Contract negotiations

[charming fixer upper]

I work as an appraiser for an appraisal company. My initial contract was for 3 years. My contract is almost up, and I’ll need to renegotiate. Currently, they take a percentage of each appraisal, it’s higher than I’d like, and I’d like to negotiate the percentage lower. I’m curious for any appraisers who have a similar situation, where they work for an appraisal company, what kind of contract do you have? Pay negotiations? Percentages? Thanks for your insight!

 

[Mark K]

I paid my trainee 50% of the fee until he got his license then it went up to 75% for any work that came thru me and that I co-signed. After he was licensed any work he got on his own was all his but I didn't sign. There was no contract, just a handshake agreement.

 

[charming fixer upper]

Thanks for your reply. To add more to my situation, there is the head appraiser who owns the company, and 2 contracted appraisers, me and one other person. I’m a fully licensed certified residential appraiser. We all share one administrative assistant who bids for, and schedules all the work. So we don’t find our own assignments.

 

[charming fixer upper]

So I suppose that is similar to the 75% you paid. Since in essence, it comes through the business model the owner/head appraiser set up.

 

[J Grant]

Thanks for your reply. To add more to my situation, there is the head appraiser who owns the company, and 2 contracted appraisers, me and one other person. I’m a fully licensed certified residential appraiser. We all share one administrative assistant who bids for, and schedules all the work. So we don’t find our own assignments.

If your company is bidding for AMC regular res work, frankly you can go on your own and get those same AMC clients for yourself - the AMC's have no loyalty if they are taking bids for regular assignments - but if your firm is bidding on complex orders/high value work that is different. IDK if it is a mix of private clients, lenders, and AMC's or only/mainly AMC work your firm does .A percent of an already low fee or of a good fee..

You are getting something in return, having the work fed to you, perhaps guidance on assignments. When negotiating, you have to know in your own mind if you are willing to walk away if you do not get the increase you want.

You can always start out soft, ask the boss what he/she thinks is a fair increase after three years and with current cost of living. Then you can counter with what you want. And see where it ends up.