philip
Sophomore Member
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2002
- Professional Status
- Certified General Appraiser
- State
- California
From Working Real Estate Magazine:
“When I get those out of state calls, I know they want a free answer about whether the deal will fly. I also know from experience that I’m not going to win them over with a quick USPAP lesson. So, here is my approach: I exchange a few friendly words with them but always ask for the address of the subject early in the conversation. Sometimes I can access the property’s data from an online source quickly, and have before my eyes some sort of reliable information to consider.
"Once I have information, I ask them what they know about the property: its history, the market, AVMs they've run, BPOs they’ve secured, and whatever else it takes to make it obvious to them that neither one of us has any real notion of the property's value. And we won’t, of course, until I get out to see the place and bring together the data that creates a good summation of the facts."
Krummel continues, “By now I know pretty well what the job will require and when I can begin. So I suggest that I can contact the homeowner immediately, see the place as early as the next day and turn the report around in 48 hours (if this is the case). Then I ask, ‘So, shall I secure those plans in your behalf by collecting my fee from the homeowner at the time I visit the property, or is it your company’s policy to send the fee at the time you fax the appraisal order?’ Then I shut up and wait for their reply.
"If they don’t want to go forward, so be it. But this routine has turned these types of calls into orders more than once for me. What other option do you have, except giving them free comp data or hanging up angry? You can say 'no thanks' and hang up the phone or you can try to convert their nonsense into your gain."
Killing them with Kindness
Laurie Otto, who provided staff support to appraisers for many years, used a similar tack.
"Generally the ‘client’ expecting the free comp search was an out-of-state broker or lender – a regular client would know better than to ask! Rather than lecture them or argue about it, I offered them current listing data intended to help them figure out what to do in this market (wealthy resort community).
"By being helpful rather than argumentative, these same people almost always came into our office later with a real appraisal need. These folks routinely dabble in the market; some refinance the same property year after year. Others continue to buy up property. We enjoyed quite a bit of repeat business from this simple gesture to help. We offered listings only; no sales and no conclusions regarding the raw data," she said.
"Sometimes appraisers get hung up on terminology and forget to try to determine exactly what the client wants or needs. Usually, eventually, it's an appraisal, and they've come to the right place.”
“When I get those out of state calls, I know they want a free answer about whether the deal will fly. I also know from experience that I’m not going to win them over with a quick USPAP lesson. So, here is my approach: I exchange a few friendly words with them but always ask for the address of the subject early in the conversation. Sometimes I can access the property’s data from an online source quickly, and have before my eyes some sort of reliable information to consider.
"Once I have information, I ask them what they know about the property: its history, the market, AVMs they've run, BPOs they’ve secured, and whatever else it takes to make it obvious to them that neither one of us has any real notion of the property's value. And we won’t, of course, until I get out to see the place and bring together the data that creates a good summation of the facts."
Krummel continues, “By now I know pretty well what the job will require and when I can begin. So I suggest that I can contact the homeowner immediately, see the place as early as the next day and turn the report around in 48 hours (if this is the case). Then I ask, ‘So, shall I secure those plans in your behalf by collecting my fee from the homeowner at the time I visit the property, or is it your company’s policy to send the fee at the time you fax the appraisal order?’ Then I shut up and wait for their reply.
"If they don’t want to go forward, so be it. But this routine has turned these types of calls into orders more than once for me. What other option do you have, except giving them free comp data or hanging up angry? You can say 'no thanks' and hang up the phone or you can try to convert their nonsense into your gain."
Killing them with Kindness
Laurie Otto, who provided staff support to appraisers for many years, used a similar tack.
"Generally the ‘client’ expecting the free comp search was an out-of-state broker or lender – a regular client would know better than to ask! Rather than lecture them or argue about it, I offered them current listing data intended to help them figure out what to do in this market (wealthy resort community).
"By being helpful rather than argumentative, these same people almost always came into our office later with a real appraisal need. These folks routinely dabble in the market; some refinance the same property year after year. Others continue to buy up property. We enjoyed quite a bit of repeat business from this simple gesture to help. We offered listings only; no sales and no conclusions regarding the raw data," she said.
"Sometimes appraisers get hung up on terminology and forget to try to determine exactly what the client wants or needs. Usually, eventually, it's an appraisal, and they've come to the right place.”
