the inspections until a buyer is found.

     In many ways, waiting to schedule inspection until after a home goes under agreement, is too late. Seller inspections are arranged and paid for by the seller, usually just before the home goes on the market. The seller is the inspector's client. The inspector works for the seller and generates a report for the seller

     Seller then typically makes multiple copies of the report and shares them with potential buyers that tour the home for sale. Seller inspections are a benefit to all parties in a real estate transaction. They are a win-win-win-win for everyone involved in the transaction.

The reports provide third-party, unbiased opinions to offer to potential buyers.

Clean reports can be used as marketing tools to help sell the homes.

Reports might relieve prospective buyer's unfounded suspicions, before they walk away.

Reports might relieve prospective buyer's unfounded suspicions, before they walk away.

Seller inspections eliminate buyer's remorse that sometimes occurs just after an inspection.

Seller inspections reduce the need for negotiations and 11th-hour renegotiations.

Seller inspections relieve the agent of having to hurriedly procure repair estimates or schedule repairs.

The reports might encourage buyers to waive their inspection contingencies.

Deals are less likely to fall apart the way they often do when buyer's inspections unexpectedly reveal problems, last minute.

Agents can recommend certified NACHI inspectors as opposed to being at the mercy of buyer's choices in inspectors.

Sellers can schedule the inspections at seller's convenience with little effort on the part of agents.

Sellers can assist inspectors during the inspections, something normally not done during buyer's inspections.

Sellers can have inspectors correct any misstatements in the reports before they are generated.

Reports provide full-disclosure protection from future legal claims

Q. Don't seller inspections kill deals by forcing sellers to disclose defects they otherwise wouldn't have known about?

A. Any defect that is material enough to kill a real estate transaction is likely going to be uncovered eventually anyway. It is best to discover the problem ahead of time, before it can kill the deal.

Q. Isn't a home inspector's liability increased by having his/her reports be seen by potential buyers?

A. No. There is no liability in having your seller permit someone who doesn't buy the property see your report. And there is less liability in having a buyer rely on your old report when the buyer is not your client and has been warned not to rely on your report, than it is to work directly for the buyer and have him be entitled to rely on your report.

Q. A newer home in good condition doesn't need an inspection anyway. Why should the seller have one done?

A. Unlike real estate agents whose job it is to market properties for their sellers, inspectors produce objective reports. If the property is truly in great shape the inspection report becomes a pseudo marketing piece with the added benefit of having been generated by an impartial party.