FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions

Most Frequently Asked
Questions Concern:
Chargebacks
E&O Insurance
Fees and Discounts
Finding Work
Good/ Bad Companies
Income Potential
NAMFS - SIRs Relationship
Quality and Customer Service
 S.I.R.s Difference
S.I.R.s Sponsors
Why Join
What are "Field Services"?
Field Services is the term used for people who work out in the "field" or on the road. This covers everything from oil field workers, door to door sales people, farm workers, to our industry - financial field services. Any one that is traveling rather than working in an office is technically a field service worker.

What constitutes an "Independent Representative"?
An Independent Representative is an agent that does not work directly for the company they are representing. Generally, they would be an agent for several different companies and have no specific interest in any company. You could compare it to a freelancer - except a freelancer will gather information and sell it to who ever is willing to pay while an independent representative gathers information or performs a service to whomever requests it. The freelancer hopes someone wants the finished product while the independent representative knows someone wants the product before performing the service.

If you don't work for a company, how do you get paid?
When you are requested to perform a service for a company, generally you negotiate a fee for the service. Once you perform the service, you invoice the "customer" and they will send you a check in about 30 to 60 days.
30 to 60 days? I need regular pay, what can I do to receive a regular paycheck?

In this industry, 30 to 60 days is the normal wait time for payment. If you need steady income, you have two choices. First choice: You could be an employee for a company. There are companies that hire field representative directly to work just for them. But you would no longer be an independent representative. You would be an employee. Second choice: If you want to be an independent representative, you should solicit several companies for work so that you will be busy on a steady basis. Once you are working on a steady basis, you will receive income steadily. Income will vary based on the services you perform but if you are working daily, you will receive a steady flow of payments.

How much money can I earn in this industry?
The income potential for this industry is actually unlimited. However, you will not realize hundreds of thousands of dollars without experience and time. As with any business, the majority of new business start-ups fail in the first five years. Beware of advertisements for any business which promise you such things as "endless income" "xxx per day" or "xxx per year". To succeed in any business endeavor, you must: research the industry; develop a business plan; employ sound business practices; know your trade; invest in your business; and continue in your education to improve your business. Plan on little to no net income for your first six months to one year in any new business.

How do I know who to work for?
You are in business for yourself. Which means you decide who you will offer services to. They are considered your customers. Because this is business, the decision should be made in a business like fashion. All businesses that extend credit to their customers usually check the credit history of the customer prior to the extension of credit. If you believe the customer is credit worthy, then you should not have a problem being paid.

How do I attract business? How do I get a company to hire my services?
Think about this. How does any company attract customers? They advertise! Telemarketers call you. The Sunday paper has flyers. Your weekly mail has numerous solicitations. The TV, newspapers, magazines, and Internet all flash advertisement from businesses wanting you to buy their products and services. Flyers and brochures are great! If you place an ad on the Internet, there are several key locations you can get both free and paid advertising. Telemarketing is another option. Get on the phone and call the companies and market your services. Develop a website. Many financial firms are now doing Internet searches to locate agents. If you have a website you will have a substantial edge over those companies that do not have a website. A website provides you the opportunity to increase your client base by providing seekers readily available information regarding your services, business, location, etc. Create your own website or hire a professionally formatted website to display the benefits of hiring your services.

What does S.I.R.s offer? Why should I join any organization?
Belonging to an organization, especially one that requires a certain level of excellence to remain a member, such as S.I.R.s, is a key to promoting your business. Organizations which have greater stipulations to gain and retain membership are more prestigious and recognized than organizations which have few to no stipulations to become a member.
Think about this. When you want a good doctor - you check with the AMA. When you want a good landscaper or repairman - you check with the BBB. Successful businesses advertise their affiliations to attract customers. Businesses promote whatever good ratings about their company that are available and they promote their positive affiliations.
S.I.R.s offers such an affiliation. S.I.R.s promotes the quality services provided by their members. S.I.R.s offers their members the opportunity to participate in ratings to let others know who actually holds up to promises of quality. You will be able to promote your affiliation with the only organization in this industry that holds you to your promise of providing quality services. Our list of benefits is extensive and includes a variety of discounts on business products. Click here for our benefits listing. There is a good article about joining organizations and what a professional organization should offer at Cascade Business News Click Here to Read the article.

