Actually this is a valid point. If you are a solo appraiser, which most of us are, we build a book of business, of clientele. If you work for a company, most will require the shuttering of your independent doors. That is fine if you keep the position, but if you get laid off, you have to start over. The longer you are away from the fee world, the harder it is to regain that book of business. It does become a business decision if the risk is worth the reward to go on staff, knowing you could end up back on your own again, starting from square one. I speak from experience as a long-time local expert who has gone corporate twice and rebuilt a business twice. It is doable, but certainly not easy. Risk versus reward. And as a solo practitioner who has a large book of private work, that can be just as fickle as a lender client, as private work is susceptible to fee pressure as much as lender work and "selling" your services to those who are just looking for a number is difficult. So, it is a con, and does need to be considered.
