9 Things You May Not Know about Home Warranties

As a real estate professional, you probably already know that a home warranty is an annual renewable service contract that provides protection and peace of mind for homeowners should a covered breakdown occur. You also know that home warranties can offer important reassurance to your clients and help streamline real estate transactions. However, there are a lot of other facts about home warranties that you may not know, such as these nine things:

1. Home warranties have benefits for both buyers and sellers.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that home warranty coverage is only a good idea for your buyers. Home warranties can help sellers, too, in many ways. For example, the addition of a home warranty to a listing can be an effective marketing tool, instantly giving potential buyers confidence in the property because they know they won’t have to worry about covered repairs after closing. A home warranty can also help protect sellers’ systems and appliances while the home is on the market, giving them a valuable repair resource for covered malfunctions. Home warranty protection may also be helpful during home inspection negotiations.

2. Home warranties can help agents build relationships with clients.

In addition to the practical benefits that home warranties provide, they can also help you provide the high caliber of service that fosters long-term associations as well as repeat business and referrals. Helping your clients protect their budgets with home warranty coverage shows them that you care about more than just closing the deal.

3. American Home Shield^® Real Estate Edition home warranties can be customized to fit your clients’ needs.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, American Home Shield offers three excellent Real Estate Edition home warranty plans at special pricing for your clients. These plans can be further tailored for your clients’ specific needs with optional add-ons. Real estate clients can choose from ShieldEssential℠, which covers components of the most critical home systems, ShieldPlus℠, which covers components of many home systems and appliances, or ShieldComplete℠, which includes all items in the ShieldEssential and ShieldPlus plans, plus other items.

4. American Home Shield home warranties can be added up to 90 days after closing, and clients can still receive special real estate pricing.

If your buyers are understandably decision-weary by the end of the transaction, they still have time to protect their budgets with American Home Shield coverage for 90 days post-closing and enjoy Real Estate Edition savings.

5. American Home Shield home warranties come with additional benefits.

In addition to budget protection and a reliable repair resource for covered items, your clients enjoy special benefits as American Home Shield members. There are discounts on air filters for air conditioners and furnaces as well as discounts on name-brand appliances. Your clients with multiple properties can receive discounts on the purchase of additional warranties, and there’s a refer-a-friend program as well.

6. Home warranties can be beneficial for new construction, too.

American Home Shield can pick up where some builders’ warranties leave off. Our new construction plans provide coverage from years 2-5 for a total of four years of home warranty protection. New construction home warranties can be purchased anytime within the first year of closing on new construction properties.

7. American Home Shield home warranties are transferable.

If your clients sell their home before the end of their warranty agreement, they can transfer the remainder of the plan to the new buyer by calling 855.461.6968.

8. Home warranties cover different types of properties.

In addition to single-family homes, American Home Shield covers new construction, condos, vacation homes, townhouses, foreclosure properties, and multi-unit properties such as duplex/triplex/fourplex.

9. The American Home Shield 30-day workmanship guarantee.

The company’s 30-day workmanship guarantee means that if your clients have an issue regarding a completed repair within 30-days of service, American Home Shield will send a contractor back out for free.