The deal fell apart after your inspection. The texts that book the next one, word for word
When a buyer walks after your report, they still need an inspector for the next house. Three texts and a call script to keep the buyer and the agent.
Your report found a failing roof and a cracked heat exchanger, and the buyer walked. You did your job. But now that buyer is house hunting again, and in two weeks they will need an inspector for the next one. Most inspectors never hear from them again, because nobody reached out.
A buyer who walked is not a lost customer. They are a customer who already trusts you and is about to buy the same service twice. Here is exactly what to send.
Text one: the day you hear the deal is off
You usually hear from the agent or the buyer within a few days. Send this the same day. Keep it short and human. Do not pitch yet.
"Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. I heard you decided not to move forward on [street name]. That is a hard call and I think it was a smart one given what we found. When you find the next one, I am glad to help."
What this does: it tells them you are on their side, and it plants the idea that you are their inspector, not the last house's inspector.
Text two: when they go under contract again
You will not always know. Ask the buyer's agent to tell you, or simply send this two to three weeks later:
"Hi [first name], [your name] again. Any luck on the house hunt? If you are under contract on a new place, I can usually get you on the schedule within a few days. Since you already used us, I will take $[amount] off the second inspection."
A second-inspection discount is a common courtesy in this trade, and you decide the amount. Even $50 off is a real reason to call you back instead of starting a new search. Inspection prices vary widely by market and home size. The pricing guide covers how to set and present yours.
Text three: the agent
The agent lost a sale too, and some agents get nervous about inspectors who "kill deals." Get ahead of that.
"Hi [agent name], it's [your name]. Sorry [street name] fell through. I know that is lost time for you. I'm glad to inspect the next one for [buyer first name] whenever you get there, and I'll keep the report just as clear and calm as this one."
The words "clear and calm" matter. Agents do not want a soft inspector. They want one who explains problems without scaring the buyer off things that are routine. Saying it out loud reassures them. The buyer's agent texts post has more on building that relationship.
The phone call, if they call you upset
Sometimes a buyer calls angry. They spent $400 or more on an inspection and an appraisal and have nothing to show for it. Do not argue, and do not defend the report line by line.
Say this:
"I understand. You paid for an inspection and you still don't have a house. That is frustrating. What you do have is a clear reason not to buy that one. A failing roof and a cracked heat exchanger could easily have cost you $15,000 or more after closing. When you find the next house, I'd like to inspect it for you, and I'll take [amount] off since this one didn't work out."
Then stop talking and let them respond. Most people calm down once someone says out loud that it is frustrating.
The review ask, later
Do not ask for a review the day a deal falls apart. Wait until the second inspection is done or the buyer closes on a house. Then:
"Congratulations on the new house. If you have a minute, a Google review would help other buyers find us. It's most helpful if you mention what the inspection caught on the first house."
That review is gold. "Our inspector found a cracked heat exchanger and saved us from a bad house" is the kind of line that sells the next fifty inspections. The review guide has more on timing and wording.
You need it. The median home inspector in our data has 4 Google reviews, and 30.2% have none at all. The top 10% have 161 or more. A handful of specific stories moves you out of the bottom half fast. The benchmark report shows exactly where the lines are.
Keep a simple list
None of this works if you forget. Keep a short list, even a note on your phone, with three columns: buyer name, house that fell through, date. Check it every Monday. When someone has been quiet three weeks, send text two.
If you use scheduling software, add a tag like "walked" so you can find them later. Many tools can send text two automatically after 21 days.
Why this matters more in winter
Inspection volume drops from November through January in most markets, as the slow season plan explains. Every buyer you keep is a booking you did not have to find. A buyer who walked in October is very often shopping again in November or early in the new year.
The short version
Same day: a kind text, no pitch. Two to three weeks later: a check-in with a second-inspection discount. The agent: a text that says you will be clear and calm next time. After they close: the review ask that mentions what you caught.
If you want these texts set up to send automatically, the free 14-day trial covers any one service, no card: text or call (385) 526-5050.
Steven has spent the last several years running growth campaigns for local service businesses, home inspectors among them, and builds the benchmark datasets on this site from public Google listings. About the editor