Some people want to know what they are getting for their money when they join ASHI. Today, I want to discuss the exclusive benefits of your ASHI membership. I am going to demonstrate that you can quickly get a tenfold return on your investment as a member of the oldest and most respected Society of Professional Home Inspectors.

Priceless Benefits

Your most valuable experiences as a home inspector and within the profession are invaluable. They contribute to your personal growth and professional development—benefits that are not financially measurable. In the ROI mindset, quantitative data is one piece of the puzzle. So, how do you measure the return on investment (ROI) when you are a member of ASHI?

To comprehend the total value of your investment in ASHI as a member and your return on investment, we must look holistically at the effect an investment has had on our minds, relationships, professional development, and businesses. Your ROI is determined by what you put into the relationship and the tangible member benefits you use while considering the intangible benefits.

With the current conditions in the housing industry and the profession—like the downward trends and the negative impact on your bottom line—the real value of belonging to ASHI is even more critical. ASHI membership provides you with a network of professionals, access to industry insights, and opportunities for professional development. It also fosters your personal growth, making you an integral part of the industry’s progress. These are invaluable in navigating challenging times.

Measuring the return on investment of your ASHI membership is a crucial task that only you can undertake. Just as you would evaluate the ROI of your marketing efforts, it’s equally important to assess the ROI of your ASHI membership. I want to empower you with the tools and knowledge to understand the value you’re receiving and make informed decisions about your membership. We’ve also developed an infographic to assist you in this evaluation proces.

Let’s delve even deeper into some of the key benefits and the value you derive from your annual ASHI membership. These benefits are about more than saving money or gaining access to resources. They directly contribute to your professional growth, enhance your credibility, and provide opportunities for networking and learning. We will periodically highlight other benefits in additional articles and communications.

Education

ASHI Edge (online virtual classes):

While members can access all the courses on the Edge for free, non-members pay a variable amount per class, depending on factors such as length, state approval, topic, etc. Many of the courses provided for our education provide continuing education credits with approval from state regulatory bodies, International Code Council, and ASHI itself. The value of a course ranges from $29 to $139. As a member, if you take three of the $29 classes annually, that is worth $87. Taking two at $59 classes plus one $119 class is worth $237, valued at more than half of your annual dues.

• a. Members can also earn free digital badge courses; upon completion, you get a digital badge you can display on your website to communicate higher expertise in specific areas and inspection types. Each digital badge course is valued at $249, and members get them for free.
• b. Members also get a reduced price on webinars, the virtual summit, and traditional InspectionWorld conferences compared to non-members.
• c. Don’t forget about local educational opportunities and the excellent education from chapters and the Online Meeting Group (OMG).

Insurance

General Liability and Emissions and Errors:

One of the significant financial benefits of ASHI membership is the exclusive ASHI Advantage Insurance partnership with InspectorPro. By taking advantage of this, you can save an average of $150 on your basic policy and get $3,000 to $4,000 worth of tail coverage for free. Additionally, you save about $200 on your tools and equipment coverage and get double the coverage. These significant savings of up to $4,350 annually get better coverage, giving you a sense of security and confidence in your investment. More than 40% of our members take advantage of this program.

Health Insurance:

Did you know ASHI partners with a health insurance provider to offer discounted health insurance to ASHI members? Some members have saved more than $1,000 annually by working
with ASHI’s preferred health insurance provider, LIG Solutions.
“The process was easy, and the agent was very patient in guiding me through the options. It became
a great experience when we saved $1,500 on our medical insurance.” Roger Herdt, ACI

Discount Programs

You can get discounts from many vendors, services, and products, too. Here is a sample of just a few discount opportunities ASHI members have:

• Jiffy Lube (15% savings)
• Rental car discounts (10 to 30% savings)
• Tires (savings of 10 to 20%)
• Ford X-Plan (discounts on Ford and Lincoln-Mercury vehicles)
• Journal of Light Construction ($26 savings)
• Plus discounts on hotels and electronics and more.

The more programs you use the higher return on your ASHI dues you get.

Home Inspection Leads and Referrals

If a real estate agent refers six to 12 clients directly to you, you would consider them an all-star real estate agent in your referral network. Similarly, if you receive a similar number of referrals, why wouldn’t you consider ASHI an all-star for referrals? Numerous members get direct referrals from the ASHI website and the Find A Home Inspector search engine. Let’s examine a few case study scenarios.

• 1. Consider you have an average inspection fee of $400 without ancillary services. Now, let’s say your overhead is 40%. If that is the case and you get just two referrals, the inspections you scheduled from the Find A Home Inspector search engine paid for your membership. Your member dues were essentially free because ASHI generated an equal value of home inspection revenue for you and your business.
• 2. With the same scenario, you get 10 referrals a year. Your return on investment on your ASHI dues
  was 500%.
• 3. Consider that your average fee is $575, and you get eight referrals yearly with a 40% overhead. Your return on investment is better than 600%.

Member Profile:

Please update your profile to get the most out of the Find A Home Inspector search engine. Keep it current, and update it twice a year.

Make the most of your profile by including keywords to help improve search visibility. Highlight your skills, experience, testimonials, and accomplishments. Use images that are current, showing you in professional attire. Include a link to your website, blog, online scheduler, and social media.

