HomeTeam Inspection Service

In the last few years, the real estate industry has seen some very highs interspersed with some unsettling lows. Now that the market appears to be stabilizing and bouncing back,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cook-a2810b8b/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2024-real-estate-trends-position-hometeam-inspection-service-as-a-strong-investment-2725235" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Matt Cook</a>, Director of Business Development with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice/info">HomeTeam Inspection Service</a>, says it’s also offering an attractive landscape for new franchise owners.“The&nbsp;<a href="http://hometeamfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2024-real-estate-trends-position-hometeam-inspection-service-as-a-strong-investment-2725235" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HomeTeam</a> system has been seeing year-over-year increases for the last few months,” said Cook. “The fact that the real estate market is looking up is even more encouraging. Franchise owners who have been doing the right things all along — going to trade shows, building relationships and continuing marketing efforts — never stopped sales and are feeling that tightness of the market go away.”For example,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradlawler/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2024-real-estate-trends-position-hometeam-inspection-service-as-a-strong-investment-2725235" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Brad Lawler</a>, who owns multiple HomeTeam territories in the Kentuckiana region, has seen a 10% year-over-year increase in inspection count.“Last year, in a tough market, our revenues were up, and we gained additional market share,” said Lawler. “I’m bullish on the real estate market for 2024, and I do think it’s going to be another good year for us.”As the real estate market becomes more favorable for those looking to buy or sell a home, HomeTeam franchise owners can also expect to see more movement from real estate agents, owners and buyers in need of inspections.<h3>Decreasing Mortgage Rates Will Drive Movement</h3>According to Cook, interest rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dipped below 7% at the end of last year, and the rates are currently similar, or just below, the historical average. With interest rates decreasing, buying a new home is becoming an attainable goal for more people and, fortunately, inventory is rising to meet the demand.Previously, housing inventory served as a major challenge for those looking to buy. Even buyers who were willing to take out mortgages with higher interest rates had no guarantee of finding a suitable home available for purchase. But now, decreasing interest rates are making mortgages more attractive to families looking to move out of their current homes. This means more homes will be placed on the market, and the entire ecosystem will be able to grow.<h3>A Lot of People Will Begin To Buy as Rent Increases</h3>While many homebuyers will be motivated by favorable circumstances of the real estate market, others will be driven by the high costs that come with renting.“Per the&nbsp;<a href="https://data.census.gov/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2024-real-estate-trends-position-hometeam-inspection-service-as-a-strong-investment-2725235" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">U.S. Census Bureau</a>, as of July of 2022, there are roughly 130 million people between ages 25 and 54,” said Cook. “That is the most active buyer group. People on the upper end of that range are downsizing, but the younger people in that range are looking to buy. Rents are increasing and mortgage rates are coming down, and that is a recipe for excitement.”According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/455762/housing-cost-burdneed-households-number-usa-among-renters/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2024-real-estate-trends-position-hometeam-inspection-service-as-a-strong-investment-2725235" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Statista</a>, there were over 21 million households in the U.S. that were “housing cost burdened” in 2021. A household is considered to be housing cost burdened if over 30% of the household income is spent on housing costs, and a household is “severely burdened” if it spends over 50% of the household income on rent.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azibo.com/blog/average-rent-increase-per-year?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2024-real-estate-trends-position-hometeam-inspection-service-as-a-strong-investment-2725235#:~:text=From%202021%20to%202022%2C%20average,year%20prior%20for%20new%20tenants." target="_blank" rel="nofollow">average rent increased by 14%</a> between 2021 and 2022, and, though the climb is slowing, costs are still increasing. This trend is not reversing, but mortgage rates are, creating a prime market for renters to move into home ownership.<h3>The Future Is Bright for Home Inspectors</h3>All of these trends come together to paint a favorable picture for home inspectors. Although home inspections aren’t always mandatory to close a deal, home buyers and real estate professionals recognize their value. As a result, the number of home inspections typically correlates to the number of houses sold.“It’s going to be a good year for real estate, and it’s going to be a good year for HomeTeam,” said Cook. “With moderate to aggressive growth in the market, our owners have an opportunity to ride that momentum and grow their businesses as well.”While the home inspection market at large is expected to be strong in 2024, partnering with HomeTeam to launch a home inspection business provides franchise owners with an even better foundation and the support and systems they need to build a strong, long-lasting business.“Partnering with HomeTeam in 2024 will give entrepreneurs the scaffolding they need to jump into the warming real estate market and begin making connections, doing inspections and bringing in revenue as soon as possible,” said Cook. “The best time to invest in a business is when the market is coming out of a slump. The last real estate upswing was 10-plus years long, so it’s a perfect time to catch that wave.”As it grows, HomeTeam is looking to partner with driven entrepreneurs in all states and especially in Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah, where numerous territories are available.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit<a href="https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice">&nbsp;https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice</a>

