Welcome to 2005!

by Don Norman February 1, 2005

With the holidays behind us, your business is probably  picking up again. Some of you already may know that I’m a little mystified by my “arrival” as your president. There was no master plan for my arrival here. I, like you, am a home inspector. It’s something I’ve done with pride for twenty years and I’m good at it. Time (and you) will tell how good I am as your president. But please know that I am flattered and honored to be here.

Joining ASHI

I joined ASHI in 1985 when I began my home inspection business, and I remember not giving it much thought. I joined because I thought it would help my business. Not because of the people, the required hours of education or because I had nothing better to do with my money. I thought it would help me make more money. And do you know what? It didn’t. But I stayed in ASHI because I felt it was important to belong. The St. Louis Chapter had done (and continues to do) a great job of promoting the value of an ASHI inspection and the importance of being an ASHI member to the real estate community. But it took me a lot longer to fully recognize all of the benefits being an ASHI member offers. They are the reasons why I and so many others have given our time and energy to this organization. There are some obvious benefits in belonging to ASHI and some that are not so obvious. I’d like to touch on three of them.

Benefits of belonging to ASHI

Education is likely the number one reason most inspectors join ASHI. ASHI inspectors are the best trained home inspectors in the country, something we all should be proud of. I know I am.

Media exposure is often cited as a high priority. In 2004, ASHI had its best year ever, with hundreds of millions of media impressions. Most recently, ASHI was mentioned on “The Today Show” during a 5-minute piece on finding a qualified home inspector.  ASHI Member Joseph Pasaturo did an excellent job of representing us, and ASHI was the ONLY source mentioned for finding a quality home inspector! That is an extraordinary acknowledgment of our Society and who we are as inspectors. That one segment alone reached 6.5 million households! The redesigned Web site has received tremendous response from CNN, MSNBC and NBC, to name just a few, and has increased the business of many of our members. Whether you’ve personally reaped the business rewards from the Web site or not, the PR ASHI receives benefits us all and is not something we could achieve on our own.

And finally, perhaps the least obvious but most important benefit ASHI has to offer is your fellow inspectors. They are your greatest ally and the greatest asset you have as a home inspector. The collective knowledge we possess and our willingness to share that knowledge with one another is what makes us great home inspectors and ASHI a great society.

Developing relationships with other members you respect and referring your clients to them when you are too busy is a common practice in many chapters. Give yourself the time to get to know your greatest asset. They are a wealth of information.

Thank you for being a part of ASHI, and thank you for your trust. I look forward to a successful year for ASHI and for your business.


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ASHI offers its members unparalleled resources to advance their careers. ASHI offers training for inspectors at all levels of knowledge and experience, including resources about all major home systems. Members benefit from a vast network of experienced professionals, providing a community for mentorship and knowledge sharing..

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Professional Networking

Grow your professional network, find a mentor, network with the best, and best part of the community that’s making home inspection better every day.