John Kerrigan is an ASHI Certified Home Inspector for Reliable Home Inspection Service in Wilmington. John has been a member of the Association since 2002, serves on the Association’s Affiliate Member Forum and was a candidate for the 2006 Board of Directors. John has taught a number of classes at the Association of REALTORS School and has been an active member at events.

Please share with us your background and your career track.

I completed trade school and became a Journeyman/Wireman in my early twenties. I then worked as an electrician for 15 years before starting my home inspection business 13 years ago. After 13 years as a home inspector, I still very much enjoy being out in the field performing home inspections but have had many opportunities teaching both locally and nationally. I have found this experience to extremely rewarding.

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

My simple advice is to attend the home inspections and learn as much about the homes as possible. The more we (REALTORS and inspectors) work together, the better the lines of communications are. Ultimately, this results more times than not, in a smooth transaction.  

How do you define excellence in customer service?

I was once told by a wise salesman that business is simple as long as you “do what you say and only say what you can do.” I live by that and our mission is to exceed your expectations with prompt professional service.

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

In new construction, anything that makes codes more similar from region to region will be welcomed. Some of the older homes pre-existed any codes and code changes now will not affect the way they were constructed. To inspect the older homes, it takes experience and knowledge to understand homes conforming or nonconforming to these codes.

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