Why Recessions Are Good for Home Inspectors

Recessions aren't something to fear – they're opportunities to seize, especially if you're a home inspection business owner. While conventional wisdom suggests economic downturns are universally negative, historical data reveals a surprising truth: home inspection companies consistently thrive during these periods.

During both the Great Recession (2007-2009) and the COVID-19 downturn (2020), the inspection industry experienced remarkable growth while other sectors struggled. This isn't coincidental – it's a predictable pattern driven by fundamental market shifts that create ideal conditions for inspection services to flourish.

When economic pressure forces more homes onto the market, housing inventory increases dramatically. Financial hardships, job relocations, and foreclosures push properties into circulation that would otherwise remain off-market. Simultaneously, market dynamics shift in favor of buyers, making sellers more willing to invest in pre-listing inspections to attract purchasers. Recession-era buyers, naturally more cautious with their investments, rarely waive inspections and frequently walk away from properties with significant issues – creating inspection cascades where multiple inspectors evaluate the same property for different potential buyers.

The multiplier effect continues as rejected properties generate additional inspections when sellers must find new buyers, and those initial buyers move on to inspect other homes. Add in the foreclosure market, increased investor activity as prices drop, commercial property transitions, and renovation loan inspections, and you have a perfect storm of opportunity for inspection businesses that maintain operations while competitors react emotionally and exit the market.

Waiting eight to ten years between recessions might seem like a long time, but these economic cycles are inevitable. Rather than dreading the next downturn, prepare to capitalize on it. When others panic and retreat, position your inspection business to capture the expanded market share that historically appears during these periods. The evidence is clear: in the home inspection industry, recessions don't signal disaster – they herald opportunity.

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*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast, and the guests on it, do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Inspector Toolbelt and its associates.