Today we’d like to introduce you to Keron Garraway.
Keron, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to Atlanta in 2004 from Trinidad and Tobago and tried my hand at many jobs, trying to see what fit and nothing lasted more than two years. I was presented with the opportunity to become a home inspector but dismissed due to the fact that the job I held at the time paid well but I wasn’t satisfied with it. I was let go from that job and dove headfirst into the inspection industry via a home inspector course through Dream Home Inspections and that’s where I fell in love with what would become my new career path.
I started by placing ads on social media, realtor message boards, Craig’s list, basically anything that was free. I was eventually picked up by another home inspection company who wanted an extra inspector for the far off jobs they didn’t want to take, I gladly took those because I wanted to get as much experience under my belt as possible. The relationship lasted a few months but had to be ended due to disagreements with the pay and pay schedule, I took all of the critiques and experience I gained and started marketing more aggressively on Facebook and Instagram. By year 2, I was ready to quit because I wasn’t receiving the type of business I had hoped for and needed to have. My wife was my largest supporter and motivator when things began to get ugly, but I stuck it out and made it to year 3. That’s when I started to see the traction that I was working towards. All of the relationships, posts and events that I attended started bearing fruit; referrals started coming, realtors were reaching out because they came across my posts on social media and decided to give the “new guy” a shot.
Now at year 4, I have a son now, my wife can now focus on her photography company full time and business is doing well and I’m also able to give back in the form of tutoring to other new inspectors, speaking at the school where I learned how to become an inspector and I will be rolling out my own course on marketing exclusively to home inspectors. So the journey has not been easy but definitely rewarding in more ways than I expected and I will be forever greatly to the people who helped me along the way, the inspectors who gave me tips on how to get better and my wife for never allowing me to quit when I had every good reason to.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The obstacles ranged from not knowing how to get a website, to not having all the equipment I needed, to be intimidated by other inspectors who were in business longer or more successful than myself. The biggest obstacle however was the mental struggle of, “can I really do this?”or “what am I doing wrong?” or “I made a mistake getting into this industry”. Just being able to convince myself that I can do this and be successful was by far the hardest thing I had to do.
Learning marketing, perfecting my skills as an inspector and balancing a home work life were a breeze compared to the mental struggles that come with building a business from the ground up.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Garraway Property Inspections – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My company is a residential and commercial inspection company for buyers and sellers of each type of real estate anywhere within the GA state lines. I perform mold testing, air quality testing, radon testing for all types of properties but I am best known for my ability to build relationships with people because of my professionalism and personality.
I am most proud of the journey that I have gone through to get here, coming from a small island in the West Indies and creating a company that is able to create jobs, opportunities and help others coming up in the industry. I feel I set myself apart in this industry by understanding that the industry is too large for any one inspection company to monopolize and take over so I have no problem sharing business techniques or passing on business to another inspector when I am not able to facilitate their needs. I am not greedy or selfish when it comes to doing business. I prefer alignment over effort because I will always go further by helping others get ahead instead of stepping on them trying to build myself up.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My next venture is rolling out my home inspector’s marketing course that will teach home inspectors how to create the business, write reports, market and scale their business from the ground up. I will be sharing all the information, mistakes and resources I’ve received over the last four years. Whether the individual is a brand new inspector or actively working on their business for a couple of years with minimal to low success, my course is for them.
Pricing:
- Inspections start at-$300
- Mold Test include air quality test- $300
- Inspector Marketing course-$500 (twice per week virtual training for 4 weeks)
Contact Info:
- Website: gpiatlanta.com
- Phone: 678-973-8412
- Email: kgpropertyinspections@gmail.com
- Instagram: kgpropertyinspections
- Facebook: Garraway Property Inspections
- Other: https://g.page/garraway-property-inspections?gm
Image Credit:
@shotsbymargoe
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