Kyle Berman, a 34-year-old real estate agent in Nashville, Tennessee, endured the uncomfortable experience of attending an inspection with his buyer this past weekend.
Still relatively new to the business, Kyle admitted he was a little nervous about the questions his buyers might ask regarding the house’s functionality and condition.
“Why don’t they teach us any of this stuff in pre-licensing education?” Kyle asked, clearly exasperated. “Are we just supposed to absorb it all through osmosis? Can I at least get a term sheet or something?”
Kyle has put 12 homes under contract in his three-year career but said he still feels like an actor playing the role of a real estate agent when it comes to inspections.
“In my last escrow, my buyer asked me if the wall was load-bearing, and I laughed because I thought he was making a crude joke. When I realized he was serious, I just tapped the wall a few times and said, ‘Yeah.’”
We asked Kyle what he does when he gets a question he doesn’t know how to answer.
“I’ve got a few canned, deflection responses that usually work. My go-to is, ‘That’s just a cosmetic issue.’ Or sometimes I like to say, ‘That’s just a little wear and tear.’ But if I really don’t know the answer, I’ll fake a serious phone call, step outside for 30 minutes, and hope they forget they even asked.”
Apparently, the facade was not as effective during the verbal review of this most recent inspection. The inspector pointed out moisture, foundational issues, and the lack of soffit vents in the attic. Kyle nodded confidently and whispered to his clients, “All good—they’ll just add vents. Takes like five minutes.”
The inspector, overhearing Kyle, explained to the buyers that the issues were much more serious than Kyle let on and recommended a geo and moisture inspection to take place as soon as possible.
“Good thing I know a lot about soil,” Kyle said sarcastically. “I can’t believe I have to come back here and do this again. If my buyer brings his dad, I will literally put myself in the hospital to avoid this.”
For Kyle, balancing confusion, confidence, and mild concern is no easy task. We’ll keep you posted throughout Kyle’s escrow.
