In this episode of “Building Your Business,” host Rob Claus interviews Ian Schroff, an expert graphic designer from InterNACHI®. The discussion focuses on some of the best practices and five key elements that all marketing collateral must have, as well as design pitfalls and things to avoid. His experience lies in creating inspection-related marketing collateral for both residential and commercial property inspectors. The main discussion points include:

• InterNACHI® and CCPIA®
  • InterNACHI® offers free design services to their members
  • Members only pay for printing and shipping.
  • CCPIA® members who are also InterNACHI® members can have their CCPIA® logos and credentials added to collateral designed by InterNACHI®.
  • Access design services through InterNACHI’s website and order forms or Inspector Outlet.
• Ian shows the five “golden rules” of any design
  • Understand Your Audience: Tailor marketing materials to the target audience.
  • Keep It Simple: Avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information.
  • Hierarchy: Highlight the most important information first.
  • Colors and Visuals: Use appropriate colors and images to reinforce the message.
  • Repetition and Consistency: Maintain a consistent brand identity across all materials.
• Ian shows examples of effective marketing pieces for commercial property inspection companies.
• Design Pitfalls and Things to Avoid
  • Avoid overcrowding information and using low-quality images.
  • Be mindful of color choices to ensure they convey the right message.
  • Ensure marketing materials stand out and are memorable.
• InterNACHI’s upcoming Professional Inspectors Convention
  • Ian and his team will be presenting and available for consultations.
  • The convention is scheduled for October 10-12, 2024, in Orlando, Florida.

Don’t miss out on the latest trends and expert analysis in the real estate market. Listen to it on podcast format (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, etc.). Subscribe now and stay informed!

Helpful Links for Commercial Property Inspectors:

• InterNACHI® Marketing Services
• InterNACHI® Marketing Contact
• InterNACHI’s 2024 Professional Inspectors Convention
• Inspector Outlet

00:00 – Welcome & guest introduction
01:45 – Ian's background
03:02 – Commercial vs. residential marketing needs
06:26 – The 5 Golden Rules of print marketing
12:05 – Design examples: Champion Property Inspection
15:43 – Using personal photos (Al & Mark examples)
23:33 – Standing out with unique shapes/sizes
26:45 – Consistency across a full brand suite
29:19 – InterNACHI marketing resources & free member services
32:02 – Color psychology & buzz colors
35:43 – Ian's closing advice
37:04 – Upcoming convention & sign-off

Watch or listen (anywhere, anytime, and any way you like). Visit ccpia.org to browse the video library!

The Commercial Property Inspectors Roundtable Meeting is a monthly meeting hosted by the Certified Commercial Property Inspectors Association (CCPIA) for inspectors across the nation to gather and discuss business development opportunities and strategies. This month we discussed:

• How to help determine your square foot pricing
  • Type of building being inspected - Warehouse, office, etc.
  • Size - does the pricing change as the building increases in size?
  • Offering different inspection packages to help win more inspections
• Marketing
  • Overcoming the  smaller market mentality
  • Should you develop a separate commercial website?
  • Casting a wider net to non-traditional referral sources
• Getting in front of Realtors instead of buyers
  • How to get the word out
  • Networking
  • Google ad campaigns
  • Using the clients to get to the Realtors

Links discussed:

https://ccpia.org/what-is-seo-for-commercial-property-inspectors/

https://ccpia.org/the-basics-of-ppc-advertising/

https://ccpia.org/common-mistakes-when-adding-commercial-inspections-to-your-existing-website/

https://ccpia.org/commercial-inspectors-claim-and-clean-up-directory-listing-2/

https://ccpia.org/getting-started-in-commercial-property-inspections-selling-commercial-inspections/

https://ccpia.org/getting-started-in-commercial-property-inspections-selling-commercial-inspections/

Watch or listen (anywhere, anytime, and any way you like). Visit ccpia.org to browse the video library!

In this episode of “Building Your Business,” host Rob Claus interviews Levi Nelson, an expert logo designer from InterNACHI®. The discussion focuses on the significance of logos in marketing and building a business identity for commercial property inspectors. 