Why HomeTeam Is a Strong Investment Opportunity in 2024

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As interest rates decrease and the real estate market heats up, 2024 is a great year for entrepreneurs to partner with the home inspection franchise to break into the industry.

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2024 Real Estate Trends Position HomeTeam Inspection Service as a Strong Investment

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For years, homeownership has felt out of reach for many buyers, with the average age of first-time homebuyers getting older each year. Lately, though, the market has started to shift as builders and buyers adjust to new conditions.As rents continue to rise, people are finding themselves at a crossroads, realizing it may be more affordable to buy than rent. And while the barriers to entry for purchasing an existing home remain high, builders are stepping in with more aggressive tactics to decrease hurdles and move inventory. So, while there isn’t a traditional buyer boom going on, there’s a strategic opening created by builder incentives.“Building a home is more incentivized than it’s been in a long time, and that’s going to cause an influx of buyers, first-time and otherwise, building homes rather than buying existing ones,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cook-a2810b8b">Matt Cook</a>, Director of Operations at&nbsp;<a href="http://hometeamfranchise.com">HomeTeam Inspection Service</a>. “For&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice/info">HomeTeam</a> franchise owners, this presents a unique opportunity. Even new homes need inspections, and HomeTeam owners have an opportunity to drive business by completing inspections both before the buyers take the keys and at the 11-month mark to provide a thorough report before the warranty expires.”&nbsp;<h2>The Incentive-Driven Shift</h2>The median age of first-time homebuyers is increasing, but the market isn’t stalled. Rather, the new market core is defined by steadily dropping interest rates and remarkable new home build incentives.“If people see that renting is not valuable to them anymore, they’re going to buy a home. And generally, when this wave happens, you’re going to have buyer credits,” Cook said. “We need to build homes faster, and the more we can build and the cheaper they are to build, the more attractive the market is, and the faster our housing booms. Offering buyer incentives is one of the key ways to do this.”Major national builders are utilizing their own financing arms to offer mortgage rates much lower than the national standard, and many are offering “flex cash,” upgrade credit and closing cost assistance to excite buyers and move-in-ready inventory.“These can make a major difference in the value of the home for the buyer,” he said. “These credits are things like, instead of spending $7,500 on a stone fireplace, the builder will give you $15,000 in flex cash to choose any upgrades you want throughout the home. Or, when I built a home in 2015, the incentive was a free deck or finished basement.”For current renters already considering taking the leap to homeownership, incentives like these that can represent tens of thousands of dollars in value are just the push they need.<h2>Supply and the Inspection Gap</h2>The appeal of these incentives is backed up by the data. In early 2010, construction began on about&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HOUST">600,000</a> new privately owned homes. In early 2025, that number was around 1.5 million.This rise in supply is essential to long-term housing availability and affordability, but in the short term, it can come at a cost.&nbsp;“The reality is, as homes are built faster, the quality is at risk because of the rush to complete the project and move on to the next,” Cook said. “There have also been changes in the kind of building materials used. These factors only reinforce a truth qualified inspectors have known for decades: Just because it’s a new home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a home inspection. Having an inspector check it before you take over the keys is critical.”There are structural deficiencies that home inspectors can identify prior to closing to ensure a new-build home is up to standard, and there’s also an opportunity to bring an inspector in again around the 11-month mark.“Most new builds will come with a one-year warranty,” Cook said. “Buyers should still get an inspection before closing, but another inspection after living in the home for 11 months is a smart idea. The inspector can again go through the home and identify anything that needs to be resolved, helping buyers make the most of their investments.”<h2>Building Momentum for Franchise Owners</h2>New construction is creating more inspection touchpoints, and that translates into steady demand for HomeTeam owners. Pre-closing inspections, 11-month warranty checkups and routine home health visits can keep schedules full and revenue consistent.Central to this growth opportunity is HomeTeam’s education-first, non-alarmist approach to home inspections and reporting. Rather than causing panic over findings or reporting on whether a home is “good” or “bad,” HomeTeam inspectors empower clients with knowledge and support them in making an informed decision. This builds trust and lays a foundation for a long-term client relationship.For prospective franchise owners, 2026 is a prime time to join the system. With AI-enhanced reporting, new marketing strategies and a changing real estate market, Cook says the team is preparing for “parabolic” growth in the coming years.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice">https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice.</a>&nbsp;

