HomeTeam Inspection Service Recognizes 2010 Awards Winners

In the current housing market, home sellers can’t afford to show their homes to prospective buyers without carefully examining the goods. There is simply too much inventory on the market to risk losing a sale because of defects found at the close of a deal, which is why hiring a quality home inspector is so important. HomeTeam Inspection Service, a brand with over 15 years of inspection experience and 175-plus locations nationwide, is proud to recognize the winner of the 2010 HomeTeam Awards.

Special Recognition

Jurek Team - Fort Myers, FL

Rookie of the Year
Brian O'Rear - Louisville, KY

500+ Inspection Club
Craig Lee - Northville, MI
Danny & Jane Blankenship - Ocala, FL
Bill Tuthill - Gross Pointe Woods, MI
Ron Baker - Smyrna, TN

Top Sales Plus 500+ Inspection Club
Gary Mohel & John Fox - Austin, TX
Curtis Carr - Beaumont, TX
Mike Faulconer - Kansas City, KS
Terry Campbell - Pittsburgh, PA
Ray & George Fonos - Pittsburgh, PA
Jim Wieting - Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Top Sales Plus 1000+ Inspection Club
Colin Conroy - Pompano Beach, FL
Bill Jurek & Pam Jensen - Fort Meyers, FL
Mike Hannerman - Anchorage, AK
Mitch Rothenberg - Tampa, FL

Top Producing Small Territory
Gary Mohel & John Fox - Austin, TX

Top Producing Medium Territory
Ray & George Fonos - Pittsburgh, PA

Top Producing Large Territory
Bill Jurek & Pam Jensen - Fort Meyers, FL

Franchise of the Year
Mitch Rothenberg - Tampa, FL

HomeTeam Goes to Clearwater Beach

Annual Convention Hosts Top Franchisees; Introduces New Strategies and Tactics

By Greg Haskett, VP of Shared Services

Every year, our HomeTeam Inspection Service franchisees get together to celebrate another great year of business and discuss hot topics and what's new for the year ahead. This year we met in Clearwater Beach, FL in the city of our host franchisee Mitch Rothenberg. Themed Chart Your Course, we had several sessions, large and small, where franchisees gathered together to discuss all aspects of their businesses. As a leader in the home inspection industry, this convention in particular was special as we introduced several new items that our franchisees can use moving forward, including:

1. A new and improved online software that will keep us ahead of the competition. Cloud computing is the way of the future and our franchise owners can now respond quicker than their competition with better data.

2. New financial benchmarks and tools specifically designed to maximize the profit of each franchise owner which also gives them a unique tool to hit their personal income goals.

3. A strategic rollout of social media efforts that will broaden the reach of the HomeTeam brand and meet our current & future customers where they are.

4. Lastly, and the best part of any gathering like this, is when
the attendees can spend time together. We included extended breaks, franchisee-only meetings, and very successful role-playing sessions where franchise owners from across North America interacted with each and discussed their shared interests in building the HomeTeam name.

Overall this year's convention was the best one yet. We received some very positive feedback from our franchisees.

• "The leadership and direction of Jim Hunter is contagious! The entire staff is on board in attitude and actions. Thanks to all for $50,000 or more in value for about a $500 price." Ray Fonos, Pittsburgh, PA
• "I've already booked an inspection from a price shopper based on some of the ideas from the role-playing session." Mike Henry, Belleville, ON
• "I am excited about this year and look forward to the ISN
  addition to our teams. I truly believe that this will take my business to another level." Bobby Cox, Savannah, GA
• "I can say with great confidence that EVERYONE that attended went away recharged and invigorated, ready to take on whatever 2011 throws at us! You will find that your 'return on investment' will easily be 10 to 20 (or more) times the costs involved in attending." Bill Jurek, Ft. Meyers, FL
• "Coming up on 16 years and haven't missed one yet. Still can't imagine anyone in this business, especially with THIS franchise, who wouldn't strive to make it to every convention. It's the motivation, encouragement and pick-me-up we all need to kick-start our year!" John Gambill, Ashland, KY
• "Hard to imagine any franchisee not seeing the value in this and not attending. I can't wait for next year!" Scott Whitbeck, Colorado Springs, CO

Franchisee Profile: Mitch Rothenberg, Franchisee of Tampa, FL

Mitch Rothenberg has owned and operated the HomeTeam Inspection Service brand in Tampa for the past 16 years. In his time as a small business owner, Mitch has conducted over 28,000 home inspections with his team. What he enjoys most about his daily work is the opportunity to conduct each inspection with a team of qualified individuals that specialize in the different aspects of the industry, from termites and foundations to electrical systems and air conditioning.

