As a regional president of Coldwell Banker Realty, Rob Norman leads a region with over 60 offices and approximately 7,000 agents operating from the top of Westchester County, New York, down through the Manhattan metro area, southward into New Jersey and Delaware, and west to Greater Philadelphia and Central Pennsylvania.
Regardless of the market, or the size of the offices under his purview, one thing has remained consistent throughout his years in the industry: his personal and professional regard for home warranties.
Across the firm’s footprint, Norman and his agents work closely with their clients to educate buyers and sellers alike about the benefits associated with a home warranty.
A long-time client of American Home Shield® (AHS®), Norman recalls the practice of agents shifting toward maintaining connections with buyers after the sale during his first few years at Coldwell Banker—and the importance that home warranties played in the shift.
“At that time, agents wanted to make sure a client’s experience with the home they bought was better,” says Norman. “That’s when I introduced them to home warranty programs, and I remember thinking, if I buy a car, I want a warranty. If I buy a refrigerator or a television, I want a warranty. So, when you’re spending hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars on a home, why wouldn’t you want a warranty for your home systems and appliances?”
Since becoming familiar with AHS, Norman has placed a home warranty on every home he has owned, as well as on the home of a close personal relative.
“Not only do I believe in them, but I also pay for and utilize them,” says Norman, who recently made a call on one of his own warranties.
While the repair was anticipated to be fairly simple—addressing a refrigerator door issue—AHS sent a qualified contractor to diagnose and repair the issue, saving Norman the time and frustration of trying to find the correct part and repair it himself.
“I made my service request, paid my service fee, and then AHS sent somebody out, and they fixed the door. My home warranty provided me an added layer of comfort because I was confident that the contractor used the correct part and fixed it right,” he notes.
A true believer in AHS, Norman supports the notion that a home warranty be included in 100% of the firm’s contracts. And since his agents aren’t just selling homes, but rather, building relationships, the process of supporting clients should include setting them up for a successful experience.
“It’s just the level of service we provide. And I can’t think of a reason why someone wouldn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars a year to buy a home warranty for their systems and appliances. There’s a hundred reasons why every client should have one,” he says.
“One of the best things about a home warranty from a buyer’s perspective is the fact that if the seller secures the home warranty when they’re listing, it covers the seller until they close. And they’re not paying for the warranty until closing. Instead of having a lengthy negotiation if a covered item breaks down, the seller can call the home warranty company, pay the service fee, and, if the item is covered under the contract, they’ll fix it,” adds Norman, who is thrilled with the service AHS provides.
“The people are awesome,” he says. “They really believe in the service they’re offering and that it provides a benefit to our clients. They stand behind the work that’s covered, and they provide the service they promise to provide.”
For more information, please visit https://www.ahs.com/realestate.
