Trainee Appraisers

[Jeff Mills]

Advise on the use of Trainees

I have been working solo for awhile now and want to utilize a trainee appraiser to help with some of my workload. I want to solicit some advice from those of you who have hired trainee appraisers. I have heard that some lenders will not accept an appraisal that has been inspected by a trainee (did or did not inspect box). Is there any way to use an appraiser trainee to inspect properties without going along and inspecting the property with them?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[wyecoyote]

Jeff,

If your client will accept you signing off as supervisory appraiser and not inspecting the subject. The problem with trainiees as I see it is that you may go through several before you find one that actually stays long enough to get trained. My old mentor state that she had 5 other trainiees prior to me. Another shop I worked at for a year would hire 4-6 trainiees at a time knowing that within a month most would leave. High turnover rate with in the time that I was there only two trainiees staying longer than six months. I had a trainiee this year for about 3 weeks. Decided he did not like it and went back to his day job. (wasn't making enough money) was also costing me money due to the slow down in work.

Ryan

 

[Pine Tree]

I echo Ryan's observations. Trainees cost time and money and don't increase production for a significant period to come ... Not to mention liability.. Peace, Wendy

 

[Restrain]

First, clarification. My trainees are relatives. It works better.

That being said, I start them out on an hourly wage. They learn the filing system, work on preping files and begin working at running comps. I keep them at that for at least 6 months until they begin to understand the market and how it works. Then I start them out reading reports and doing basic data entry on cookie cutter homes, returning it to them with their errors and explaining things. I keep them on this basic data entry for another 6 months along with the other work so they begin to understand the relationships between the data being entered, the subject being looked at, and the comparables being used.

After a year, I feel they are capable of actually writing a report. They're still not ready to write a report on their own, but at least they can prepare an easy report.

Roger

 

[Randy Beigh]

Jeff

First I would change my focus or attitude, whatever you want to call it. I do not think you should hire someone because you are busy. You should hire someone because you choose to grow your business. If you act like a business and you treat your employees with dignity, they will stay if they have work to do and money to be made.

Indeed if you only want to relieve some of your workload, you will have employee problems and they will be gone at the first sign of a slowdown. And trust me, here, there will be a slowdown. You are busy, now, but one day you will come to work and the fax won't be working and the phones won't be ringing. If you hire people, you need to know how you are going to treat them when that slowdown comes.

Yes, different companies have different guidelines as relating to trainees. Some will let the trainee inspect on his own and others will want you to inspect, also. Still others will not let the trainees name show on the left side of the report. You put the name on the inside of the report in the addendum.

I would recommend reading some basic business/management books. My favorite business book is The E Myth by Michael Gerber, but there are many to choose from.

Hiring employees is more than just relieving your work load, it is an added responsibility to your business and to the employees.

Good luck

 

[Peggy Wright]

Randy,

I agree, the E Myth is fantastic! Read it three times, and I think it is time again. I would actually like to get to the point where I have a training system in place that systematically trains for me (daily learning in a group, etc). I have been trying to evaluate if an appraisal office can be turned into a business rather than a sole proprietorship, and I'm not sure. I think it can, but I don't see much of it.

 

[Farm Gal]

It can, it has been done and fairly sucessfully, but you have to WANT to be an owner of THIS type of business... and I don't!

As with many others I took a look at the option and decided against.

I HAVE read and listened to Gerber and came to the conclusion that in some other business(es) I would have fun and really enjoy being the owner... but NOT this one!

Good resource. There are a few other "do ya really wanna guru's " with some contradictory views... but I think his is the fastest and gets to the meat without too much grating on bone.

Thought provoking anyway!

 

[Justin Haugen]

ok Ryan and Wendy, I am starting my education and will soon be looking for a trainee type position. How am I supposed to get a job if no one can rely on a trainee? I have no relatives in the business. How can I prove to my future employer that I am in it for the long haul?
I am a highly motivated newbie.
Justin

 

[John Hassler]

Jeff

I suggest you get yourself an assistant, not a trainee. Find somebody self motivated who is good with numbers. My assistant pulls all the basic comp data and enters it into the form. After I complete the report shes reads it and looks for general errors and inconsistancies. You will be amazed at how much better you can work. I've had a half dozen trainees over the years and I can tell you an assistant is a better economic decision!

John Hassler

 

[wyecoyote]

Justin,

Read through the newbies posts. There is alot of information in there pertaining to exactly what you posted about. The biggest thing is knocking on doors don't just randomly send your resume out. Meet and Greet in person. The hardest part is actually getting your foot in the door. If you are persistent it will happen. The only other word of advice is have a second job when you start. There is very little income in my experince for trainiess on their first year.

Ryan