Top Home Inspection Franchise Maintains Leadership in Every Market
Everybody wants to be on a winning team, and among home inspection companies, that’s Pillar To Post. “We have more owners and inspectors than any other home inspection company, the highest average invoice, more million-dollar producers, more innovations, more hours of training and more coaches than any other brand,” says Eric Steward, senior director of franchise recruiting for the home services brand. “We have established a reputation for integrity and professionalism, inspiring our clients to trust us in every market. Within just six years of its founding in 1994, Pillar To Post became the largest home inspection franchise in North America, and we hold that status to this day.”
Mike Brewer started the franchise after an abysmal inspection experience when he bought his home. Discovering that the industry had no industry standards and no training protocols was his lightbulb moment. In response, Steward says, “Pillar To Post developed a variety of tools to ensure that every home inspection fits a strict standard of excellence: formal technical training, detailed inspection practices and standards, a complete business start-up plan, a full operations program and a formatted inspection report. These tools keep our home inspection thorough and give franchise owners what they need to build successful businesses.” Franchisee support includes:
1. Training
Eleven weeks of virtual training cover the industry, sales techniques, technical skills, operations, firsthand experience with running a business and more. “Owners learn everything they need to know about running the franchise,” Steward says.
2. Coaching
A personal business coach helps owners launch and continues advising them throughout the life of their business. Further mentoring occurs during regular coaching calls with regional directors.
3. Marketing assistance
Pillar To Post provides professionally developed marketing materials and teaches franchisees how to maximize marketing efforts, including local and social media campaigns.
4. Annual brand conference
Owners learn new strategies, obtain course certifications and hear about upcoming innovations.
5. Semi-annual regional meetings
These fall and spring in-person meetings facilitate networking with other owners in the region and with regional directors.
6. Technology
Owners use proprietary inspection software and an app built on cloud-based Salesforce customer relationship management (CRM) software.
Pillar To Post’s executive business model is designed for franchisees to build a local team to scale. “Our business owners have full-time involvement in the business. This isn’t a passive or semi-passive ownership opportunity. They may be home inspectors but they do not have to be. A typical day will be making office visits to Realtors, dropping in to agents’ open house events, conducting or following up on inspections, and administrative tasks.”
The industry itself is “steady, stable and recession-resistant,” Steward says. “Home inspections are not a fad. Homes will always be sold.” Advantages specific to the Pillar To Post franchise include its low cost of entry, low ongoing costs (home-based) and registration with the Small Business Administration.
Pillar To Post is part of the FirstService Brands home services umbrella, along with California Closets, CertaPro Painters, Floor Coverings International and Paul Davis Restoration. The home inspection brand, with 450-plus units currently operating, has territories available in every state and Canada.
Ideal Franchisee
Eric Steward (above), senior director of franchise recruiting for Pillar To Post, says his company is “selective about who we will award a franchise to. Industry experience can be helpful but is not required. We are looking for business owners and team builders.” The best résumés often list some of the following:
- Sales, marketing or other professional business experience.
- Real estate investing, house flipping, rental property ownership and work in other occupations related to real estate.
- Military service involving leadership.
- Experience in managing and building teams.
- A track record of building and maintaining business relationships.
For more information about the Pillar To Post franchise, visit the company’s website.