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Builder credits and decreasing interest rates are making homeownership more attainable, driving both supply and demand. For HomeTeam franchise owners, this creates a strategic opening for growth.

Capitalizing on the “Strategic Opening”: The HomeTeam Advantage in an Incentive-Driven Real Estate Market

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In a fragmented home services space, there are many “Chuck in a truck” businesses that rely solely on the owner to both manage the day-to-day operations and plan for future growth.&nbsp;<a href="http://hometeamfranchise.com">HomeTeam Inspection Service</a>, the 200-plus-unit home inspection franchise, turns this model on its head. With the support of an experienced franchisor and a team-based model that further elevates it in the market,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice/info">HomeTeam</a> is driving the home inspection industry forward with speed, accuracy and efficiency.This approach goes beyond preference, representing a strategic shift that meets the demands of today’s consumers and the often fast-paced real estate market. In a business landscape where timeliness and scalability are key to success, HomeTeam’s team-based model provides a distinct advantage.<h2>Speed and Efficiency in Booking</h2>A primary advantage of the team-based model is the speed at which the inspections can be completed. This alone is a major differentiator for HomeTeam, with most inspections completed in 90 minutes or less — compared to hours with a single-inspector model.“We encourage our owners to build a business bigger than themselves,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cook-a2810b8b">Matt Cook</a>, Director of Operations. “So they’re able to grow multiple teams and get to a point where they’re completing three to four inspections per team per day.”This also brings a clear value proposition to buyers and real estate agents.“Our speed is a great selling point, but that’s just the beginning,” Cook said. “Because we can complete inspections in less time, we can complete more inspections in a day. This also shortens the turnaround time for scheduling an inspection, making us a top choice, especially in fast-moving real estate markets.”For home buyers, this makes HomeTeam a convenient, reliable option. For franchise owners, it streamlines day-to-day operations and allows them to maximize revenue opportunities by increasing the volume of business handled each day.<h2>Accuracy Through Specialization</h2>While speed is a significant benefit of the team model, HomeTeam doesn’t sacrifice quality just to get the job done more quickly. In fact, having a team of inspectors on site can actually increase accuracy, preventing the fatigue that may occur with a single inspector responsible for an entire home.There’s a level of specialization that takes place with HomeTeam inspectors, where one may focus on the exterior and roof, while another inspects the interior and internal systems.&nbsp;“Having multiple inspectors on site brings a level of depth and quality that is hard to achieve with a single-inspector model,” Cook said. “More eyes on the home leads to better and more complete reports.”<h2>The Long-Term Advantage</h2>The speed and accuracy benefits of the team-based model boost business on a day-to-day basis, but the model as a whole also sets the stage for franchise owners to build an asset, not just a job.With multiple inspectors on site for the actual inspections, owners are relieved of this duty and have more capacity to engage the community, focus on business strategy and prepare for long-term success. Cook explained that this approach is especially valuable during real estate slowdowns. When other inspectors may let up on local marketing efforts, HomeTeam doubles down, ensuring they’re top of mind when the real estate market bounces back.“People want to do business with people they have a relationship with,” he said. “We’ve seen this time and time again. Even when the real estate market slows, our owners who stay true to the model and remain involved in their communities see steady performance, and when the real estate market bounces back, they rebound even more strongly because they’ve made this time investment on the front end.”While owners should remain visible in the community, having competent teams establishes each franchise as “the HomeTeam of a given market” rather than “a home inspection business led by this entrepreneur.”“This means that our owners are able to build an operation that, when they choose to retire, represents a true asset,” Cook said. “If you’re just creating a job for yourself, no one is going to buy that from you. One of the things that differentiates HomeTeam is that we’re business builders. Having a strong team model in place ensures that, when our owners do step away, the business can be sold and will continue to operate seamlessly even after ownership is transferred.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice">https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice</a>.&nbsp;