Why does S.I.R.s emphasize Quality and Customer Service? I need an organization that will do something about the low fees being offered by companies.
S.I.R.s emphasizes Quality and Customer Service because you cannot expect higher prices for work that is not done correctly or on-time.
Think about this.
When you go to a restaurant, which waitress/ waiter receives the higher tip - the one that you have to flag down constantly to receive what you want and then doesn't bring it to you for twenty minutes OR the waiter/ waitress that is there making sure you are satisfied or if he/she can get anything else for you before you need to ask? That is customer service.
Which restaurant do you return to - the one that has good food at reasonable prices OR the one where you find flies in your soup and when you ask to see the chef, you are told he's busy? That is quality.
Put yourself in the shoes of the person buying your services - then adjust the way you perform your services to suit your demands as if you were the customer.
S.I.R.s promotes the truth that you are an independent contractor and business person. Accordingly, you decide what your services are worth and charge accordingly.

Are there other organizations I can belong to? I noticed my car mechanic belongs to two, TRNi and BBB. What can I belong to?
You could also belong to the BBB! You would need to call them and ask for details regarding membership.
If you are asking about industry specific organizations, there are two organizations, National Association of Mortgage Field Services and S.I.R.s. A non-industry specific but very much related organization is the Association of Construction Inspectors.
There are also several businesses that offer networking, advertising and industry related products: NMFS and SOFI and 4FieldReps are all resources.
There are several networking groups also that allow you to openly network with other representatives nationwide: FEMAInspectors , HUDPASS , MortgageFieldSer and PropertyPreservation are known.
There are also numerous organizations you can belong to because you are a business such as COSE , NASE , NFIB , and USASBE to name just a few.

What is the relationship between NAMFS and SIRs? When I join one, don't I receive the benefits of both?
NAMFS is the National Association of Mortgage Field Services. You can visit their website by going to http://www.namfstoday.com/ There was a URL that was similar to Society of Independent Representatives URL that was re-directing traffic to NAMFS. However, that redirecting has ceased. There was never an organizational relationship between SIRs and NAMFS. (You can read more about this confusion on our News page). If you join both organizations, you will receive the benefits that both organizations have to offer. But if you join NAMFS, you do not receive SIRs benefits. If you join SIRs, you do not receive NAMFS benefits. We are two entirely separate organizations with different goals, different requirements of membership, and different methods of approaching industry issues. The only thing the same between the two organization is that we are both organizations for the field service industry.

Why should I join S.I.R.s instead of NAMFS or SOFI what makes S.I.R.s different from these two other organizations?
The major difference between NAMFS and S.I.R.s is that NAMFS membership consists of national field servicers, independent field reps, and select businesses that may have an impact on the industry. S.I.R.s membership consists exclusively of independent representatives.
The major difference between S.I.R.s and SOFI is that S.I.R.s is an organization that offers benefits to its membership. SOFI is a business that sells products to its customers.
You can, if you so choose, apply to both NAMFS and S.I.R.s for membership and purchase SOFI products.

You mention key places to advertise, what are they?
There are many places you can advertise. If you join S.I.R.s, your membership entitles you to receive free advertisement for your company. Mortgage Mag offers free and purchased advertising. You can also purchase an ad from Mortgage Industry Buyers Guide, My Inspector dot com, NMFS, and SOFI. If you have a website, you should submit it for listing into search engines. You may also submit your information to S.I.R.s and be listed for free in our Independent Field Service Industry Directory - you do not have to be a member to be listed there.

What is a search engine?
The Internet is basically run by search engines. They locate websites that offer specific services, products, and information. When you type in "search for" say "travel" a search engine pulls its information from submissions to give you results. There are hundreds if not thousands of search engines you can submit your website to so that your site will show up in a search. AOL , Ask Jeeves, Google , Hotbot , MSN , and Yahoo are just a few. Some charge a fee, others let you submit for free. S.I.R.s members have access to many search engines to submit their website. S.I.R.s also provides its members with discounts for a professionally designed website as well as free information on how to create a website, where to publish it and what to include in it.

What can I charge for all the services I perform and is there any regulation or guidelines?
You are in business for yourself, therefore, you decide what you will charge. Networking with other businesses will help you get a feel for what the "going rates" are. There are some regulations and guidelines set by agencies such as HUD , VA , FMAE , FMAC, etc. You can call these agencies and request their documents for free. S.I.R.s has a field manual that are guidelines which you receive free upon membership. Additionally, S.I.R.s Government Liaison has arranged for the members to receive free the pricing guidelines set by HUD and VA and most all these documents are also available on the S.I.R.s members only website.

