Close-up female hands using smartphone on city searching or social networks concept.
I’ve been asked how much should be filled out on site during a mobile appraisal. I know there’s a lot of ways out there to do this; there are almost as many methods out there as there are appraisers. My way certainly isn’t the only way to do things, but it’s the way that I’ve found works for me. And my answer, in short, is this: fill out everything that you can.
When I walk through a property, I try to fill out as much as I can on site. The first thing this does is it helps me to make sure that my information is more accurate. I don’t have to end up guessing and trying to remember what I saw during my walk once I get back to my office. The information is already there. I also end up saving my office members time, since the photos and the final sketch are already in the form and don’t have to be attached or labeled. By the time I’m done, I like to have completed page 1, my photos, and my sketch.
Does this mean that I spend more time at the property? Certainly, it does. But I don’t mind if my information is better, and I know that most clients will also not mind if you spend a little more time walking and inspecting the property. This also helps to eliminate the “second inspection” that happens when you return to the office and start turning your notes, photos, and sketch into an actual form. When doing a mobile inspection, fill out everything you can – you’ll be glad you did.
For more information on this subject, please download and listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
4 Comments on “Less Isn’t Always More”
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What the “experts” don’t want to talk about because they have a stake in the profession no matter how much the individual appraiser suffers, is that, like the law enforcement profession, the appraisal profession is being defunded. The continued removal of the appraiser from the process through various means, as the attempt to remove the police officer from the law enforcement process, will yield similar results. Just as adhering to law and order continues to decline due to the policies of those sympathetic to the criminal and hostile to police, accurate and non biased appraisals will continue to decline due to the policies of those sympathetic to the greedy and corrupt in the real estate industry, with similar results.
Thanks Justin for voicing the need for appraisers to go to mobile inspections for page 1, photos, and the sketch. Time saver in the long run.
I have no idea why Paul responded the way that he did because his response has ZERO to do with what you discussed in your Blog………
I agree, take more time on site saves time in the office. Also, the homeowners see you taking more time and they notice as well. I will get calls from homeowners saying that our appraiser spent twice as long at the house as another appraiser and was very detailed, so they trust the appraisal more because of that. I believe this saves us answering questions later.