EXOS and Blend Partner

[bnmappraisal]

Exos does allow for more than 1 vehicle to be registered with the appraiser's profile (that was a question I had for a friend of mine)

If an appraiser shows up in a different vehicle than what's in the profile ... and the POC notices this/cares/has concerns ... they can contact Servicelink - not sure if there are any "repercussions" to this or not though. I also doubt many people would notice ... but maybe. I didn't ask how many "complaints" they've received regarding a "different vehicle" than in the profile

 

[DWiley]

You know I have to ask....

When you owned and ran your own business....

Would you have willingly submitted to Exos....
Or would you have resisted?

LOL. That is a pretty funny question. EXOS is modeled after how I ran my business. The appraisers did not schedule appointments. They told the office manager when they were available, and appointments were scheduled at their available times. EXOS does the same thing, it just uses technology in place of a human office manager.

I did not want my staff appraisers wasting time on administrative tasks (like scheduling) - I wanted them appraising

 

[Renee Healion]

Not equivalent
While it may be the same as what you chose for your employees, just automated and scaled up, it is not the same for independents, especially a solo operator who has to be nimble and maximize their efficiency in other ways. You were an employer of staff appraisers and could enforce efficiencies on subordinates. I don't think you would have liked to have had one more bit of your agency nibbled away by external forces as a business owner. But I am sure you have enough who like it, and those who don't can opt out.

 

[J Grant]

LOL. That is a pretty funny question. EXOS is modeled after how I ran my business. The appraisers did not schedule appointments. They told the office manager when they were available, and appointments were scheduled at their available times. EXOS does the same thing, it just uses technology in place of a human office manager.

I did not want my staff appraisers wasting time on administrative tasks (like scheduling) - I wanted them appraising

Doesn't the EXOS app function differently in that it also assigns the appraisal? Was it that in your agency, you personally assigned (or other party in office did?) . Then the appointment was scheduled by office manager at the appraiser's available times., but the appraiser already had the order/assignment (unless it was different please correct me if that is the case)

It sounds like with EXOS the appraiser enters blocks of time/area/dates they are available . Then they might (or might not ) get assigned an order for a property in their available area/time/date. Still not clear how an order is assigned when several or more appraisers are available for it.

I assume staff appraisers only work for the one employer client so EXOS doesn't impact them the same way it would a fee appraiser, it might even be a convenience for a staff appraiser .

 

[J Grant]

My take on it (fwiw) if EXOS is limited to one or two AMC's fee appraisers can reject it. If it starts being used by a number of clients ( unless appraiser has other clients or can afford the resources to refuse) it will impact fee appraisers and not in a positive way. It reduces them to a replaceable widget as an UBER driver is, waiting for an app to ping based on a time slot. And since other appraisers can be availabe for it, what else is needed to get the order - ( unknown criteria ; till known I assume with an automated system it is scorecard, and fee /factors such as not declining orders are a component of scorecard)

 

[DWiley]

Not equivalent
While it may be the same as what you chose for your employees, just automated and scaled up, it is not the same for independents, especially a solo operator who has to be nimble and maximize their efficiency in other ways. You were an employer of staff appraisers and could enforce efficiencies on subordinates. I don't think you would have liked to have had one more bit of your agency nibbled away by external forces as a business owner. But I am sure you have enough who like it, and those who don't can opt out.

I am confused. You say that as an independent you need to be efficient (I agree, BTW), but then you say a system that helps with that will be resented? I don't get it.

We have firms with employees using EXOS, but the majority are independents. In both cases, they gain time by not having to play phone tag with scheduling.

 

[J Grant]

I am confused. You say that as an independent you need to be efficient (I agree, BTW), but then you say a system that helps with that will be resented? I don't get it.
We have firms with employees using EXOS, but the majority are independents. In both cases, they gain time by not having to play phone tag with scheduling.

But what does the appraiser lose with EXOS, as a trade off for a few minutes of supposed added efficiency around calling a borrower?

If appraiser stands to lose income /assignments due to the way this system works, not a good trade off, which also is control over one's own time and schedule. A few minutes saved by not having to call a borrower would be negated by spending time inputting and updating the app.

What you call " playing phone tag with scheduling" is simply a part of an appraiser being in charge of their own schedule. (as they accommodate the borrower of course.) While playing phone tag is annoying, it gets resolved , really involves a few minutes total and is not worth the trade off .

 

[Renee Healion]

Danny
I have to be nimble, to adjust to changing conditions. I can negotiate a fair availability to the client's customer in real time more efficiently. Phone tag is not a factor as it was when there was a landline at home and a machine for people to check when they got in after work. Putting up a block of time (or times) would not offer me the benefit that you see it offering you. If you had the only claim on my time, or the lion's share, then maybe, but you would not.

But of course, there is something else going on. It is not 1984, where the state wields crushing power, it is more like Brave New World, where individuals sell their freedom cheaply for convenience (or kicks, in the book). First, you required auto driver licenses, citing the numerically few, but annoying and professionally embarassing, cases of appraisal signature fraud, but now you want auto make and model. You're creeping your information requirements without a reasonable basis for the (free) appraiser to give it up.

But okay, say I want what I want as a business owner, to be reasonably available to the client's customer but not to lose chunks of time that could be put to other profitable use. If I put up a block of time on a few days this week (M,W,F) but next week I put up 90 minutes on a Mon and a Fri, then what? (Leaving aside AMC TAT meltdowns.) Because now, with all appointment scheduling options, not just appointments, visible by your company, which is demonstrating a thirst for non-essential information, how will the reasonable but not lavish time offers be viewed? You know if you have info, you can analyze it, so what metrics will the various appraisers in the same market be subject to? You know someone will "score" appraisers for reasonable availability but then take it beyond reasonable into a competitive claim for one AMC versus their peers. If you don't your competition will and then...

 

[J Grant]

Compare the two:

Non EXOS: Appraiser will get X # of orders a week, assigned by competency and fee/agreed on deadline by client. As the week goes by and the orders come in, appraiser contacts the borrower/agent contact ( phone, email, text ) and they respond and the appointment is set. Rarely is there an issue, when there is its usually an oddball/borrower changed mind/out of town.

With EXOS: Appraiser has to continually enter blocks of available times, dates and geo areas, which can change daily and need updating. Then appraiser waits around like an UBER driver for the app to ping with an appraisal order. If a scorecard is criteria for getting order the appraiser has to keep lowering their fee to score better/ deliver ever faster turn times, avoid any possible ""revision requests" (which can be inane) not decline appraisals , in order to get a better score card.

Result is uncertainty about orders, and appraiser has to perform like a hyper efficient warp speed circus seal to improve a scorecard by a few points to snag an order over an app. And it is questioned why we are resistant...

 

[Evincere]

The structure and nature of Ucbruin’s questions reminds me of those asked of new product pushers by hosts on late night Infomercials.

Or..a Buzz interview. Lol