For more than 15 years, I operated a Home Watch business and made thousands of visits to unoccupied homes. Those years in the field gave me a clear view of what seasonal homeowners were experiencing when they were away from their properties.



It did not take long to realize that many homeowners were underserved and, in some cases, taken advantage of. At the time, there was no training and very few professional standards guiding the work.
I believed that if this profession was going to truly serve homeowners well, education had to come first.

That is why I began training Home Watch business owners in 2008, while still operating my own Home Watch company. In 2020, I retired from making Home Watch visits to focus fully on the Home Watch Academy eLearning program and supporting the professionals who are building Home Watch businesses.

Today, hundreds of Graduates of the Home Watch Academy serve thousands of homeowners in their communities. Many have chosen to take the next step by becoming Certified Home Watch Reporters, a designation reserved for business owners who have graduated from the Home Watch Academy, demonstrate a commitment to ongoing education, maintain a registered business with proper insurance and bond, and pass a background check. These credentials represent some of the strictest certification requirements in the Home Watch industry.

I am incredibly proud of these professionals who show up, do the work, and represent the Home Watch profession with care, strong documentation, and clear communication for homeowners with unoccupied homes.



The experiences from those early years in the field also revealed something bigger.
Home Watch itself was evolving.

The Evolution of Home Watch -

              From Hobby to Industry

Home Watch began as a practical response to a growing challenge faced by seasonal homeowners, second homeowners, and frequent travelers. When a home sits unoccupied for extended periods of time, small issues such as water leaks, air conditioning failures, pest intrusion, or storm damage can go unnoticed and grow into costly problems.

In many communities, homeowners began asking neighbors, friends, or handymen to occasionally stop by and check on their homes. What began informally as a favor or side activity gradually evolved into a valuable service.

Over time, this simple idea grew into what is now known as the Home Watch profession.

What Is Home Watch?

Home Watch is a visual observation of a home or property,

looking for obvious issues.

From a Hobby to an Industry

As demand for the service increased, experienced operators began developing systems, reporting practices, and business standards to bring greater structure and professionalism to the work. Clear communication with homeowners and responsible business practices became central to the value Home Watch services provide.

The service that once resembled a hobby for some gradually developed into a recognized business model serving homeowners whose properties sit unoccupied for extended periods.