“I work hard creating my appraisals; it frustrates me when reviewers ask for a bunch of revisions for a low fee.” – commercial fee appraiser. “It’s hard enough to manage high appraisal volume; today I have to deal with lender push back.” – chief appraiser.
If fee appraisers and chief appraisers were on the psychologist couch, they would likely have some topics they’d like to get off their chest. Topics might include inconsistent appraisal report quality, lack of clear specific expectations and the absence of a strong relationship. On both sides the fence, being “swamped” is an equal stress for both parties.
I think fee appraisers would be surprised at the stress level of chief appraisers and their staff. I think chief appraisers might be surprised at the burn-out level of fee appraisers struggling to retain high report quality. The good news is both sides really care about the valuation. Everyone wants to do a good job.
Let’s grab a beer…or scotch
Coming out of Covid, I think appraisers and their bank clients getting back together socially would be an important and productive time well spent. Business casual discussions would be a welcome change to the “hamster on the wheel” feeling many of us are currently experiencing.
The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck has been a pivotal book for many searching for personal growth and happiness. It helps you grow by confronting and solving your problems through discipline, love and grace. When it comes to your work life, the advice is just as applicable.
Scott Peck’s 5 Top Life Changers
- Stay open to change your perspective of reality at any moment.
- Create a dedication to truth.
- Remain open to being wrong.
- Pause and entertain the idea of a new opinion at any time.
- Always be willing to update your view of the world.
So, what perspective of reality needs to be changed? I would start with improving the relationship between commercial fee appraisers and their bank clients. Truly understanding the challenges each side faces can facilitate improved relationships, report quality and ironically increase productivity.
“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”
M. Scott Peck
Having appraisal productivity software https://datacompsoftware.com/ and appraisal workflow platforms https://realwired.com/ designed by valuation SMEs is just a start. The real personal growth effort comes in the “change” department. Working with your firm or staff to slow down enough to implement new processes and software to substantially improve transparency and productivity.
“What brings you here today?”
Value your time.
