Resources for real estate brokers · 3 min read
The Broker at the Inspection: What Role Should You Play?
During the inspection, the broker's presence can help the client or undermine the inspector's independence. It all depends on which side they represent and how they behave.
Two distinct roles according to the OACIQ
The OACIQ clearly distinguishes the two roles. During the inspection, the seller's broker must show restraint and let the inspector work with their client, the buyer. If a broker represents the buyer, they must attend the inspection to be able to advise their client properly.
The OACIQ also stresses the importance of the buyer's presence: the inspector should use the visit to point out to the buyer the items deserving attention and the corrections needed, and these remarks must be part of the written report. These principles fit within our inspection guide for real estate brokers.
The buyer's broker: listen and help ask questions
The buyer's broker's presence has a very concrete purpose: they hear the inspector's explanations first-hand, see the important items and can help their client ask the right questions. What they understand on site will then allow them to advise the client on next steps: negotiation, quotes, specialist opinion.
Their role isn't to direct the inspection. They don't steer the inspector toward some items to avoid others, and they don't comment on the seriousness of findings in the inspector's place. In a fast market, this presence becomes even more valuable, as we explain in fast inspections in a competitive market.
Before the day, it's worth confirming with the client who will attend and how long the visit will take. A buyer who knows to expect two to three hours, and who has cleared their schedule, asks better questions than one watching the clock.
The seller's broker: facilitate, then step back
The seller's broker facilitates access: keys, technical rooms, attic, rented units, a condo's common areas. Once the inspection starts, they show restraint. They don't follow the inspector room by room, dispute findings on the spot or try to influence what will be written.
If present to answer questions about the property's history, they stick to facts, with the available documents, without arguing. If a finding seems unfounded, the right time to react comes later, through a counter-expertise; see counter-expertise and quotes in negotiation.
Actions that help
A few simple actions make the inspection more useful. Prepare a list of questions with the client before the visit. Bring the available documents: seller's declarations, pre-sale report, work invoices. Save time at the end for the inspector to give a verbal summary of the main findings.
A verbal summary at the end is often the most useful moment of the day. The buyer hears the essentials, in order of importance, before receiving the full report. They then approach the report with a framework in mind.
Take brief notes during that summary on behalf of the client. When the written report arrives a day later, comparing it with those notes helps both of you confirm nothing important was misunderstood in the moment.
Actions that hurt
Conversely, some behaviours hurt everyone: answering in the inspector's place, downplaying a finding in front of the client, pressuring the inspector to finish faster, or discussing the negotiation in front of the seller during the inspection. These actions weaken the inspection's value and expose the broker.
Finally, remember that the broker must not offer to pay the inspector, because of the appearance of a conflict of interest, as we explain in the obligations of a broker recommending an inspector.
Also avoid using the visit to discuss renovations or projects with invited contractors. The inspection has a precise purpose, and mixing other activities into the visit distracts both the buyer and the inspector just when their attention matters most.
An inspection that leaves room for questions
A good inspector welcomes questions from the buyer and their broker, and takes time to explain what they see. It's a criterion worth considering when building your inspector list.
The inspectors in our network set aside time at the end of the visit for a verbal summary of the main findings. To send a request on a client's behalf, see our page for partner brokers.
