Your Best Friend as an Appraiser

Many appraisers work out of our homes, not interacting with office staff or other appraisers. Even when we’re out, we’re still doing work-related tasks like shooting pictures and doing inspections. It is often a one-man show, and can be very lonely. There are, however, ways to make the real estate appraisal business a little less lonely.

I recently got talked into getting a new puppy, and though they’re a lot of work, they’re also a lot of fun. When you’re alone all the time as an appraiser, it can be hard to stay positive and on-task. When you’re lonely, you can start to feel your motivation go down. I work a lot and don’t spend a large amount of time with my new Goldendoodle puppy Copper, but what time I do spend with him is so fulfilling.

Keep in mind, this is not a replacement for relationships or friendships with actual humans. In fact, I was against getting a dog at first. But I must admit, his presence has been a blessing. I spend time playing, going on walks, and going on little drives with him. Having companionship makes the job so much different, and helps make it less lonely for someone who predominantly works alone.

Getting a new dog, especially a puppy, is definitely a commitment. It’s a lot of responsibility, and can sometimes be frustrating. Even so, I highly recommend getting a dog or even another kind of pet if you find yourself working alone and not getting much companionship. It might help make you feel better.

For more information on this subject, please download and listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast

9 thoughts on “Your Best Friend as an Appraiser”

  1. Pingback: Your Best Friend as an Appraiser - Appraisal Buzz

  2. I miss have my dog with me, he passed away a few years ago. I am planning on getting another in the future as they are great companions and make you get out of that chair and go for a much needed walk.

  3. Randall R. Davis, SRPA, SRA

    I got one in July 2020, a Bermadoddle mini named Murphy. When I told the vet his words were “Do you remember how much work a puppy is?”. We are in the last week of “puppy class” and she is the star of the show…..along with her sister Ryleighl that my daughter bought. Smart dogs. She’s laying about 3′ away from me as I write this and will be in the back seat of my truck this afternoon as I do my inspections.

  4. Albert E Mattheis

    I love puppies. Heck, who doesn’t? I even love fully grown dogs. But what I don’t miss is constantly having to walk the dog and or clean up poop and pee.
    A dog is a big job, that you have to work 7 days a week for over a decade. It pays $0 and actually cost’s a fair amount over time.
    Money aside, it’s far too time consuming for me.

  5. Told my wife if we got pets she had to take care of the poop and vomit cause I’d hurl. I’m partial to rat terriers but not my wife, soooo, male Rottie, female Malinois and two cats presently.

  6. I have an older Beagle. Because of issues when she was a puppy she had to go with me on my appraisal trips. She was great companion but at times a great pain. But because of her I always took time out during the day to sit and eat and take short walk She is too old now to come along.

  7. I have a Lab ??? mix. He is the best! He is my assistant! I got him at about 10 weeks. I enjoyed the training and we are still training as we compete in Agility, Rally and hopefully Obedience (soon). Shout out to Julie at Canine Learning Center, Fort Collins CO. They are very patient with me and my boy (Mr. Peabody). Plus, I can get completely away for appraisal and appraising at CLC (clear my head).

  8. My wife and I have two dogs in our family, a long-haired dachshund and a wire-haired Jack Russell terrier. They are great companions. I keep a bag of treats in my garage-basement office and leave the basement door and outside basement door open throughout the day. These two can come and go as they please. If they choose to stay in my office for a while, they get a treat or two. I’ve had dogs in my life all my life (60+years). When borrowers tell me they have a dog or two, I tell them I’m not bothered unless they’re attack-dogs or otherwise mean. Homeowners find it amazing when I meet their “barker,” who takes one sniff of me, and it’s two thumbs-up. I get he’s ok, mom, and get I get no trouble at all.

  9. Elizabeth M Fekete

    I used to take my Chow mix on appointments in rough neighborhoods, as I am a short-ish female. Chows rarely bark and mine have been naturally well behaved and friendly. I had finished an inspection of a couple of apartment buildings and the owner left. Sitting in my car mapping my sales, a guy on the street walked up to the window asking if I needed directions, I said thanks but no but he continued to insist he could help and wanted me to open the window more. This was getting uncomfortable and appeared shifty by being so insistent about it… just when my dog popped up from the back and gave the loudest low pitch rumbling growl I had ever heard from her… clearly she read the situation. As she continued snarling at him, I told him he should leave before she finds a way out of the car and he quickly left. I think I dodged a bullet, so to speak.

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