Portland Area Real Estate Appraisal Discussion

This week my Portland real estate appraiser blog is posted on another website.  I was invited (not paid) to write a guest blog post for the a la mode, inc. Appraisal Team Blog called “How I Work.”  I use a la mode Total software in my appraisal business.  The article describes my work flow as it relates to my hardware, software, and marketing.  (Hopefully I did not give away too many secretes).  Please check it out.

Here is a link to How I Work: Gary Kristensen, A Quality Appraisal, LLC

Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation?  Let me know in the comments below.

If you find this information interesting or useful, please subscribe to this blog and like A Quality Appraisal, LLC on Facebook.  Also, please support us by making Portland real estate appraisal related comments on our blogs and YouTube videos.  If you need Portland, Oregon area residential real estate appraisal services for any reason, please request appraisal fee quote or book us to speak at your next event.  We will do everything possible to assist you.

Thanks for reading,

Gary F. Kristensen

In 2010 I quit using paper in my office and began using a tablet computer for field appraisal inspections.  Work flow and efficiency improved significantly.  My office and files are now easily accessible, no matter my location.  Individual tasks of the appraisal are only done once.  The strategy has changed my business dramatically (similar to how the digital camera changed the appraisal business), yet the majority of appraisers still print and store large quantities of paper and take field notes, which then must be inserted into an appraisal report after returning from the field.  Below is a motivational list of the top reasons for appraisers to go both paperless and mobile.

• Save Time:  Time is the most valuable thing that anyone has and none of us can buy more, yet our time is worth more than most of us charge for it.  To determine what your time is worth, divide your net appraisal fees by the hours worked.  Mobile appraisal techniques will, at minimum, save the time that is spent entering field notes into the appraisal report after an inspection.
• Save Paper:  Paper and ink can cost as much as $0.17 per sheet for inkjet and $0.04 per sheet for laser printers.  A 75-page appraiser work file could cost between $3.00 and $12.75.
• Save Space:  Most appraisers have boxes of paper filling up crawlspaces, storage units, or closets.  Online backup space is much less expensive than physical space, it is more easily accessible (USPAP requires accessibility), and it is more protected from disastrous loss.
• Improved Image:  Clients and homeowners notice high-tech gadgets just like they notice a professional appearance.  Confident use of mobile devices in the field shows the client that we are worth a professional fee.  If the homeowner has a question, like wanting to explain an easement on the plat map, that information is easily accessible on a tablet computer.  The device homeowners seem to notice most is my Leica Disto when I come inside to measure areas not accessible from the exterior.
• Increased Accuracy:  Most mobile appraisal software will remind you to complete critical fields.  This means no more forgotten inspection items.  Also, when an appraiser measures and sketches a property on a tablet computer, the sketch is closed before leaving the property.  This means that errors in the sketch are identified at a time when the appraiser has a chance to fix them.
• Reduced Stress:  When an appraiser takes a tablet computer into the field, he/she has the opportunity to respond to emails and other issues that typically might need to wait until returning to the office.  This improves responsiveness to clients and associates, and it means less stress about returning to an office full of waiting work. 

If you haven’t gone mobile, here is a video of a class that I taught last year on the topic.

Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation?  Let me know in the comments below.

If you find this information interesting or useful, please subscribe to this blog and like A Quality Appraisal, LLC on Facebook.  Also, please support us by making Portland real estate appraisal related comments on our blogs and YouTube videos.  If you need Portland, Oregon area residential real estate appraisal services for any reason, please request appraisal fee quote or book us to speak at your next event.  We will do everything possible to assist you.

Thanks for reading,