We are all creatures of habit. We tend to eat the same foods, take the same way to work, and tie our shoes the same way every time. Often, we don’t even do things the way we do them because it’s the best way out there. Much of the time, we do things the way we do them because that is how we’ve always done them. To all my friends out there – but especially to my friends who use appraisal services – maybe it’s time to analyze the why behind the way we do things.
There’s a policy followed by many lender clients that states that I can send my trainee out on an inspection without my being there. But the moment Tom becomes fully certified, I can no longer send him in my behalf to do an inspection. Further, some of the same clients are claiming a shortage of appraisers, long turnaround times, and big fees. But this policy really doesn’t change any of these things.
I encourage these clients to reconsider this policy. What does it really help? Does it really accomplish what you claim to want it to? If I have a partner that I work with, whom I trust and who is a fully qualified appraiser, why is it that I can’t send him or her? What does this policy really accomplish? If this one policy were reconsidered, I believe it would help those on both ends – the appraisers who seek greater flexibility, and the clients who want a faster, and better-quality product. You might just find that, much like the way you eat your cereal, you’re keeping this policy simply because it’s the way things have always been done.
For more information on this subject, please listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