Changed Ownership: April, 1995
Location: 720 East Fletcher Suite 105
Tampa, FL


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Are you a first time business owner?
No. Prior to opening HomeTeam, I worked as a general contractor and owned a construction business.

How did you learn about the brand?
When I joined the system 16 years ago, there was really no research to be done on the concept. It was a relatively new professional industry and there were only about 40 other franchises across the country. I spoke directly with the founder of HomeTeam and learned about the team approach and why that stood out in the industry. By providing a team to do a home inspection, the time required to complete a project was cut down dramatically and the quality of inspection increased because you had multiple sets of eyes to look over each area of the house.

Why was this brand the right fit for you?
HomeTeam was definitely the right fit because opening a home inspection service was similar to being a general contractor. We look at the whole picture, from air conditioning to termites. HomeTeam provides a professional approach to home inspections and by using a team method we are able to cut our service time in half compared to any of our competitors.

How have you been able to connect with the local community?
We currently sponsor the Women’s Council of Realtors of Florida, which has one of the largest memberships in the country. By creating a relationship with the WCR we are active participants in their meetings and conventions to help make our services known across the state.

What have been some career milestones for you/your business?
Since opening HomeTeam Inspection in 1994, we have conducted over 28,000 home inspections in the Tampa Bay area and created a good reputation for our services. We currently have three teams of made up of four experts that go on each home visit. We pride ourselves on the phenomenal team system that we have developed over the years with HomeTeam and the unmatched quality of our service.

Vacation Give-A-Way Winner Named

HomeTeam Inspection Service Selects Winner from Thousands of Entries

HomeTeam Inspection Service just announced its Vacation Give-A-Way winner for 2010. Each year HomeTeam Inspection Service encourages customers to leave feedback on comment cards noting their home inspection experiences. All cards are then entered into a huge national drawing at the end of the year on December 31, and the winner receives a voucher toward a vacation. This year, Michele Normington of Royal LePage Real Estate in Belleville, Ontario won a $2,000 voucher toward a vacation of her choice. Mike Henry, franchisee of HomeTeam in Belleville, presented Michele with the $2,000 vacation voucher just last week.

According to Greg Haskett, VP of Shared Services for HomeTeam Inspection Service, the comment cards serve a higher purpose than a vacation give-a-way. They allow HomeTeam franchisees to understand how to better serve their customers and improve their services. HomeTeam franchisees continually offer better customer service by studying comments from their valued clients. As a national franchise, HomeTeam Inspection Service lives up to its reputation of being the most professional and efficient home inspection service in the market and takes every comment seriously. Haskett adds, “The Vacation Give-A-Way is a fun perk to our customers and helps us continue developing as a brand. It’s a win/win!”

Congratulations to Michele Normington! HomeTeam looks forward to hearing the vacation she plans with her new $2,000.

HomeTeam Inspection Service featured in The Topeka Capital-Journal

HomeTeam Inspection Service was recently featured in The Topeka Capital-Journal with an article entitled "Radon testing important for homeowners." The article was written by Anne Williamson and built from an in-depth interview with Topeka, KS HomeTeam franchisee Maurie Blick. In the article, Blick weighs in as an expert on radon, a dangerous gas that is often present in people’s homes without their knowledge. Maurie discusses everything from the importance of testing for radon in your home, to how to lower your levels if radon is indeed detected, to how much it costs and what must be done to carry out these tests. Click here to view the full article.

Radon testing important for homeowners
By ANNE WILIAMSON, Jan. 28, 2011

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers, and January is National Radon Action Month.

Maurie Blick, with HomeTeam Inspection in Topeka, recently answered a few questions about radon.

What is radon?

(Read More)