Suggestion For Trainees

[Chris Colston]

I have a several suggestions for what trainees might be able to do if the mentor/supervisior/trainer's business has slowed down. These suggestions are of course if you have a good repor with the trainer and they don't mind seeing your face every day.

Ask if you can stay on and help with the office administration by:
a. filing
b. answering phones
c. calling on clients; old ones that the office hasn't heard from in awhile and new ones to see if you can drum up any more business. Sometimes its just a matter of reminding the old clients that you are out there.
d. calling on past due accounts
e. typing the reports while the trainer takes care of the administrative stuff (this will keep you in practice and free up the trainer for other things)

You might suggest you will do this XX$$ per hour just to keep busy and in touch with the appraisal business.

Plus then you are always available to to get the offer of doing whatever few "extra" assignments might come in. If you are there already, they don't have to try and find you or take you away from whatever part time thing you might be doing while you wait for business to pick up again.

If the trainer sees that you are interested in helping to expand the buisness, not just there for your hours, they may be more inclined to keep you around. I know I would be.

 

[Restrain]

New business solicitation would be the main thing to me as an owner of an appraisal business. There are companies that hire people for such things and pay them a commission on the amount of work obtained.

Roger

 

[Chris Colston]

Originally posted by RStrahan@Sep 1 2003, 10:58 PM
There are companies that hire people for such things and pay them a commission on the amount of work obtained.

Exactly! So why hire a company and pay out BIG $$ when you could possibly keep your trainee doing the same thing, for a cut of the fee on any new business? It can bring new business to you as the owner and maybe keep the trainee from either dropping out all together or going to your competition. Looks like a win-win to me. Its actually how I got started in the business over 15 years ago (before licensing). I was the company owner's quality control person and administrative assistant.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Good idea Chris!

 

[SHAWN BLACKBURN]

IM A "TRAINEE" WITH A MONTH LEFT BEFORE I CAN BECOME CERTIFIED AND MY OPINION IS "WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANY APPRAISER LET A TRAINEE DRUM UP BUSINESS" ITS YOUR NAME AND CERTIFICATION ON THE LINE, AND FROM MY EXPERIENCE NO BANK, MORTGAGE COMPANY ECT IS GONNA HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A TRAINEE... YOU HIRED THE TRAINEE TO LEARN THE TRADE, BUT REALLY YOU HIRED THE TRAINEE TO DO YOUR APPRAISALS FOR YOU, TO FREE UP YOUR TIME FOR ADMIN AND BUSINESS BUILDING...RIGHT?

 

[Lori Caley]

I always thought the mentor was the boss and the trainee is the subordinate. Wouldn't that mean you do what your asked? Just my .02

 

[Chris Colston]

Originally posted by SHAWN BLACKBURN@Sep 8 2003, 07:07 PM
IM A "TRAINEE" WITH A MONTH LEFT BEFORE I CAN BECOME CERTIFIED AND MY OPINION IS "WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANY APPRAISER LET A TRAINEE DRUM UP BUSINESS" .....YOU HIRED THE TRAINEE TO LEARN THE TRADE, BUT REALLY YOU HIRED THE TRAINEE TO DO YOUR APPRAISALS FOR YOU, TO FREE UP YOUR TIME FOR ADMIN AND BUSINESS BUILDING...RIGHT?

Why are you shouting?? Did you know that typing in ALL caps is preceived as speaking in a loud or shouting manner??

Congratulations on only having a month to go. Hope you pass your exam.

As to why would a certified appraiser want a trainee doing their marketing, why not? They would be marketing the certified appraiser's business and perhaps gaining more work for themselves now that work has slowed down. You may only have a month to go before you strike out on your own, but there are many out there that are just starting out. And marketing is training, too

I've been doing this (appraising) a long time. I've worked for certified appraisers as a staff fee appraiser and I now have my own company. When I was starting out and after I fulfilled my requirements for certification I continued to work with the company that gave me the break and my first chance and continued to learn. There is nothing wrong with not forming your own company and staying with the company that has been providing you with your work experience even after certification.

IN MY OPINION (and I have 20 years experience behind it) you are not an appraiser with some classroom hours and a couple hundred reports under your belt. There is alot more to it than THAT.

I don't hire trainees to "do the appraisals" for me, I hire trainees to LEARN! I hire trainees to be better than me. I do HIRE them. All of my trainees, when I have them, are employees (not independent contractors). They get their taxes taken care of, they get medical insurance, they are covered by my E&O insurance. They get 30% of the fee when they just get out of school. 45% after the first year, and 55% after certification. Any new client they bring in they get an additional 10% every time that client orders an appraisal whether they work on the order or not. Pass the FHA exam and get on the roster and they get 70% of the fee every time an FHA order is placed in their name.

