Why Hire A Technically Advanced Appraiser?

Appraisers are, by far, the most technologically advanced players in the real estate world. Out of necessity they have been drawn into the digital world at a pace not seen by their colleagues. The appraisal process is one that lends itself to technology. . . and technology pays significant dividends to those appraisers who invest in it.

"Those 'technology dividends' are shared with our customers, in the form of shorter turn-around times and more accurate reports."

Ordering
Let's start at the beginning. Millions of real estate transactions are processed each year in the United States. Almost all of them require some sort of appraisal. Technology has allowed us to reduce the amount of work our clients need to order, track and receive appraisals. Until just recently, the primary mode of interaction between an appraiser and client was the telephone and fax machine. Clients would send requests via fax, and then often follow it up with a phone call to make sure it was received. Tracking the progress of the appraisal meant more phone calls - a disruption for both the client and the appraiser.

But NOW we have a better method. Using tools like this Web site, complete with the ability to order appraisals on-line, allows our clients to shave valuable time off the process of ordering and tracking appraisals. Technologies like a la mode's Mercury Network are advancing this concept even further, giving its users the ability to not only order appraisals, but track their progress all the way until delivery. No more annoying games of phone tag!

Data Gathering
The appraisal process is an extremely data intensive process. Appraisers spend the bulk of their time gathering specific information, about the subject property, and general data about the local real estate market. Once again, technology has stepped in to help appraisers. In the past, the home inspection process has been the time consuming and difficult. To top it off, we then had to come back to the office and transcribe our field notes into the appraisal file itself. No longer.

As a "Digital Appraiser", ISN has adopted several tools that can aid in gathering data in the field.  For example, the Windows Pocket PC and Tablet devices, running Pocket TOTAL software, can eliminate much of the duplicate data entry problems of the past.  We also employ PocketApex's sketch software, allowing us to sketch the house on the fly. All of this means that we can gather MORE data MORE accurately.  This means a more accurate and complete report and fewer "call-backs" for you.  Click the logo above for more information on our field data technology.

On the other side of the data gathering coin is the general data. The Internet has revolutionized our ability to get quality data in a fraction of the time it once took. Where once we would spend hours finding the right location maps and then rubbing on decals, the today we get our maps with a few mouse clicks, complete with location markers. And flood maps? Likewise just a few clicks away using services like a la mode's FloodSource. Standardized addressing, accurate postal coding, census tract information, are all at our fingertips. This ensures that the final report is as complete and accurate as possible, requiring fewer call-backs and revisions. A real money saver for busy appraisal clients.

Report delivery
Once the report is done, how do we leverage our investment in technology to improve the delivery process?  We've all but eliminated the old print-and-snail mail method of report delivery.  We've replaced it with a much more efficient electronic delivery system. Using Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) files, we can deliver a complete, multi-page report, complete with digital photos and maps, through simple e-mail. Now, instead of waiting for the daily mail, or paying for expensive courier services, appraisal customers can simply log into their company email system and retrieve all the appraisals at one time. Without wasting and paper printing the appraisal, it can be routed to the appropriate loan officer or title company in the blink of an electron.

More advanced organizations are adopting a la mode's net.X network to not only order appraisals, but also to manage the delivery process. Before an appraisal is ever delivered, this cutting edge technology reviews the report and ensures that it meets certain guidelines. Have enough comparables been used? Has the appraiser included a statement of limiting conditions? These items can be checked automatically and the appraiser notified of the deficiency without the client ever getting involved. Now, when the final report is received, the client can be sure the appraisal meets all the basic criteria. Once again, costly follow up and revisions are avoided, lowering everybody's cost of doing business.

Digital Workfile
It would be wonderful if appraisers could complete a report, deliver it and never worry about seeing that document again. But one of the purposes of an appraisal is as a legal document outlining the condition of the property at the time of sale. So appraisers must keep their reports for 5 years, allowing them to recall any appraisal at any time to either defend the valuation or to be used in other legal proceedings.

Here again, ISN Appraisal Service leverages its investment in technology to improve service. By storing every aspect of the appraisal - notes, sketches, supporting documentation and calculations - along with the electronic appraisal report, we're is able to retrieve that report at any time within the five years (and longer) and recall just what that report was about. And this data is not stored in boxes stacked 5 deep in some rented warehouse. Instead, we use technology like a la mode's Digital Workfile to electronically include all supporting documents as part of the appraisal file. These files are stored securely on off-site searchable media, on a la mode's Vault, where we can find them in a fraction of the time required in the past. This helps appraisal clients by giving them virtual access to any appraisal they've ordered within the past 5 years.

These are just a few examples of how our technologically investments are improving the business workflows of our customers. Investing in the right software, services, gadgets and gizmos allows us to deliver reports quicker, more efficiently and with higher degrees of accuracy. All of which helps keep the our costs down, and in turn save our client's time and money.