Drive-by vs. interior BPOs: what you can see and how to report it

KW Default Solutions

Last updated October 30, 2026

This matters because the client who orders a BPO may never see the house. They rely on what you wrote and photographed. So the skill is keeping three things apart: what you saw, what a source told you and what you don't know.

Here's a fictional example. You pull up to a two-story house. The lawn is trimmed, the blinds are closed and a car is in the driveway. It's tempting to write "Occupied. Good condition." But from the street, you can't back that up yet.

01Start with the order and the property record

Before the visit, read the order. Note the type of BPO, the photo requirements, the access instructions and what to do when you can't see something.

Then look up the property record. Note what it lists for the parcel number (APN), room count, above-ground square footage, lot size and garage. Write down the source and the date you checked. A record tells you what was reported, which may not match the house today. Use it as a starting point and note anything you see that doesn't match.

At the property, take an address photo first, like the house number or street sign. That ties every photo after it to the right house. A photo of the wrong house, or one filed under the wrong address, is an easy mistake to avoid, and it can hurt the whole report.

02What you can see from the street

Stay within the order, and only stand where you're legally and safely allowed to. From there, an exterior visit can usually show:

• Front and angle views, plus the street in both directions
• The visible roofline, siding, paint, windows, gutters and landscaping
• Sides, rear and yard, only where you can see them from a permitted spot
• Adverse influences (nearby things that could hurt value), such as a busy road or the condition of nearby homes
• Clues about whether someone lives there and whether the home is secure

An exterior order doesn't give you permission to walk onto private areas, look through windows or open a gate. If you can't see something, write that it wasn't observed.

03Occupancy and security: write what you saw

Drive-by orders often ask whether the home is occupied and secure. A car, closed blinds, a mowed lawn or a notice on the door can each suggest something. None of them proves it, so treat them as clues.

A reviewer can use this sentence: "Blinds were closed and a vehicle was in the driveway. Occupancy was not verified." Writing just "Occupied" is a conclusion you can't support from the street.

04What interior access adds

Interior orders usually ask for room-by-room photos: kitchen, living areas, baths, bedrooms and any visible damage. That gives you current evidence an exterior visit can't.

It still has limits. You're documenting what you can see, not inspecting the house. If you see a ceiling stain, report where it is and what it looks like. The cause, the roof's condition and the repair cost need other evidence. And seeing a furnace doesn't tell you it works.

If a room is locked or an area is unsafe, write down what you didn't see and follow the client's process. Don't go beyond your access just to make the form look complete.

05How to write it up: one fictional house

Here's how to turn what you have into careful report wording. Every detail is made up.

This is sample wording, not a condition rating, and your order may ask for more. Also, don't assume the worst about what you couldn't see. An interior you didn't see isn't automatically in poor condition.

06Practice: label each note

Mark each fictional note as observed on visit, reported by a source (name the source and date) or not verified.

1. The front door and garage door looked intact from the street.
2. The county record lists a 2,100-square-foot house.
3. The furnace is in good working order.
4. An older listing says the roof was replaced.
5. A newspaper is on the porch.

Answers:

1. Observed on visit.
2. Reported by a source. Add the record's name and the date you checked it.
3. Not verified. No one tested it, and even a look inside wouldn't confirm it.
4. Reported by a source. Add the listing date. Whether the roof was replaced, and its condition now, isn't verified.
5. Observed on visit, but what it means isn't verified. It's a clue, but it doesn't prove anyone lives there.

07Carry what you didn't see into your comps and price

If you didn't see the inside, that matters when you choose and compare homes. Say a comparable sale (comp) was renovated, but you haven't seen inside the subject, the home you're pricing. You can't treat the two as equal. Say so where it affects the comparison, not just in a disclaimer at the end.

If your evidence can't support the opinion the order asks for, ask the client for clarification. A very exact number doesn't make up for a guess about condition.

Make it easy for the reviewer to follow your evidence, too. Many clients have their own photo and naming rules, and those come first. If the order doesn't say, a good baseline is to label photos clearly (like Subject_Front and Subject_AddressMarker), number the comps, shoot in daylight and landscape orientation, keep people and license plates out of the frame and make address markers readable. A reviewer should be able to match every photo to its property without guessing.

Your next step

Take a fictional or anonymized sample report. Don't use a real client's report unless you're allowed to share it. Mark every condition sentence with the three labels above. If you can't tell which kind of statement it is, rewrite it before anyone relies on it.

Drive-by and interior are two of several BPO types. On desktop and hybrid orders, you may not visit at all, or someone else takes the photos. The same rule applies: say where your information came from. In every case, follow the order, your state's rules and your brokerage's policy.

If you're working on BPOs and want help or training, reach out through the KWDS contact form. We're happy to help.