So I guess what I am trying to say is that things have changed dramatically since the good ole days when apraisers and lenders were all local and loans were made locally-the value of an appraisers' services or appraisal products with the poundage behind them is no longer as marketable as it once was. Yes, I hope like heck that things will change but if was ever going to change it better be now and it will ost likely be never.
Sandy, you have the key to the future of "the" appraiser in your grasp. "things have changed dramatically since the good ole days when apraisers and lenders were all local and loans were made locally": This statement is the crux of our dilemma.
Without a real relationship in place with the people you're doing business with marketing locally is a waste of time. Sure, you'll pick up a new client. Hell, you may even pick up ten new clients. The problem comes when you don't make value. They don't care why. They just want you to hit the value. So, inevitably you'll lose those clients you were able to market. It doesn't matter if you provide a 12 hour turn time and thorough appraisals, a below market fee, if you bend over backwards to meet their demands, say yes sir, no ma'am, gold leaf their toilets and kiss their asses. If you don't make value they find someone that will. So your local marketing dollar, imo, is a waste of money. A real relationship, and what I mean by that is a relationship built on respect and mutual admiration is hard, extremely hard to come by. I know of an owner of a mortgage company who went to college with an appraiser here in town. They are good friends. They have a "real relationship". The mortgage company's owner always gives first shot to his friend and when his friend doesn't make value he gives it to an appraiser that will. But his friend always has his business first. How does one develop such a relationship? I don't know. It's near impossible and prohibitively expensive.
The same can be said of the national lenders but, the difference is they don't care about the relationship, only the performance of the appraisal. Unfortunately, the independent appraiser doesn't have the ability to market nationally. The internet makes it possible to market nationally but, still only if they're looking for you. Real marketing is getting your name right in front of them and on a national level, even locally, it's expensive. This, of course is where the AMC's come in. They provide that interface enabling the national lenders to find a service provider for an appraisal. An independent appraiser, a one or two man shop, can't compete with that. I really think the day of the independent small appraisal shop is numbered and theres more days behind us than in front of us.
The only way to survive, at least as a residential appraiser is to consolidate or go work for a large firm, imo.
