How many have a website?

[MBiggers]

Virtually no appraisers engage in PPC campaigns through Google/Bing networks, so if you wanted to rank high for certain searches (aka appear in the top in that yellow "sponsored links" box on Google), you wouldn't have to spend much because there wouldn't be many other appraisers competing for those search terms.

 

[Michigander]

Over the years I have spent thousands on websites. Now I have several sites that are no bells and whistles free with Weebly and get 80% of my business from these sites. They rank very high organically in search engines because they get updated with relevant content.

In my opinion, clients just need to find you and when they do they need to conclude that you are competent and qualified. I may be wrong but I don't think they make an engagement decision based on the flash of the site, they hire you and the site just puts you on the radar.

If you want to get away from lender assignment the websites make this happen.

While the sites are pretty plain we spent a whole bunch building our online bid generator which provides a client with a real bid in real time complete with bid letter and letter of engagement. I have not run across anything else like this. Provide something of value on your site and it will work. Make it the same as the rest and something else will probably happen.

How much work do you get through the bid generator? Seems like a really good idea.

 

[Phil McDonald]

Some

How much work do you get through the bid generator? Seems like a really good idea.

We probably get about 15% of our assignments from the bid generator. We have a more extensive bid generator we use internally built on an Access platform, this is the real powerhouse. The online bid generator is a simplified version of this and really acts as a lead generation tool. We capture the information that has been submitted and contact them by phone within one hour and this results in assignments.

The internal bid generator is huge. Our operations lead gets the details from a caller, completes the research, enters the information into the bid generator, and generates a bid with fee and turnaround time, they then send this to our director of operations and they approve or adjust the bid and it gets submitted. Again all this happens within one hour from the time of initial contact.

I do not see any of this unless it is unusual and would require my direction. I generally get involved with an assignment following engagement. This is a very good tool for us.

 

[Greenra]

Sorry, my response won't answer any of your questions. However, since I left private practice I converted my business website to one full of appraisal links that I used on a regular basis and now as a hobby or therapy I have expanded it to include appraisal news and links useful to appraisers versus a marketing tool to generate business. You might find it useful on the appraisal side versus the business side. greenra.com
[url]http://greenra.com/[/URL]

 

[SpartanAG]

Sorry, my response won't answer any of your questions. However, since I left private practice I converted my business website to one full of appraisal links that I used on a regular basis and now as a hobby or therapy I have expanded it to include appraisal news and links useful to appraisers versus a marketing tool to generate business. You might find it useful on the appraisal side versus the business side. greenra.com
[url]http://greenra.com/[/URL]

Nice site Mr. Green! Lots of info. Bookmarked

 

[Ann O'Rourke]

I get about 30% of my business from my web site at www.appraisaltoday.com set up in 1998. The rest is from referrals. My web site is primarily for my newsletter business and I very seldom make any changes. When I changed the headline about 10 years ago to:
Looking for a local commercial or residential appraiser for
Estate and Trust appraisals in Alameda County CA?
Go to About Us!
it really started picking up. I haven't done any residential lender work since 1995. It could be somewhat useful for lender work as it allows lenders/AMCs to find you on the Internet. My last large assignment, earlier this year, was $10,000 for 10 residential appraisals - houses and duplexes with two effective dates. The executor was a retired judge who was impressed by my online appraisal resume. Most of my estate work is ordered directly by the trustee or executor.

 

[Phil McDonald]

Excellent

I get about 30% of my business from my web site at www.appraisaltoday.com set up in 1998. The rest is from referrals. My web site is primarily for my newsletter business and I very seldom make any changes. When I changed the headline about 10 years ago to:
Looking for a local commercial or residential appraiser for
Estate and Trust appraisals in Alameda County CA?
Go to About Us!
it really started picking up. I haven't done any residential lender work since 1995. It could be somewhat useful for lender work as it allows lenders/AMCs to find you on the Internet. My last large assignment, earlier this year, was $10,000 for 10 residential appraisals - houses and duplexes with two effective dates. The executor was a retired judge who was impressed by my online appraisal resume. Most of my estate work is ordered directly by the trustee or executor.

Hello Ann,
You are a genius, but I knew that probably more than a decade ago when I first found your site and newsletter and that headline is another one of your great ideas. Thanks for everything you have done, you have provided me with great insight for many years.
Phil

 

[Phil McDonald]

Thank You

Sorry, my response won't answer any of your questions. However, since I left private practice I converted my business website to one full of appraisal links that I used on a regular basis and now as a hobby or therapy I have expanded it to include appraisal news and links useful to appraisers versus a marketing tool to generate business. You might find it useful on the appraisal side versus the business side. greenra.com
[url]http://greenra.com/[/URL]

Hello James,

You done good! I felt like I just opened a Christmas present when I looked at your site. Thank you for doing this, it is a great resource to the industry and this no doubt took you a bunch of time to make happen. Thank you a bunch.

Phil

 

[rbrienza]

I have 3 websites.
[url]www.brienzaappraisal.com[/URL]
[url]www.goldapp.net[/URL]
[url]www.ncarea.org[/URL]

The first 2 are my business sites, the other site is an appraiser group that I maintain. I built all 3. I don't take any orders on them. I have gotten several orders from them. They are more of an "informational" website. I probably update [url]www.ncarea.org[/URL] the most.
Ray

 

[Bob Sully]

I get 20+ appraisals a month in a mid-size market. All are COD, and 90% are private use appraisals that I perform on a GP Restricted form (look in alamode). I never argue with anyone about value, I never have payment issues and I turn away any assignment that I don't want to do for any reason (lack of comps, don't like the client, too far away, mortgage work, etc).

Now here's the kicker... I'm only a "licensed" appraiser, I have no E&O, I have no employees, my resume is laughable, I'm not on any AMC lists, all my appraisals are full fee and my overhead is almost zilch.

The key is that I learned how to market my little "micro business" to get in on the private work that is out there. It's easier, less time consuming and less aggravating. I usually won't accept more than 20 assignments a month because I own 3 other internet businesses and I need to spend a little time each month on those. (An online store, an internet marketing company and a blog for those that are interested). Before I moved to Austin, I lived in another larger market and I did the same thing there. I now lease those websites to a relative that is an appraiser and they routinely receive 40+ appraisals a month for the sites... but it's a much bigger market.

Oh yea, my site is http://www.RealEstateAppraisalsAustin.com. Paid nothing for it since I built it myself.