If someone wants to come to me as an independent contractor and work under a 1099, they have to show me their quarterly tax filings to continue working for me.

My suggestions were posted to the trainees who have been concerned by the sudden drop in business and want to keep their experience going rather than find a part-time job until the work picks up again. I've been where many of the trainees are today. I've seen boom times come and go. I can remember 1989 when we were so busy no one left the office before 2 AM and were back at 8 AM. And I remember 1998, that was so slow the firm I was working at laid off 22 of the 26 appraisers we had working there. The last 2 or 3 years have been pretty good for every body. What you've been experiencing is NOT normal. The next 2 or 3 years are about to be more typical and "normal" and we are all going to have to be marketing, including any trainees that want to stay in the business.

 

[DB]

I have been in Sales and Management for the last 20+ years, and the first thing I had to learn is this business is to relax and do the work. Not to hit a quota. Not to hit a value and not to build really close relationships. That part was tough, because I have always been a "relationship" salesman. In this business, it seems, you are better off to be friendly, professional and do what you say you will do within the time you say that you will do it, rather than building a "buddy" relationship with a few clients. It is a proven fact in the sales world that people will not do business with people that they do not like. The trick is to be likeable, without getting in bed with lenders and clients. The fact is that, if you accurately and correctly report the truth about the value of a property, you are going to be the hero sometimes, and you are going to shovel out the barn sometimes. To remain professionally aloof, and neutral appears to be the best way to keep your sanity and keep your business. When people find out that you will do what is right, as opposed to what you are asked to do (Can you hit this value for me, buddy?) the resulting relationship will be solidly based on respect and your character cannot be questioned. (unlike lawyers and used car salesmen ..... no offense to either, but you have know there is a stigma) Just a thought .... thanks!!
p.s. Ask a lawyer if he will tell the truth or do what is in the best interest of his client, and then hold on for the answer. Thank God we are appraisers (& wannabes)

 

[SHAWN BLACKBURN]

sorry about that all caps thing. i wasn't shouting. thanks for the good luck on my exam whoever said that.

my reply was to RStrahan's comment on what he/she thinks a trainee should do in slow times.

how about more training, or taking the time to get to know the area and the market trends.

i think what Chris Colston said was a really good solution.

"Ask if you can stay on and help with the office administration by:
a. filing
b. answering phones
c. calling on clients; old ones that the office hasn't heard from in awhile and new ones to see if you can drum up any more business. Sometimes its just a matter of reminding the old clients that you are out there.
d. calling on past due accounts
e. typing the reports while the trainer takes care of the administrative stuff

(this will keep you in practice and free up the trainer for other things)"

like druming up business and training trainees and anwsering any questions a trainee might have.

i do see both sides of the story, and i do have to watch what i say about where i work.

i get plenty of work, of course i do work at an appriasal mill.

my biggest problem about trainess (im talking about newbiees with little to no experience) doing business devolpment is the fact that they get all the work from a client plus a 60% cut, but some of them are still learning how to fill out a URAR. i think druming up business should be the last thing a trainee should learn from thier mentor, after all the single family, condos, manufactured homes, vacant land, income property, highest and best use, cost to cure and deffered maintenence, the cost approach in general, how to pull comps, why use certian comps and not others, ect. than should come marketing.

i often wonder if they think they will get to keep this client after they leave the company, as is its not thier client to begin with, right?

"you are not an appraiser with some classroom hours and a couple hundred reports under your belt. There is alot more to it than THAT." i totally agree with that!

"Posted on Sep 8 2003, 08:29 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I always thought the mentor was the boss and the trainee is the subordinate. Wouldn't that mean you do what your asked? Just my .02 "

well, no one asked for this .02...no one is asking me to get clients. i just have my own opinion on this and was wondering what other "appraisers" thought about a trainee haveing a relationship with a certifieds client. besides someone needs to do the house accounts.


i guess im just venting about where i work, cause i can't talk to the man about his business.

 

[SHAWN BLACKBURN]

What i think i'm trying to say is that...
as a 2 year experience trainee planing to soon become certified....
I don't feel as if i could awnser all the questions a client may have at an inital meeting how can a trainee with less experience. mabee i need marketing training. i think ill do that.

isn't this exactly what forums like this exisit for...learning.
i had an opinion about trainees in general and wondered if other appraisers felt the same or if i could be wrong. i could be wrong you know

thanks.