5 Suggestions for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is always evolving. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to include additional information or have steps added to their data gathering. All of this is to guarantee their client is presented with the best analysis that can be achieved. In order to keep up with the always changing requirements, Realist Appraisal Services is continuously testing new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Realist Appraisal Services knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some items you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals you order with Realist Appraisal Services:

  1. Always order your appraisals on the Internet. When you order online, you automatically receive e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Online ordering is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the request.

  2. Make sure that the subject property information is accurate and complete. 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 are great data to include with the request. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

    3. If you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you, you're always welcome to contact us

  3. Tell us up front of the property's unique elements. It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing elements contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. At the time you order your report, be sure to let us know if there are unique details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner is likely to make your report arrive sooner.

  4. Do the occupants know what to expect? One of the most tedious steps of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the homeowner. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uneasy with an outsider inspecting every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making abundant notes. With the belief that it will increase the appraised value, some homeowners believe they must make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by . So they choose to not schedule the appointment until the house is cleaned.

    Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- some 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. Please feel free to point them to our website, where we have lots of pages of helpful information for homeowners and others about the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment without delay!

  5. Use our website to follow your report's status. No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are available online, anytime, 24/7. As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information is available to you online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.