Two Documents to Improve Your Appraisal Business

There’s a big difference between being an appraiser and being an appraisal business owner. If you're running your own shop, you’ve got to start thinking differently. You’re not just doing appraisals—you’re building a system that consistently delivers appraisals. And if you don’t have two specific tools in place? You’re setting yourself up for inefficiency, burnout, and chaos.

Let’s talk about the assembly line. This is a simple, one-page document that outlines—at a glance—the step-by-step process for completing an appraisal in your office. Think: “Order received,” “Schedule inspection,” “Choose comps,” and so on. It should be short and clean. If it’s more than a page, you’ve overcomplicated it. This is your workflow snapshot, not a training manual.

Then, there’s the procedural manual. This is where you go deep. For every step in your assembly line, the procedural manual explains how that step is completed. Step-by-step. With checklists. With screenshots. Ideally, with videos. This is your “how-to” for training staff and scaling operations.

You need both. One keeps your process efficient. The other makes your team consistent.

Without these tools, you’re just flying by the seat of your pants, reinventing the wheel with every report. You want to build a business that runs smoothly, whether you’re the one doing the work or not. The systems are the secret.

Remember—McDonald's doesn’t serve the same Big Mac in every city by accident. Neither should you.

Check out The Appraiser Coach Podcast for more info on this topic:

898 Difference Between an Assembly Line and a Procedure Manual    AUDIO   VIDEO