Cinch Home Services proves to be a good partner for Illinois real estate professional
With 30 years of experience in the industry, Frank Wehrstein—designated managing broker and president at Dickerson & Nieman in Illinois’ Rock River Valley—knows what it takes to succeed.
That’s why when he noticed that the service of the home warranty company he was using had begun to diminish, and he couldn’t get a resolution when he tried to communicate with them, he took it upon himself to reach out to other providers to find a better fit.
“My strategy was to meet with the account rep who would be in charge of our area to brainstorm thoughts and ideas to find the perfect fit,” says Wehrstein. “After speaking with Julie O’Brien at Cinch Home Services on several occasions, I knew we had found our match in terms of a rep and a warranty company.”
As a firm, Dickerson & Nieman is genuinely concerned about the customer experience, and Wehrstein felt that Cinch (formerly HMS National) followed that same philosophy.
“They offer peace of mind,” explains Wehrstein. “Our clients aren’t getting the run around from a call center. They don’t need more headaches; they need solutions. They call or email their issue, and their issues are resolved in a timely manner.”
According to Wehrstein, that peace of mind extends even further, as Cinch has made itself available to the firm since the beginning. In fact, early on, Cinch professionals helped train agents in person as well as through Zoom.
“There have been one-on-one training sessions scheduled, in addition to a new agent training session,” notes Wehrstein. “Anything that we have needed to be informed about, as well as information related to how to best use their product, has been at our disposal.”
Wehrstein knows that homeownership often means things can—and will—go wrong. That’s why he believes every listing should offer seller’s coverage.
“Those home maintenance items don’t end when you list your property, and it’s more important than ever in our competitive market to make sure things are in good working order through the entire transaction,” he says. “Cinch’s seller’s coverage ensures that those things that might seem overwhelming are handled in a timely, professional manner.”
For instance, a Dickerson & Nieman agent recently worked with first-time buyers who purchased a property that didn’t have a home warranty, so they took the time to explain the advantages associated with a Cinch home warranty.
“As luck would have it, a month into their homeownership, a plumbing issue occurred,” says Wehrstein. “The buyers called the agent and were reminded that they had a Cinch warranty, so they called and arranged for a plumber to come out and look at their issue. Not only was it resolved to their satisfaction in a reasonable timeframe, but they were thrilled that they only had to pay the deductible—and basically got their money back on their warranty.”
From the get-go, the firm has experienced a similar understanding from the team at Cinch, as they truly recognize that their involvement with clients doesn’t end at closing.
“Making sure that those maintenance items that need to be addressed post-closing are taken care of in a timely, professional manner with good customer service reflects on Dickerson & Nieman, our agents and Cinch, so having a similar outlook makes Cinch a good fit,” says Wehrstein.
To learn more about how you can partner with Cinch Home Services, please reach out to Adam Brown, vice president, National Sales, at adbrown@cinchhs.com or visit cinchrealestate.com.
Keith Loria is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
