Recently Became Certified - Getting On Approved Lists

[CB27]

So I passed my exams in January and became certified residential in Florida after about 3 years of being a trainee and going through the application/testing process. Anyway, now I'm trying to get on approved lists and I've run into a snag on some of our more active clients. They require X amount of years of being certified before being approved or Y amount of total years (including trainee years) way over my 3 years. Of course the AMCs that don't seem to care give us little to no business.

Isn't this the whole point of being a trainee so you're not just going out there cold? So now in the eyes of a lot of clients the trainee period is closer to 4-5 years? Has anyone else come across this issue? Suggestions?

 

[CB27]

Oh I meant to add a more specific example to my original post:

Our now most active client (after a few others have gone dry since late last year) allows for trainees to be approved and inspect solo - obviously provided they have the knowledge/experience and then the supervisor signs/reviews. They are fairly new for us and when I initially asked what their trainee policy I was either told incorrectly or I misunderstood so I thought I still just had to do the normal - my boss is there during inspection and then he reviews/signs and mentions my name and contribution within the report. A little later I found out that they do approve trainees within their system. At that point I was in study mode, it was end of the year, we weren't too busy, so I figured I'd just wait until I was certified to get on their panel. I inquired to be added and after some back and forth they said they require two years of being certified to be approved. They straight up said they need more appraisers in the county I was looking to be approved in. When I asked if it's true that if it was true that I was in better position 2 months ago as a trainee than I am now I got no response.

Similar situation/conversation happened with another client as well. I've been working in some aspect real estate/mortgages/mortgage backed securities for 10 years so I'm also not just completely green to the industry. It's incredibly frustrating after grinding for those 3 years now it seems like I have another 2 years to go. Again, any tips, suggestions, similar stories, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

[George Hatch]

I worked for other people and advancing my skills for 7 years before I presented myself to the world as being ready to run my own gig.

YMMV

 

[Elliott]

I've had inquiries over the years about being an appraiser. I've always warned callers that its not an easy process and it takes at least five years of fee experience before most lenders will put you on their panel. Maybe you can get some work by working with another appraiser in the area.

 

[Mr Rex]

Keep grinding. You will be amazed at how soon it is when you can yell at trainees to get off your lawn...

 

[CB27]

I worked for other people and advancing my skills for 7 years before I presented myself to the world as being ready to run my own gig.

YMMV

I'm not trying to go completely solo. I'm still working for my old supervisor and his company, but I still need to be approved to have jobs assigned to me right? I just don't want to have to have him join me on inspections anymore, even if he still reviews and signs. Maybe I'm just not phrasing my emails to some of these clients the right way? He hasn't really had anyone work for him in a while so some of this part process is new to him as well.

 

[CB27]

I've had inquiries over the years about being an appraiser. I've always warned callers that its not an easy process and it takes at least five years of fee experience before most lenders will put you on their panel. Maybe you can get some work by working with another appraiser in the area.

I'm still working for my old supervisor and his company, but I still need to be approved to have jobs assigned to me right? Or can he farm out some of his assignments to me as long as he reviews/signs? Just trying to avoid him wasting time on joining me on inspections - for most jobs its just completely unnecessary at this point after 3 years. He hasn't really had anyone work for him in a while so some of this part process is new to him as well.

 

[Michigan CG]

I'm still working for my old supervisor and his company, but I still need to be approved to have jobs assigned to me right? Or can he farm out some of his assignments to me as long as he reviews/signs? Just trying to avoid him wasting time on joining me on inspections - for most jobs its just completely unnecessary at this point after 3 years. He hasn't really had anyone work for him in a while so some of this part process is new to him as well.

There is a reason that most of won't take on trainees and that is because after 2-3 years the trainee gets certified and wants to find clients of their own and not return to the person who trained them. How about signing up your mentor for new clients for a couple years and build the business and get a higher fee split?

The reason we don't hire trainees is because we don't want to compete with the people we trained after three years.

 

[George Hatch]

I'm not trying to go completely solo. I'm still working for my old supervisor and his company, but I still need to be approved to have jobs assigned to me right? I just don't want to have to have him join me on inspections anymore, even if he still reviews and signs. Maybe I'm just not phrasing my emails to some of these clients the right way? He hasn't really had anyone work for him in a while so some of this part process is new to him as well.

If I were you I'd (and assuming you still enjoy appraising SFRs) I'd go looking for the apex predator appraiser in your region and try to worm my way in there to continue your professional advancement. You know, the shop that draws the best clients and makes the most demands of the appraisers they work with and rakes in the strongest fees no matter who else on the outside is starving. it usually won't be the biggest outfit around, but rather the one with the primo reputation. Someone who will attack your reports with the red pen, mercilessly and without any human compassion whatsoever for that quivering lip you get when someone is yelling at you for doing dumb things.

You are known by the company you keep, the clients you do assignments for and the reputation you develop for gutting it out no matter what it takes. Then by the time you really are ready to go solo you'll have a reputation with the kinds of clients you actually want, and you'll know a lot better how to work your way through new situations.

That is, that's what I would do If I were you and were starting out again.

 

[CB27]

There is a reason that most of won't take on trainees and that is because after 2-3 years the trainee gets certified and wants to find clients of their own and not return to the person who trained them. How about signing up your mentor for new clients for a couple years and build the business and get a higher fee split?

The reason we don't hire trainees is because we don't want to compete with the people we trained after three years.

I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying and asking. I'm not trying to go off on my own with my own clients. Like I said above, I'm still working for him, but we are trying to get me set up so he doesn't have to join me on inspections like he did when I was a trainee. This has to be possible right? Even if they are assigned to him initially and he can pass it on to me, so all he has to do is review/sign. Even better is if I have my own approved profile, orders are assigned to me and he doesn't need to review/sign because it saves us both time. Either way they still pay his company, not me. I'll sign him up for every client in the world if it means I can get more orders myself without his direct supervision, that's all both of us want. Fee split is not a concern, I have a very good deal as it is a family situation. I just want more volume to make more money, not a 100% fee with no split.

Firms have more than one person and they are able to get orders for multiple people working there, that's all we want. He just hasn't had someone work for him in a very long time - probably since before 2007 (probably for the some of the reasons you mention about trainees, but again I'm in a different situation).

Really this all stems from the one client I specifically talked about above because they are by far our most active at the moment. They approve trainees, who get their own profile, but are only assigned jobs through their supervisor's profile. The trainee is then allowed to inspect alone (obviously if competent), with the supervisor obviously signing the right side. However, when I inquired about me as newly certified they said they require 2 years of certification. It can't be right that I'd be better off as a trainee with this client than I am now, can it? That just doesn't make any sense. We're fine with him still reviewing and signing if that needs to be done. We've tried to be clear about what we're asking several times, but maybe they are misunderstanding as well?

Again, not going on my own. Just trying to get more work through him.