You must put an effort into creating a professional profile and keeping it up-to-date to get as many leads as possible.

“I have tracked my leads through my CRM, and I have consistently received six to nine contacts a year from the ASHI Find An Inspector portal. Including a few commercial inspections, one a 30-unit apartment building, and another an office/warehouse building.” Hank Sander, ACI

“It is very important that you review and update your ASHI profile often. This keeps you fresh when your clients search for an inspector. I have a friendly reminder in my Google calendar to review my profile at least every quarter, update photos (mine and good field photos), and add any new services.” Henry Sander, ACI

“One of the benefits of ASHI membership that I feel gets overlooked is the referral programs. While I may only get two to four emails a year, if one of these referrals turns into an inspection, the income from that inspection pays for my membership. That means I get the rest of the benefits of membership for free; sounds like a good ROI to me.” Frank Copanus, ACI

ASHI Reporter

ASHI publishes the ASHI Reporter online and in print and delivers it monthly to every member’s home or business. The Reporter has a face value of $4.50 per issue, which is a $54 value. Our monthly member, education, and new chapter newsletters will also keep you updated on the latest news, trends, inspection techniques, and more. Don’t forget: We are always looking for articles. You could be a published author in the Reporter by submitting an article to homeinspector.org or emailing editor@ashi.org.

ASHI Marketing Advantage

We all know there is a difference in inspectors. ASHI inspectors are some of the best inspectors you can find. The ACI Credential (ASHI Certified Inspector) carries a lot of weight, especially in some markets. Our third-party credentialing agency, the NCCA, backs ASHI Inspectors. The NCCA is the same credentialing agency that provides NCCA-accredited programs, which certify individuals in a wide range of professions and occupations, including nurses, automotive professionals, respiratory therapists, counselors, emergency technicians, crane operators, and more.

ASHI inspectors must also take the National Home Inspector Exam, which is a third-party exam, not one we own. It is the exam used by most licensed states and, of course, ASHI Certified Inspectors must complete 250 fee-paid peer-reviewed inspections to confirm compliance with the ASHI code of ethics. I know ASHI inspectors know this, but why not use it as a marketing tool?

ASHI has an agreement with Easy Home Inspector Marketing to offer their services to ASHI members at a significant discount for automated social media content/posting and email marketing at a reasonable price. Members who participate in the program will also receive bonus ASHI content. ASHI will soon have downloadable marketing assets to aid your efforts, too.

Are you just getting started or want to rebrand? ASHI also has a free logo design service we offer to members. To get a professionally designed business logo elsewhere could cost anywhere from $100 to thousands of dollars.

ASHI also has memorandums of agreements to work with ICC (International Code Council), CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America), NADRA (North American Decking & Railing Association), EBPHI (Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors), FABI (Florida Association of Building Inspectors), CRIEA (California Real Estate Inspectors Association), and many more. Our partnerships with organizations like these only lend to your credibility as a member of the ASHI, which created the home inspection profession’s first home inspector standard of practice in 1976. This Society of Home Inspectors is led by its elected members and is a place where you have a voice in the future of our professional organization.

It Adds Up

In summary, ASHI has more free classes, CE courses, inspection referrals, and discount programs than we can count, plus many other benefits I haven’t even touched on. So, what’s your ROI? That’s really up to you; the sky is the limit. However, it can easily result in more than a 1,000% return on your investment when you are an ASHI Member.

Here is a sample summary of one member’s ROI: By taking three classes on the ASHI Edge ($237), he gets three oil changes a year and saves $90, and subscribes to the Journal of Light Construction and saves $26.
He bought tires and saved another $100. He purchased business insurance using the ASHI Advantage and saved $3,300. He gets the ASHI Reporter, a face value of $54. He received 11 leads from Find a Home Inspector tool, generating $2,970 in profit. Plus, he attended several webinars at a discount and got two free digital credentials. What is his ROI? Between savings, deals, and revenue generated, he saw $6,881 in return for his ASHI member dues investment of $449. That is more than a 1,500% return on one year of dues.

Clearly this is quite a value, and we still need to discuss the intangibles and intrinsic value of ASHI membership. ASHI is a well-respected organization in the home inspection world. Your membership can enhance your professional reputation and credibility. With ASHI, it’s not just about the past. As we move to the future, ASHI will be the most relevant organization in the space.

Community

As a member of a trade association or society, you’ll also find camaraderie and networking opportunities to develop relationships with other home inspectors and mentors. New and experienced inspectors can benefit from mentorship opportunities and support from other members. This is one of the most underutilized tools in the ASHI arsenal; this support and the opportunities were not available a dozen years ago
as they are now.

You can also get involved by joining or starting a chapter or meeting group, getting on a committee,
or being involved in chapter leadership.

At the national level, we have many committees and task forces where you can be part of ASHI’s stewardship of the profession, gaining new perspectives from practicing home inspectors across the US and Canada.

ASHI is unique in the home inspection professional space as the only society led by our members. The membership elects our leaders to lead as directors or officers on the ASHI Board of Directors. Getting involved gives you a voice and an opportunity you won’t find elsewhere.

ART: Adobe/Biscotto Design