Amidst ongoing economic uncertainty, which has rocked the real estate industry, home inspection businesses — particularly those with the right business model and clear purpose — remain resilient. HomeTeam Inspection Service, the 200-plus-unit home inspection franchise, is looking forward to what the leadership team believes will be another great year.
“We grew revenue 5% last year, and it was one of the worst real estate economies the country has seen in the last generation,” said Matt Cook, Director of Business Development. “Statistically speaking, the overall real estate economy over the last few years was worse than any year during the recession between 2009-2012 — people just didn't want to admit that. Even with the industry down tremendously, we’ve continued to drive revenue growth in our system.”
The growth runs counter to broader industry trends. Cook says many independent inspectors are exiting the business entirely, noting a 35% decrease in licensed home inspectors in Illinois from 2024 to 2025 and referencing a similar trend around the nation.
“HomeTeam owners who are not busy doing inspections are busy grabbing market share and growing their business,” Cook said. “Thirty-five percent of people who are getting out of the industry are opening up market share for those that are out there working to grow their business. When the real estate market picks back up, our owners will have already built relationships that will allow them to capitalize on it.”
The team model is a key contributor to this method. While independent inspectors often find themselves completing the inspections, HomeTeam franchise owners build teams to do this, freeing up more of their time to work on growth strategies.
“This is an incredibly recession-resistant model because our owners have teams doing the jobs for them so they can focus on marketing and picking up that market share,” Cook said. “Whereas, the rest of our industry is so busy doing the jobs, they don’t have time for the sales and marketing.”
Home inspections remain essential regardless of economic conditions. As the market shifts from a seller-dominated market to a more balanced one, buyers are regaining some leverage, and the trend of waiving inspections to win bidding wars is fading.
“Waiving the inspection contingency was a big thing for a little while,” Cook said. “That’s never recommended, but some buyers felt they had to do it in order to get the home they wanted. As the market evens out and we even see the potential of the buyer having the clear upper hand in the coming years, we won’t hear about waiving inspections anymore.”
Further, some states are starting to implement legislation that prevents inspection waivers from ever entering the negotiation process. For example, in Massachusetts, buyers can no longer disclose whether they plan to have an inspection done as the inspection should not be a factor in whether the seller accepts the offer or not.
HomeTeam already offers a recession-resistant model within a resilient industry, but its diversification offers only make the opportunity more attractive.
With package pricing and niche inspection services available, it’s even easier for home buyers to understand what they need and leverage HomeTeam for services beyond just the initial inspection.
“We provide a great home inspection for the buying process. We’ll provide a non-alarmist, educational explanation of the state of the home,” Cook said. “However, there are also services like sewer scope inspections and indoor air quality testing that homeowners can engage us for throughout the life of their time in the home. This allows us to build long-lasting relationships with the clients and increase the lifetime value of each relationship.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice.
HomeTeam Inspection Service
SPONSORED
As independents exit the industry, HomeTeam’s team-based model, diversified services and strategic focus help franchise owners capture market share and thrive — even in a down economy.
Amidst ongoing economic uncertainty, which has rocked the real estate industry, home inspection businesses — particularly those with the right business model and clear purpose — remain resilient. HomeTeam Inspection Service, the 200-plus-unit home inspection franchise, is looking forward to what the leadership team believes will be another great year.
“We grew revenue 5% last year, and it was one of the worst real estate economies the country has seen in the last generation,” said Matt Cook, Director of Business Development. “Statistically speaking, the overall real estate economy over the last few years was worse than any year during the recession between 2009-2012 — people just didn't want to admit that. Even with the industry down tremendously, we’ve continued to drive revenue growth in our system.”
The growth runs counter to broader industry trends. Cook says many independent inspectors are exiting the business entirely, noting a 35% decrease in licensed home inspectors in Illinois from 2024 to 2025 and referencing a similar trend around the nation.
“HomeTeam owners who are not busy doing inspections are busy grabbing market share and growing their business,” Cook said. “Thirty-five percent of people who are getting out of the industry are opening up market share for those that are out there working to grow their business. When the real estate market picks back up, our owners will have already built relationships that will allow them to capitalize on it.”
The team model is a key contributor to this method. While independent inspectors often find themselves completing the inspections, HomeTeam franchise owners build teams to do this, freeing up more of their time to work on growth strategies.
“This is an incredibly recession-resistant model because our owners have teams doing the jobs for them so they can focus on marketing and picking up that market share,” Cook said. “Whereas, the rest of our industry is so busy doing the jobs, they don’t have time for the sales and marketing.”
Home inspections remain essential regardless of economic conditions. As the market shifts from a seller-dominated market to a more balanced one, buyers are regaining some leverage, and the trend of waiving inspections to win bidding wars is fading.
“Waiving the inspection contingency was a big thing for a little while,” Cook said. “That’s never recommended, but some buyers felt they had to do it in order to get the home they wanted. As the market evens out and we even see the potential of the buyer having the clear upper hand in the coming years, we won’t hear about waiving inspections anymore.”
Further, some states are starting to implement legislation that prevents inspection waivers from ever entering the negotiation process. For example, in Massachusetts, buyers can no longer disclose whether they plan to have an inspection done as the inspection should not be a factor in whether the seller accepts the offer or not.
HomeTeam already offers a recession-resistant model within a resilient industry, but its diversification offers only make the opportunity more attractive.
With package pricing and niche inspection services available, it’s even easier for home buyers to understand what they need and leverage HomeTeam for services beyond just the initial inspection.
“We provide a great home inspection for the buying process. We’ll provide a non-alarmist, educational explanation of the state of the home,” Cook said. “However, there are also services like sewer scope inspections and indoor air quality testing that homeowners can engage us for throughout the life of their time in the home. This allows us to build long-lasting relationships with the clients and increase the lifetime value of each relationship.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/hometeaminspectionservice.
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