With nearly a quarter century of experience in the real estate industry under his belt, real estate professional Dave Abdallah has gone from being a staunch skeptic of home warranties to one of the nation’s top selling advocates of the diverse protection plans.
In fact, Abdallah, with CENTURY 21 Curran and Christie in Dearborn Heights, Mich., recommends that every client obtain at least the first year’s protection through American Home Shield® (AHS). And AHS has something for everyone, with home protection plans that cover major home system components and appliances—ranging from dishwashers to air conditioning.
“For many years, I went out of my way to convince people not to get a home warranty, as I was not a believer in them,” says Abdallah. However, the tables eventually turned as Abdallah came to realize firsthand the numerous advantages associated with incorporating an AHS home protection plan into a transaction. And he hasn’t looked back since. “For the past 12-15 years, I have been recommending home protection plans to each and every client.”
While Abdallah admits home warranties are typically a hard sell when it comes to new homes, it’s still important to try and get the seller or buyer to invest in a protection plan for at least the first year.
“I’ve lived in new-construction homes, where the presumption is that nothing will be breaking down for 10-15 years. But it happens,” says Abdallah. “A new furnace can break down, or you can run into some type of construction issue. Or you may have a plumbing or electrical problem.”