00:00 – Intro
02:00 – Logo questionnaire walkthrough
03:25 – Modern vs. classic logo styles
06:43 – Logo style types (emblem, wordmark, letterform, pictorial, abstract)
11:43 – LLC naming and service radius considerations
13:15 – Color theory basics
17:22 – Designing for black-and-white and small-scale use
20:41 – Common mistakes: drop shadows, gradients, metallics
23:22 – Font pitfalls and scaling issues
29:33 – What a logo is really for (recognition vs. description)
35:57 – Cautionary tale: over-literal branding
41:41 – Case study: the "Landmark" logo
45:55 – The gargoyle vs. lion debate
48:00 – Editing existing logos for members
52:33 – Naming your company before designing a logo
54:59 – Wrap-up

Helpful Links for Commercial Property Inspectors:

• InterNACHI® Marketing Services
• Transitioning From Residential to Commercial Inspections
• Branding Considerations for Commercial Property Inspection Companies

Watch or listen (anywhere, anytime, and any way you like). Visit ccpia.org to browse the video library!

Join us for a conversation with Christian Adams about Repair Pricer, a product for residential and commercial inspectors to provide repair cost estimates and cost-to-cure services. Tune in to learn more! 

1:39 – Intro
2:17 – Christian Adams' background and how Repair Pricer got started
6:11 – Residential vs. commercial buyers: emotional decision vs. financial decision
8:52 – Adapting the taxonomy and pricing model for commercial properties
11:34 – Why the "Big 3" (roof, HVAC, parking lot) matter so much in commercial
15:23 – Localized, zip-code-specific pricing and accuracy standards
18:49 – What inspectors need to submit for accurate reports
21:16 – HVAC rooftop units and how equipment/crane costs are calculated
22:26 – Live walkthrough of a sample commercial repair-cost report
26:07 – Downloadable/exportable data for investors (CSV, Resolve platform)
27:37 – Commercial industry still catching up to residential in awareness
29:33 – Pricing structure for CCPIA members
31:06 – Value example: cost-to-cure numbers used in negotiations
32:00 – Wrap-up and thanks

Visit Repair Pricer Offers Discount for CCPIA Members for information about the exclusive discount. 

Don’t miss out on the latest trends and expert analysis in the real estate market. Listen to it on podcast format (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, etc.). Subscribe now and stay informed!

Watch or listen (anywhere, anytime, and any way you like). Visit ccpia.org to browse the video library!

Join us for a review of the 2023 real estate market and an insightful look forward to 2024. In this episode, we sit down with Director of Education, Rob Claus, to analyze various market reports and discuss key trends in the commercial real estate sector.

0:00 Intro: why revisit 2023 market trends before looking at 2024 forecasts
1:25 Sources used (National Association of Realtors, CoStar Data Group, CBRE)
3:07 Top 10 growth cities for multifamily (2023 vs. 2022)
3:58 Where investor money went in 2023 (38% multifamily, sector breakdown)
5:25 Why multifamily inspections are a growth opportunity
6:01 Resource #1: article on inspecting multifamily properties
6:49 Resource #2: organizing multifamily inspection reports
7:32 Resource #3: fee structure guidance
9:16 2023 Retail properties: vacancy rates, slower performance
11:49 2023 Industrial: rent growth, dropping vacancy rates
12:19 City-by-city industrial growth table
13:06 NAR's commercial real estate metro market report tool (deep-dive research)
14:25 Transition to 2024 predictions
14:32 2024 Office space outlook: remote/hybrid hangover, aging infrastructure
15:48 2024 Multifamily outlook: interest rates, renters vs. buyers
17:07 Rent vs. mortgage cost graph ($1,500–2,000 rent vs. $3,280 mortgage)
18:44 2024 Retail outlook: steady performance expected
19:07 2024 Industrial outlook: ~5% growth anticipated
19:29 Closing thoughts: choosing your market focus and next steps

Don't miss out on the latest trends and expert analysis in the real estate market. Subscribe now and stay informed!

Watch or listen (anywhere, anytime, and any way you like). Visit ccpia.org to browse the video library!

This episode features a conversation between Rob Claus (CCPIA, Joe Denneler (Elite MGA), and Benn Garrison (Elite MGA) about professional liability insurance for commercial property inspectors. 

Elite MGA Website: https://www.elitemga.com/

Watch or listen (anywhere, anytime, and any way you like). Visit ccpia.org to browse the video library!

We recently had the opportunity to connect with CCPIA member Tony Escamilla, the owner of Villa Property Inspections based in Claremont, California. We discuss his journey in the inspection industry, and he provides some helpful insights those entering the space. 

Read the full member spotlight: https://ccpia.org/meet-ccpia-member-tony-escamilla/

Watch or listen (anywhere, anytime, and any way you like). Visit ccpia.org to browse the video library!