What type of discount am I suppose to give to my clients on preservation services?
Again, you are in business for yourself and you must decide how much of a discount you will give to your client. Be sure the discount you give does not inhibit the quality of service you extend. The typical discount is anywhere from 10 to 20% of the HUD/ VA allowable rate.

I've heard a few stories about companies not paying for services, cutting invoices, charging back for incorrect information and things like that. What's the story?
It's true. Some companies have not paid their contractors for services provided and, to my knowledge, they have gone out of business or filed bankruptcy. That's why it is important for you to check credit worthiness prior to extending credit to anyone.
As far as cutting invoices and charge backs are concerned, most all companies have specific needs which must be met in order for you to be paid for the services - such as a due date. If you do not complete the work in the time frame specified, you may have your invoice cut or not paid at all.

Can I be charged for not completing work?
Yes. If you ignore your customers' request or you do not notify them that you are not going to perform their request for them, they can charge you for that.
Think about this. Does anyone like to be ignored?
Your customer is only passing on to you their customer's request. Your customer has someone they have to please also. Especially in this industry, time is very precious. The end customer needs their information within certain time frames to meet government regulations, judicial requirements and the like. They have to have that information. If you simply ignore that then someone is going to lose - and you can be certain that it will not be the end customer or your customer as they did their parts by requesting the information or service from you.
Chargebacks also may occur when you fail completely to perform what was requested of you - an example would be reporting a property occupied when it is in fact vacant or failing to secure a vacant property properly.
These are all issues that need to be discussed prior to accepting requests from any company.

I never received the request. How can I still be charged for not doing it? How can you do something that was never requested?
Most of your customers are going to be reasonable about this issue. With all the fantastic technology we have, mail still isn't guaranteed and there is always human error!
Most all companies will notify you of what you should have and what they are waiting for results on. If you did not receive a request that is listed on a reminder, call your customer and notify them. Your customer should have no problem resending the request because they want it done. Often, they will tell you to just pull the information off the reminder to complete the work. This is ok to do, BUT ALWAYS verify that you will be paid in full and record the conversation on the reminder so you can refer to it later should questions arise as to why it was late.

If I say a property is occupied and I'm wrong, can I be charged for that?
Yes. Your customer is paying you to determine occupancy. If you fail to do that correctly, they can charge you for it. Worse, if the property suffers damages as a result, you could be held liable. You should always attempt contact to be sure of your determination. Of course, if your client does not want contact "Do Not Contact" or the person is in Bankruptcy - then you cannot make contact. In those situations, it is better to tell your client when you are not sure of the occupancy status rather than taking a bad guess.

Liable?? You mean I could have to pay for damages?
Yes. If you say a property is occupied and it is vacant and the property insurance lapses because it is vacant, then any damages could become your responsibility. So, if you charge say $8.00 for an inspection and report the property occupied when it is really vacant and it burns down - you may end up paying to restore the property.
That is why it is important to accurately report conditions as you see them and to have business insurance that will properly cover your liability issues should you make an error.

Well, how about if I just say I can't guarantee the determination. Doesn't a disclaimer like that protect me?
No. Your customer is paying you to be correct. It may be cheap pay for a high liability but that is the bottom line. You are being paid to be correct. Some companies will accept you saying that you cannot determine occupancy, especially in bankruptcy situations. Other than that, it is in your best interest to verify the occupancy status in some way or another.

Where can I purchase insurance to protect me?
There are countless insurance companies that offer business insurance. What you want for this industry is full protection on the liability issues we face. Currently, there are two companies offers that Error and Omissions Insurance (also known as E&O Insurance or P&L Insurance Professional Liability). The agents are David Brauner of Organization of Real Estate Professionals and Johnnie Rumbaugh of York Jersey Underwriters, Inc. You do not have to belong to any organization to purchase either policy.

I've heard about software that will keep track of my work, invoices, and do my routing. What are the options?
There are a variety of software programs you can buy depending on your budget and the volume of work you do. If you do very little, you can do all this by hand and not buy anything. Microsoft sells a perfectly acceptable program called Streets and Trips that will help with your routing for only about $30. You can even use it with a handheld device. If you have a computer, it should have come with a spread sheet program and a bookkeeping program. They can be used to keep track of services rendered and paid for.
For larger volumes of work, you can use more sophisticated and costly programs. MyInvoiceMaker , Quickbooks , PeachTree or East Point are some options for accounting. Rand McNally , Travroute's Copilot , Street Atlas USA are some options for route planning.

