Low effort appraisers

[Mark K]

You're over 45, aren't you?

I have hiking boots older than that.

A professional website absolutely does matter as does a web presence. It's 2025; I'm 100% correct on this stance.

100% correct? I doubt it. I'm certain that those of you who have all of the social media accounts (and check on them at red lights, yes that's me behind you blowing the horn) think websites are necessary and have been programmed into believing this line of thinking. I have NEVER been asked for "my website". Email, yes. Website, never.

There is a life outside of the internet. Go out, make face-to-face contacts (I know that's antithesis and terrifying to youngsters), hand out business cards with email and a phone number that you actually answer and talk to people on the other end instead of insisting on using email or texting.

I think you can live and die by the website. Get you business? Sure. Just like the business I used to get from a yellow pages ad back in the old days. 9 times out of 10, the calls were a waste of time. Today, when the person on the other end of the email transfers a job, retires, dies, etc. you have to hope for another contact because nobody else at the company knows your name.

In the real world of appraising, away from AMC's, clients don't care about a website...they are concerned only about the quality of your work product and if you complete it by the agreed date. And their fees are usually about 3 to 10X what the AMCs pay. Maybe a website is necessary for AMC work. Good luck.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

I have hiking boots older than that.

Me too... My old Italian boots date to the 80s, maybe the late 70s.

Go out, make face-to-face contacts

I've never gotten a local assignment from my website. I only get the specialist mineral rights work and I field a lot of calls there from people who do not read it as I tell them that I do only OK and AR minerals. I get calls about Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, and even Alabama or Colorado. I have a list of folks that I refer them to. And more over a lot of people inquire about "minerals" generic instead of specifying oil and gas minerals or say quarry and rock or metals mining. There are basically 3 kinds of minerals. Petroleum, mining, and quarry work. And the valuers tend to be larger companies that do all three. Individual players are specializing in one or the other.

 

[cashcatz]

I have hiking boots older than that.


100% correct? I doubt it. I'm certain that those of you who have all of the social media accounts (and check on them at red lights, yes that's me behind you blowing the horn) think websites are necessary and have been programmed into believing this line of thinking. I have NEVER been asked for "my website". Email, yes. Website, never.

There is a life outside of the internet. Go out, make face-to-face contacts (I know that's antithesis and terrifying to youngsters), hand out business cards with email and a phone number that you actually answer and talk to people on the other end instead of insisting on using email or texting.

I think you can live and die by the website. Get you business? Sure. Just like the business I used to get from a yellow pages ad back in the old days. 9 times out of 10, the calls were a waste of time. Today, when the person on the other end of the email transfers a job, retires, dies, etc. you have to hope for another contact because nobody else at the company knows your name.

In the real world of appraising, away from AMC's, clients don't care about a website...they are concerned only about the quality of your work product and if you complete it by the agreed date. And their fees are usually about 3 to 10X what the AMCs pay. Maybe a website is necessary for AMC work. Good luck.

A website is necessary for private work. People google things like "divorce appraiser near me". If you don't show up in the top ten and your competitor does, they get the gig. Ditto for investors, lawyers, estate - all of them search.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have prexisting networks with repeat customers. These days, everyone under 45 does due diligence and does online research first. Even if they were recommended word-oh-mouth.

 

[glenn walker]

A website is necessary for private work. People google things like "divorce appraiser near me". If you don't show up in the top ten and your competitor does, they get the gig. Ditto for investors, lawyers, estate - all of them search.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have prexisting networks with repeat customers. These days, everyone under 45 does due diligence and does online research first. Even if they were recommended word-oh-mouth.

There's no need to have a Website or advertise or even have business cards
if your already pre-dispositioned that who ever contact's you is wasting your time and just contacting you to jerk you off.

 

[Surf Cat]

It's hard for appraisers to advertise their wares due to the unique niche that appraising is.

Sure, you can have a website with @ your company name domain to advertise for private work to have that professional appearance. Pick up some private work here and there (market value, DOD, divorce, etc.).

But with conventional lending (the bulk of the work), our hands are tied with AIR and "most" lenders go through AMCs to which you're signing indemnity vendor agreements.... now you're on the plantation. In this area, appraisers are not truly independent. One doesn't have the freedom like back in the mortgage broker days.

Another problem with websites are online reviews. That one bad review from the DIY'er who thinks their property and shoddy work is worth as much as the one across the street where the neighbors hired professional contractors and spent $350k on their remodel. Or, you happen to get the property where nothing's been done for decades..... and the trend in the neighborhood is upgrading and remodeling. Johnny Rotten's punk song comes to mind here; "Anger is an energy!" and the reviewers let you have it. Since appraising is such a specialty niche, that one lone, angry review.... makes consumers move on and continue searching.

The time I put up a website, it didn't really get that much action. I will admit however that I wasn't savvy in pushing my website up to the top of Google searches which, may have made a bigger difference.

 

[Surf Cat]

There's no need to have a Website or advertise or even have business cards
if your already pre-dispositioned that who ever contact's you is wasting your time and just contacting you to jerk you off.

Yeah..... the callers pump you for information, then dump you and go with the lower fee. Using your free intel to guide them on what to do for the cheaper appraiser.....

 

[Overimprovement]

As a residential only appraiser, I was responsible for sourcing every single client I ever had, many of them one on one in person in banks. If one is doing residential mortgage work, one's email domain is totally irrelevant. If one is trying to get attorneys, or if one is commercial and dealing with larger clients, I think a more professional front is helpful. But, I have never heard any negative connotations to having a gmail domain. I use that and I have never ever had a better server for filtering out spam and crap. I literally get zero unsolicited emails.

I do think a website is a good idea. But I wonder what would be more impactful in the market: JohnDoe@JohnDoeAppraisals.com, OR AdamsCountyAppraiser@gmail.com? I had the latter for several of the counties I worked. Replace Adams with my actual counties...

 

[Mark K]

Even if they were recommended word-oh-mouth.

Probably because none of the younger generation wants to talk to anyone so there's no word-oh-mouth. Its text, email or nothing.

 

[glenn walker]

If you only do lender or AMC work a Website's not going to add much value because you're in the otder taking phase of your career and not building a business but just waiting to retire and die.

But if your younger and building a real business and planning on having potential employees or assistants and getting away from being a vendor on the AMC plantation a whole different business model has to be developed.

 

[glenn walker]

Yeah..... the callers pump you for information, then dump you and go with the lower fee. Using your free intel to guide them on what to do for the cheaper appraiser.....

When you work for the public they want cheap so we mostly just did desktops or Evaluation type products $200 bucks a pop and that serves most consumer's needs.

Few need full appraisals. And yes they shop but so I wouid get them on phone tell them why a $200.00 desktop would probably be good enough and took their Visa or Mastercard.

But if you want to try and operate it on traditional full fee appraisals and fees it won't probably work.

Remember the consumer shops by price so don't sell them a steak dinner when a happy meal and coke will curb their hunger.