DataComp vs Narrative1 vs Datappraise vs Valcre

[tsiegel]

I use MS Word in combination with DataPrompter by Wordsite. It is a Word add-on which means it automatically starts when you start Word. It has its own menu on the ribbon. It allows you to make incredibly intricate and complex templates and is linked to Excel as well. It's great because it opens a quick fill menu which prompts you to input your specific data. You make templates for each report type, or report section. These templates have predefined fields which can be linked to dropdowns, radio buttons, multiple choice, or excel cells. When you select your report sections and combine them into one report, it will input your information throughout the report as long as the field name and type are the same. It's a great program and it's $359. That which might seem high but it allows you build and write reports literally in a few minutes if your templates and Excel tools are made properly and linked together. It's well supported and without a doubt one of the most useful tools in my software arsenal.

This is extremely interesting to me. What it lacks for the way I use software (or maybe it doesn't, hopefully you can tell me), is a central dashboard for my research assistant and admin to use to input new jobs and our comparables. However, it SOUNDS kind of simplified in a good way. Like maybe it just works?

 

[NachoPerito]

Narrative1 still works for me. The key though - I use an assistant to enter comps into N1web. There are like 30,000 fields available when entering a comp, you don't have to input all fields, but you can't hide them either. you still have to scroll though fields talking about meters and hectares. It seems they spend 90% of the time adding new fields giving the appraiser more options and only 10% on making the existing system faster and more efficient. All in all though, Narrative1 is investing money into N1web and keep updating it.

 

[pbidwell]

I have been using Narrative1, now N1web, for close to ten years. I started back when Tom Armstrong would return your emails and continually ask for feedback to innovate the product. I was quite concerned with the acquisition between Lightbox and Narrative1. As NachoPerito mentioned, Lightbox does seem to be continuing to enhance the online product with frequent updates. I can personally tweak Excel spreadsheets and MS Word templates to make N1 adaptable to what I want. I have reviewed appraisals of fellow appraisers who have stuck with the original N1 Template with few changes. I have also reviewed some Narrative1 based appraisals you would never know use the excel to word merging process the program is set up with (based on customization.) Until I retire, I will keep with N1web since it is a reliable product and the technical support is pretty fast and responsive.

 

[NachoPerito]

I have been using Narrative1, now N1web, for close to ten years. I started back when Tom Armstrong would return your emails and continually ask for feedback to innovate the product. I was quite concerned with the acquisition between Lightbox and Narrative1. As NachoPerito mentioned, Lightbox does seem to be continuing to enhance the online product with frequent updates. I can personally tweak Excel spreadsheets and MS Word templates to make N1 adaptable to what I want. I have reviewed appraisals of fellow appraisers who have stuck with the original N1 Template with few changes. I have also reviewed some Narrative1 based appraisals you would never know use the excel to word merging process the program is set up with (based on customization.) Until I retire, I will keep with N1web since it is a reliable product and the technical support is pretty fast and responsive.

one good thing about N1 is it is very adaptable. They realize that appraisers do things way differently depending on the shop you are in. The items in the report that i view as important aren't necessarily important to others to have in the report or to display in the same way. It should be noted, though, that N1 is now $1000 per user, which was a big increase this year.

 

[Bknoll]

I have also started the process of migrating to Report Builder Pro. There are a lot of things that I like about RBP, but honestly, there are a lot of things that concern me there as well. I am now giving N1 and Datacomp/Edge a new look. At the moment I am intrigued by Datacomp/Edge. I am worried that N1 will involve the same level of frustrating workarounds that I have been dealing with for years with Datappraise.

I've been a datappraise user for years and have been frustrated at the slow pace of improvements too. I've looked at several options over the years but they all function similarly and datappraise is really flexible. What issues have you had with it? I have always fought the software in trying to get the excel to work well. How is reportbuilder? I've talked to them but not looked at the software. Any big advantages, disadvantages to datappraise?

 

[Thomas Holding]

This is extremely interesting to me. What it lacks for the way I use software (or maybe it doesn't, hopefully you can tell me), is a central dashboard for my research assistant and admin to use to input new jobs and our comparables. However, it SOUNDS kind of simplified in a good way. Like maybe it just works?

It doesn't have any type of central dashboard since it is not made specifically for appraisals. I learned about it from a law website years ago since attorneys can use it to build legal documents and such. You could easily make a dashboard like application using Excel and/or Access and their built-in programming tools. I just keep my report sections in different folders and use the report builder function in DataPrompter to join the different report sections together into one large document. It literally takes just a few seconds to do. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

 

[TerryRohrer]

Deleted

 

[tsiegel]

I've been a datappraise user for years and have been frustrated at the slow pace of improvements too. I've looked at several options over the years but they all function similarly and datappraise is really flexible. What issues have you had with it? I have always fought the software in trying to get the excel to work well. How is reportbuilder? I've talked to them but not looked at the software. Any big advantages, disadvantages to datappraise?

Report builder seems like it has a lot of what I want figured out, but the whole thing is still excel and word based and is on a remote login situation. So, you log into their server and use Word and Excel on their server. This created a lot of issues for me. The onboarding process was grueling too. I had to bail. I am currently bouncing around to various software companies trying to figure out which is going to be the best to move to, but ready to scream as nothing is perfect or completely acceptable. I am giving Real Quantum another chance as they have made some improvements since the last time I checked it out and are making even more. Fingers crossed that I find something acceptable soon and I can get away from Datappraise.

 

[TerryRohrer]

Report builder seems like it has a lot of what I want figured out, but the whole thing is still excel and word based and is on a remote login situation. So, you log into their server and use Word and Excel on their server. This created a lot of issues for me. The onboarding process was grueling too. I had to bail. I am currently bouncing around to various software companies trying to figure out which is going to be the best to move to, but ready to scream as nothing is perfect or completely acceptable. I am giving Real Quantum another chance as they have made some improvements since the last time I checked it out and are making even more. Fingers crossed that I find something acceptable soon and I can get away from Datappraise.

Let us know what you find!

 

[Bknoll]

Report builder seems like it has a lot of what I want figured out, but the whole thing is still excel and word based and is on a remote login situation. So, you log into their server and use Word and Excel on their server. This created a lot of issues for me. The onboarding process was grueling too. I had to bail. I am currently bouncing around to various software companies trying to figure out which is going to be the best to move to, but ready to scream as nothing is perfect or completely acceptable. I am giving Real Quantum another chance as they have made some improvements since the last time I checked it out and are making even more. Fingers crossed that I find something acceptable soon and I can get away from Datappraise.

I just signed up with Valcre, they've reduced their prices. It's slick but not sure it's as flexible as datappraise. It does a lot that I could never make Dataprraise do though and their templates are extensive.