About

WE COULD HAVE JUST RETIRED, SO HOW DID WE GET HERE ?

In 2016 we planned to retire and move back from Nova Scotia. A friend of ours is a Halifax realtor and arranged for a realtor in Brockville to assist us here. I did all of the legwork planning the schedule to view properties while we were in the area for 5 days. Over about a 12 hour period we viewed about 24 properties. We found one that we thought had promise so we arranged for a home inspection. 

Our agent thought we were nuts. “What are you getting an inspection for? You don’t need an inspector, you should be an inspector”. The government covered the cost and I wanted to see the process. What we arranged was a disgraceful example of a home inspection, but most people just wouldn’t know the difference unfortunately. I asked our agent “What the hell was that?” They replied, “They are the only one around.”

About 30 months later we were open for business. It took time to acquire the multiple nationally recognized certifications from Dalhousie University, FLIR and WETT, and the associated certifications and equipment. During this entire time our realtor kept in touch. Apparently they were eager to start recommending a reliable home inspector. Turns out they were just keeping tabs on us. I visited them when we opened for business and they figured we would get calls from them the same week. That was 2019. Now 2025, and we have never represented a client of theirs, not once. It was a learning experience for us.

What we did not anticipate was that absolutely all realtors in the Brockville and Smiths Falls areas immediately gave us the cold shoulder. Black listed before we ever started. Why? Since I have my military pension, we are not reliant on the business for income. We realized that agents have absolutely nothing to hold over us in order to get us to play along, so they did their best to put us out of business. In order for us to find ourselves in this position, someone had to have been spreading the word for a few years. This seemed far too organized and coordinated. 

The inspector we used in 2019 did not appear to be well liked due to their notable lack of skill. They used their personal 1/2 ton with a ladder in the back. They did however have one thing to offer area realtors, they could be taught to be the way realtors wanted them, in exchange for all of the area business. Now they have a $75,000 custom wrapped company vehicle, provide reports lacking any detail, they bullshit clients, and DO NOT risk anyone’s commission.

We were played. The degree of collusion and coordination involved made no sense to us, until you realized how much money was involved, and we are talking Millions of $$$ every year. You would never see this unless you dealt with it every day. We did ok though, mostly with clients who did their own research and did not blindly take the advice of their realtor. Out of area realtors also started looking for us. It turns out that this area has a ‘Reputation’.

Our business started to grow, and fast, after about two years. 300% over one year alone, you would think after 5 or 6 years things locally would change, nope. In 2024 we were asked to move to the GTA 3 times, apparently our services were needed there. There , honesty and details build business. We noticed that Ottawa is very similar. There are reputable realtors around. No wonder out of area clients have been traveling here with their agents. Its a matter of trust.

In early 2025 we completed a very interesting home inspection. I meet our client at the property and notice his expensive dress shoes, so I ask him what he does for a profession. Turns out he is a Mortgage Manager for a local bank branch. I asked how they heard of our service. He said that he did his research, then adds “Realtors hate you.” I replied “Tell me something I don’t know.” He then leaned in an said “No. They really F*@kin Hate You!” Details about the property they had interest in were misrepresented and it needed a significant investment. All of the major mechanical needed replacing. He liked the high ceilings in the kitchen until I explained that the heat runs to the master bedroom upstairs were removed when they did this. He walked away from the property. I was later told that his agent tried to throw me under the bus saying that I was lying and didn’t know what I was talking about. He promptly fired his agent.

A quick internet search about the lawsuits in the USA regarding realtors is enlightening. Similar lawsuits have since been filed here in Canada. It turns out that area real estate associations have been named in this lawsuit. This may explain why some brokerages have changed ownership.

They don’t dislike us because we did something wrong. They dislike us because we see them for who they are.