Alan Fastman is a Home Inspector for Helpful Home Inspectors, LLC, in Wallingford. Alan has been a member of the Association since 2003 and currently serves on the Association’s Affiliate Member Forum. He served on the organizing committee and as a sponsor for our 5K “Run for Home” benefiting Habitat for Humanity. A member of the RPAC 99 Club, Alan is an active member on the RPAC Committee having recently participated in the successful RPAC telethon.

Please share with us your background and your career track.

In middle age, I discovered what I wanted to be when I grow up – a home inspector. I had enjoyed a rich and varied career track leading up to that moment, starting as a carpenter contractor in 1971. I was a sub-contractor for custom residential construction, renovation and addition and a prime contractor for renovation and addition projects. In the 80’s, I stopped swinging a hammer and assumed control of my family’s retail business. Since then, I’ve been privileged to serve as chief of staff and senior advisor to two members of the Pennsylvania Senate and to guide two non-profit organizations, as executive director, through critical periods of growth and adjustment. As a home inspector, I have returned to my roots, so to speak, in residential construction.

What advice relating to the home inspection process would you give to a new real estate agent entering the business?

Encourage your clients to be present during their home inspection. By participating in an educational tour of the home, they will gain valuable insight into the proper care, maintenance and improvement of the home and its systems. Also, with the client present, there is a greater opportunity for the home inspector to discuss the positive features of the home and to put the defects in their proper perspective.

Your client should see in the home inspector that you recommend what they see in you – an honest and earnest professional working in their best interest. As a real estate agent, when you become a REALTOR®, you demonstrate your commitment to professional conduct and high ethical standards. Recommend a home inspector who has demonstrated that same type of commitment through membership in the American Society of Home Inspectors® (ASHI) and through adherence to ASHI’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Remember, when you make a recommendation, your reputation as a trusted resource is on the line.  

How do you define excellence in customer service?

Treating a client as you would wish to be treated is the key to excellence in customer service. As a home inspector, listening and taking time to make myself understood are important ingredients for customer satisfaction. I understand the stressful nature of real estate transactions and I work hard to put my clients at ease and make the experience a positive one. Service begins with a live voice to answer the phone during business hours and is carried on beyond the inspection with an invitation to my clients to call me “anytime about anything”.

How do you think the Uniform Construction Code will impact the home inspection business?

In the new housing market, a uniform code may serve to eliminate some gray area with regard to differing standards in different municipalities. Overall, in our marketplace, I believe that the impact will be minimal in that a home inspection is not a code compliance inspection.

At the end of a busy day, how do you unwind to rejuvenate yourself for the next challenge?