You provide so many options on your website and list a lot of companies. Are you being sponsored by all those companies?
S.I.R.s does not accept traditional sponsoring. S.I.R.s believes the only way to assist members is by not accepting any revenue other than membership fees. This way, the membership is top priority and no company can influence the decisions or direction of the organization, other than members.
S.I.R.s researches products and may recommend specific products to its membership based on ease of use and cost. But we never accept any compensation from these companies. We would rather the companies offer members discounts instead.
The "sponsors" that S.I.R.s solicits and/or accepts are those companies wishing to enhance our convention offerings with sample products and gifts which are given to convention attendees. This in no way interferes with the direction of S.I.R.s. Additionally, S.I.R.s employs the use of certain products to maintain and enhance the website. Again, these sponsors in no way interfere with the direction of S.I.R.s. None of the "sponsors" contribute financially to S.I.R.s. As well, none of the "sponsors" have a "field service industry" specific basis, therefore their motivation is providing their product to, rather than receiving services from, the industry.

How does a company get listed on your website or in your representative database?
Companies that offer "useful to the industry" products or services may be listed or referred to on S.I.R.s website. Companies that offer discounts to S.I.R.s members receive a free ad in S.I.R.s "Business Links" page and are highlighted in S.I.R.s "Members Only" Website.
Companies that are selected to sponsor our conventions receive additional ads.
The only field representatives that are listed in S.I.R.s database are S.I.R.s members. They have pledged to perform quality services and they agree to S.I.R.s Standards and Ethics. Any field service provider can be listed in the Independent Field Service Industry Directory as part of S.I.R.s public service program.

I am no longer in this business - how does a company get removed from your website or out of your representative database?
SIRs strives to keep our directory and database current and accurate. If you are no longer offering field services, just drop us a note and we'll be happy to remove your listing. Send an email to with the subject line of "remove my information from SIRs database" You may use this address to remove yourself from our database as well or from our mailing list. If you want removed only from the directory but still want to be kept informed of industry news, send a note to our directory

What type of recommendations or sponsors do I need to become a member of S.I.R.s?
S.I.R.s does not require sponsors or letters of recommendation of its applicants. S.I.R.s believes the pledge made to uphold the ethics and provide quality services is sufficient to be considered for membership. Once you are a member, your membership can be revoked if you fail in your pledge. Considering there are numerous benefits and discounts available for members, there is more at risk in a revocation.

I've negotiated all my own discounts over the years, so I really don't need any of that. What's left for me?
S.I.R.s is about more than just discounts. S.I.R.s is about taking a stand. Standing up for quality. Making the statement that you are not the one responsible for turning in reports of occupied properties when they are vacant. Making the statement that you are not the one damaging the properties when you are requested to preserve them. S.I.R.s is for independent reps that are serious about their business. S.I.R.s is for those who understand the terms "Customer Satisfaction" and "Quality First" - terms that are dying in today's society.

Will S.I.R.s find work for me?
No. S.I.R.s, is an organization which is committed to organizing the reps in the field. S.I.R.s is not is not a company hiring services, nor is it a goal of S.I.R.s to replace the services provided by the national field service companies.
S.I.R.s not only recognizes the importance of the national field servicer but also recognizes the fact that they are not the true customer. The national servicer's job is to locate the field service rep to complete the service for the bank, manufacturer, etc.
The job of S.I.R.s is to bring together the reps who know how to complete the work properly.
S.I.R.s does accept advertisements from companies and places them for the members to review. However, S.I.R.s does not endorse any national servicer as being better than another to work for.

What does S.I.R.s do?
S.I.R.s Government Liaison and Business Consultant are working to improve the pricing guidelines to a more reasonable level.
S.I.R.s Benefits Coordinator works diligently to secure discounts and is negotiating with several insurance companies to open competitive insurance coverage policies for the entire industry.
S.I.R.s is also initiating efforts to educate the public about the field servicing industry.
S.I.R.s members network to share information, work cooperatively within their localities and offer realistic solutions to problems that are both real and potential within the industry.

Does S.I.R.s offer any discounts for Senior Citizens?
Yes! S.I.R.s is offering a variety of programs to assist the Senior Citizen, Small Contractor and New Independent Rep.
If you have a situation where regular dues are prohibitive, contact us for more information.