As a real estate agent, your responsibility is to represent your client and make sure their transaction goes smoothly, whether they are buying or selling. Part of making sure of that is making sure the property is in tip-top shape. No holes in walls, no chipped paint, no unsealed windows, etc. What could be even worse than any of these problems are termite infestations. Termites are a pest that can penetrate anything made of wood in a home and eat it from the inside out. This can result in structural damage that drains wallets easily.
Since you’re a real estate agent, your job is to serve your client. Nothing can be worse for your reputation than a termite infestation that goes undealt with. Termite inspections are just another thing you have to do. Even if everything looks good, there could still be termites. They could be starting out a colony, and therefore difficult to spot. On the other hand, they could have been in the home for years without anyone noticing. The reason for this is that termites eat from the inside out, so on the outside, a piece of wood could look fine, but on the inside, it could be completely hollow and on the verge of collapsing.
If you’re representing the seller, then you should conduct a termite inspection and get any damage taken care of before the potential buyer conducts one of their own. This way, you won’t scare anyone off. If you’re representing the buyer, then you should conduct a termite inspection if the seller hasn’t already. This is the best way to ensure that your client doesn’t unknowingly purchase a house that is infested with termites.
Some termite inspectors include a list of places around the house that are at risk for a termite infestation. This is good information to have for your client if they are looking to purchase a house. The list might include things like fallen tree branches, firewood piles, excessive vegetation or damp wood areas in the foundation.
As a real estate agent, it’s your responsibility to make sure your client doesn’t make any decisions on a home that could end up depleting their wallet in the future. Termites are one of the most costly pests around, so keeping them away is important for both property sellers and property buyers.
