What is the obligation of real estate agents regarding home inspections?

Real estate agents have an obligation to inform clients about the importance of home inspections as part of the real estate transaction process. This is essential because a home inspection provides critical information about the condition of a property, including potential issues that may need to be addressed, which can affect their investment decisions. By ensuring that clients understand the value of a home inspection, agents help them make informed choices, potentially saving them from costly repairs or future disputes.

While agents are not required to conduct inspections themselves or hire third-party inspectors, they must emphasize to their clients the benefits of obtaining an independent inspection. Ignoring inspection results would contradict their responsibility to protect their clients' interests, and the emphasis on hiring inspectors is about facilitating the process, not mandating it. Thus, highlighting the significance of home inspections is a key component of an agent’s advisory role.