No one wants to work

[RCA]

Reading between the lines here it appears to me that you think it's unethical for appraisers to solicit business, American-style, including Christmas presents, flowers for the AMC clerks, or the golf and dinner dates with prospective clients. I don't engage in any form of marketing so this issue has nothing to do with my professional conduct. With that said, I don't have any objections to it if other appraisers conduct their business that way. It's neither illegal nor unethical to engage in normal marketing activities. By the same token your objections to what they're doing doesn't bother me, either. After all, I want you to be happy.

True. It is what it is. And to be frank, some clients ask for it. Chief appraisers with respectable banks more or less lay that down as a precursor to doing business with them. And within these ranks you find the rest of the leadership for the appraisal system. So, if you ask me it sucks. But it is what it is.

 

[RCA]

But, on the other hand, - and I have had these thoughts plenty of times in the past - you really should go in and talk to a client before doing business with them, to make sure you are on the right page.

I don't think I would want to pay for dinner because nowadays it costs too damn much. When our relatives come over my wife wants to take them out to Koi Palace and that can easily cost over $200. Even the rather modest Sams Chowder House in Half Moon Bay is easily over $200 for a group of 4. Some decent restaurant in Carmel or Monterey can easily go over $300 or even $400 for 4 and a couple of kids.

And then to top it off, I can easily say I would be happier with Taco Bell - at least when they are serving one of their delicious specials. [ What happened to their Cantino Taco - that was fantastic. ] Then there is Round Table Pizza.

 

[George Hatch]

Different strokes. I don't do any marketing of any type. I don't have a website or any professional presence on the internet outside of my rants on this forum. 100% of my work comes in by repeat business or referral, sometimes from other appraisers. My clients tell me they get solicited on the regular so I know that happens; and I'm sure that if they thought they could get the better deal for less elsewhere they'd make their move. If I get hit by the Big Giant Meteor tonight in my sleep I have no doubt they'll all replace me by Monday and they'll do it without giving it a 2nd thought. As they should.

My plan is to provide a good VALUE to my clients. So far that's been working for me. YMMV

 

[RCA]

Different strokes. I don't do any marketing of any type. I don't have a website or any professional presence on the internet outside of my rants on this forum. 100% of my work comes in by repeat business or referral, sometimes from other appraisers. My clients tell me they get solicited on the regular so I know that happens; and I'm sure that if they thought they could get the better deal for less elsewhere they'd make their move. If I get hit by the Big Giant Meteor tonight in my sleep I have no doubt they'll all replace me by Monday and they'll do it without giving it a 2nd thought. As they should.

My plan is to provide a good VALUE to my clients. So far that's been working for me. YMMV

That's respectable. I would assume you get to know them as much as possible, at least over the phone.

 

[Amy Perkins]

For a long time, I've thought that the Lender's and AMC's complaints about an appraiser shortage were over hyped. My suspicion was that there was a shortage of appraisers willing to work really cheap and really fast. Now I'm starting to believe that they have a point about a shortage. Today, I got a call from a friend who works in a small AMC. They have been unable to find someone who was even willing to quote a fee for an appraisal at the beach. It's well outside my service area... but, I probably could have gotten any fee I asked for. As an old manager used to tell me (back when fees were $300 or so, if every appraiser charged $500 or more, then lenders would be paying $500 or more.

How much was rent 22 years ago? 300% less? Stop cheating yourself and all of us appraisers.

 

[sputnam]

The sad fact is... most of the people and companies who hire appraisers for lending purposes... do not care who the appraiser is. Especially with residential, appraisals are seen as commodities. Everyone who is front line... appraisers, reviewers, etc. knows that it absolutely matters who does the appraisal... but, the powers that be, don't care. What they care about is checking off the appraisal box on their list as cheaply and as quickly as they can. I don't blame them for that. Every business does... and should... work to its own advantage. I blame appraisers who accept lower fees and produce lower quality work.

 

[Tucker5]

I have two newly certified Appraisers in my general orbit (licensed less than six months)--one of them barely got their license after being called before the board for such crappy work samples(how the Sup hasn't gotten in trouble is beyond me)...they are both getting orders from large secondary market lenders on Mercury, Clients I have worked for for 10+ years, but have ghosted me in the last six months. I don't even see their bids anymore.

I think Lenders get these goobery little job hopping 'pre processors' that handle appraisal ordering on the Mercury Network. They are disloyal and have no concern for workflow consistency among their panel(they are just punching a clock)....meanwhile, we all sit here and lament about the why's/how's of certain clients disappearing on us. Occam's razor They just disappear because there is a faster/cheaper alternative.

There is no shortage of Appraisers.

I miss the days of knowing my lenders, one page orders without ten pages of instructions because they knew us and knew that we knew what we were doing. A revision here or there, personal relationships; bringing them coffee, met the babies, and yes, loyalty. Now we have our reports "reviewed" by people who were flipping burgers the week before and telling us to change things that are unethical and they never even read the report. How many times has anyone been asked for more info when it's in the report that they did not read?
I'm brand new on this site and have already posted several things. I guess I needed to vent to other appraisers and to see if others have these same thoughts and experiences.

 

[TC]

I miss the days of knowing my lenders, one page orders without ten pages of instructions because they knew us and knew that we knew what we were doing. A revision here or there, personal relationships; bringing them coffee, met the babies, and yes, loyalty. Now we have our reports "reviewed" by people who were flipping burgers the week before and telling us to change things that are unethical and they never even read the report. How many times has anyone been asked for more info when it's in the report that they did not read?
I'm brand new on this site and have already posted several things. I guess I needed to vent to other appraisers and to see if others have these same thoughts and experiences.

Could not agree more. But those days are over and never coming back.

 

[ucbruin]

I miss the days of knowing my lenders, one page orders without ten pages of instructions because they knew us and knew that we knew what we were doing. A revision here or there, personal relationships; bringing them coffee, met the babies, and yes, loyalty. Now we have our reports "reviewed" by people who were flipping burgers the week before and telling us to change things that are unethical and they never even read the report. How many times has anyone been asked for more info when it's in the report that they did not read?
I'm brand new on this site and have already posted several things. I guess I needed to vent to other appraisers and to see if others have these same thoughts and experiences.

While times were more simple....
If the 10 pages of engagement letter are always the same....
Imagine that it's only 1 page....
Because you don't have reread all 10 pages....
Just read the 1st page....

 

[chad hampton]

Could not agree more. But those days are over and never coming back.

Maybe not entirely, but I have been contacted by a few mtg brokers lately who order directly. Meeting with 1 in 2 weeks to talk to the brokers in his office. Currently have 2 that send me orders on a somewhat regular basis (1-2 a month). I think everyone is fed up with the system that the banks and gov't created.