Some Hints for Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their appraisal process - all to ensure their client receives the best data that can be achieved. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Brandow Real Estate Appraisals is constantly seeking additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Brandow Real Estate Appraisals knows that time is important to everyone, here are some tips you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals ordered with Brandow Real Estate Appraisals:

  1. Are you ordering appraisals online? With online ordering, you automatically get e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the order.

  2. Complete and accurate subject property data is key. Being just one number off on the street address can really unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is helpful information to include with your assignment. Even a list of recent sales in the area is welcome — however, remember that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

    3. You're always free to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

  3. Are you letting us know up front any characteristics of the property that might make it unique? It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how features unique to a property contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When you order your report, let us know if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them sooner is likely to make your report arrive earlier.

  4. Set proper expectations with the occupants. One of the most tedious tasks of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the current homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an unknown person inspecting every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. Under the impression that it will make the house appraise higher, a few homeowners believe they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection and will reschedule the appraisal inspection until they have cleaned.

    Hearing it directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- a little knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make a significant difference in their home's value, will help move the process along for everyone. I encourage you to point your clients to our website, where we have lots of pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to become familiar with our staff and services. Remind them it's to their advantage to set the appointment promptly!

  5. Are you using our website as a resource to track your report's status? Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7. As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information is instantly available to you online. It's never been faster and easier to keep track of your report's status.