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With a team model, HomeTeam empowers franchise owners to transition from day-to-day technicians to strategic business leaders while providing the speed the modern market demands.

Why Team-Based Inspection Models Are the Future of the Home Inspection Industry

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HomeTeam Inspection Service 2026 Annual Conference Highlights Franchise Support, Innovation and Momentum

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How HomeTeam Inspection Service Navigates a Shifting Real Estate Market

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CINCINNATI&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="http://hometeamfranchise.com">HomeTeam Inspection Service</a>, the 200-plus-unit home inspection franchise, was recognized as one of the top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®, the world’s first and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Since 1980, the Franchise 500 has been recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchise owners, and placement in the ranking has been a highly sought-after honor within the franchise industry. In the 2026 Franchise 500,&nbsp;<a href="http://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice/info">HomeTeam</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/hometeam-inspection-service/282435">ranked No. 413</a> for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, operational and marketing support, and brand power.“For 47 years, the Franchise 500 has been the gold standard for identifying franchise excellence. This year’s ranking proves that the best brands don’t just survive changing markets; they thrive in them,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfeifer/">Jason Feifer</a>, Entrepreneur magazine’s editor in chief. “These 500 companies represent some of the most reliable pathways to business ownership in America, each one vetted through our rigorous analysis of what actually drives franchise owner success.”“Our placement on the Franchise 500 for 2026 is validation of the work people throughout our system have been doing to drive HomeTeam forward,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cook-a2810b8b">Matt Cook</a>, Director of Operations. “We’re honored to be recognized alongside top performers in the franchise industry and excited for the future of HomeTeam.”In Entrepreneur’s continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace, the company’s ranking formula continues to evolve as well. Each franchise is thoroughly evaluated and given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchise owner support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. The franchises with the highest cumulative scores are ranked in order to make up the Franchise 500.Over the last five decades, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for prospective franchise owners. HomeTeam’s position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.To view HomeTeam in the full ranking, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500">www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500</a>.Results can also be seen in the January/February 2026 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands January 13th.ABOUT HOMETEAM INSPECTION SERVICEFounded in 1992, HomeTeam Inspection Service is a full-service, independent home inspection franchise serving home buyers, sellers and real estate agents. For 30 years, HomeTeam has built a reputation for providing professional, reliable, efficient and accurate inspections on both residential and commercial property, focusing on electrical and plumbing systems, HVAC, exterior and siding, gutters and drainage, mold inspections, air quality reports and much more. Unlike other inspection companies, HomeTeam sends a team of certified inspectors to every appointment in order to provide a better and faster inspection, every single time. The brand’s reputation for excellence has made them a top choice among real estate agents and earned them the title of No. 1 home inspection franchise by Entrepreneur magazine's 2022 Franchise 500 listing. Now, HomeTeam Inspection Service has grown to include over 200 territories nationwide. For more information about HomeTeam please visit https://www.hometeam.com.

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The national home inspection franchise was ranked No. 413, celebrated for its growth, strength and stability as an investment opportunity.

2024 Real Estate Trends Position HomeTeam Inspection Service as a Strong Investment

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