PROPERTYSPARK ARTICLE

Boost Your Real Estate Business: The Benefits of Networking with Home Improvement Experts

Improved Efficiency

Contractors and tradespeople exist to make homes safer and better built. Whether you’re trying to sell new builds or market an older home, home improvement experts can verify and improve the state of a property in terms of efficiency. They can provide valuable work and expertise to make your clients’ homes more efficient. Air conditioning technicians can make the HVAC system use less energy. Appliance upgrades can lower energy input and utility bills. Water recycling can reduce water consumption and waste. Efficient homes appeal to many audiences, such as younger homeowners, first-time homebuyers, and eco-conscious clients. Eco-friendly homes make a great marketing strategy as well.

Safer Structures

Construction contractors value safety and function above all else, and prospective clients can trust that. Networking with contractors, plumbers, and electricians can ensure a home and its systems are working correctly and safely with minimal damage and optimal efficiency. Potential buyers won’t have to be surprised by burst pipes, leaky faucets, wiring issues, or electrical safety post-purchase. Home improvement experts will know the risks and issues with a home’s internal structures, minimizing surprises or problems down the road.

Thorough Home Inspections

Home inspections are an integral part of the real estate journey. Networking with trades professionals and home inspectors can provide a more detailed and thorough home inspection to reduce the chance of any surprises down the line for both buyer and seller.

Improved Real Estate Marketing

Trades and home improvement experts add valuable expertise to any real estate marketing campaign. You can conduct interviews for articles, include them in video marketing, or provide their inspection insight on listings to improve transparency, accuracy, and education for prospective clients. Viewers are more likely to trust insight from multiple types of professionals.

Business Expansion

Networking can expand your real estate business. You can create official partnerships with home improvement experts to build new homes, provide better-quality older homes to buy, and improve homes for sale. Trade workers can become an official part of the purchase process through thorough inspections, pre-purchase improvements, and more. Official partnerships can also reduce frustration and delays when utilizing outsourced trade professionals.

Licensed Expertise

You should collaborate with experienced, licensed professionals like plumbers, contractors, and electricians to reap the most benefits. Licensing ensures that whoever you partner or network with has the expertise, problem-solving skills, and experience to add value to your marketing campaign or real estate business. Licensing requirements and policies vary by location, so you should be familiar with the requirements for your locale. Some examples of varying requirements are below.

California

California requires contractors, plumbers, and electricians to have previous experience, either through work or education, to get licensed; contractors must have four years of experience, while plumbers and electricians typically require 8,000 hours of experience. They also must pass an extensive exam. Exams are standard for getting licensed in various states, including California. The exam varies per trade, but the contractor exam is generally two parts and quite extensive; many contractors take exam prep classes to prepare.

Texas

Unlike California, general contractors don’t necessarily require a license, depending on their work type. Any specialized work, however, such as plumbing, electricity, or air conditioning, requires a license. Trades like electricity and plumbing have different licensing types and classes. Due to the complexity of the process, prep courses such as Texas plumbing license classes are typically taken before applying.

Georgia

In Georgia, contracting under $2,500 typically doesn’t require a license. However, most contractors work over this limit and, therefore, need licensing. Specific trades require specialized licensing, such as plumbing, electric, and air conditioning. Contractors and tradespeople must take an exam to get licensed, so licensing prep courses are also standard here.

Conclusion

As a real estate professional, marketing is everything. Sometimes, your voice can be limiting in terms of expertise—after all, you’re not a home improvement expert, despite your thorough knowledge of home buying and selling. Networking with other professionals in the real estate industry adds immense value to your marketing campaign, the home purchase process, and the home selling process. Ensure the professionals you partner with are experienced, reputable, and licensed.