Three Tools Realtors Should Carry With Them

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Over the 10 years we’ve been in business, we have developed some great relationships with the Realtors we work with. Many don’t hesitate to send us photos of concerns that they take while at a showing. This tells me that a lot of Realtors are assessing the condition of the house as best they can.  After all, the showing is more than just about the closet sizes and kitchen space. It is also your first chance to check out the condition of the property. When the inspector shows up, it’s possible that he will find things that need further evaluation. That takes time, and sometimes it is time you don’t have. Three tools can help you get ahead of the ball. Let’s dive in.

  1. A flashlight – It seems simple, but a high quality flashlight is super important. I like rugged LED flashlights, that can be charged via USB, so they can charge in my truck between jobs. We all know the crawlspace can make a break a deal. Open the crawlspace door, and shine the flashlight in. Look for concerning cracks that might indicate you need to schedule a foundation specialist. If you see mold, water, stringy insulation, termites, or leaks, you can get the ball rolling on requesting repairs, or perhaps moving on to another house.  You can pop in the attic and look for leak stains, or animal poop. And inside, you can scan all the ceilings looking for leak stains. Maybe it’s just a foreclosure and there is no electricity. I’m a big fan of Streamlight and specifically the Streamlight Rugged Micro 500 Lumen Flashlight.

2. A moisture meter – I can’t tell you how many times I get sent a photo with the text “does this look wet?” Yall, I can not tell from my phone. You can be the hero though. If you see a spot that looks like moisture, you can bust out your shiny gadget and let your client know if it’s wet. If it is wet, it can get worse between when you first saw it, to when I get there to inspect it, to when you request the repair and it actually gets taken care of. Letting the seller know they have a leak ahead of time can save a lot of time and headache. If its not wet, you can assuage your clients fears. You don’t need the $600 Moisture meters we use for our inspections. A Non Invasive Flir Bluetooth Moisture Meter will work just fine. Flir is a leader in electronic, temperature, and moisture testing. Their equipment is rugged, accurate and reliable.

3. An Adjustable Wrench Multi Tool

I love multi tools and I am huge fan of redundancy in my tool boxes. If anything gets lost, or broken, I always want to have a back up and multi tools provide a cheap back up for a lot of tools. At a showing you might need to turn on the water, or gas, or maybe even you see a leak or smell gas and you need to shut them off. This one even comes with a bottle opener which could be the most vital tool a Realtor ever has.