Upcoming Meetings

• Aug 5th | 10:30am MT | AI Academy Virtual Hands-On Training
• Aug 18th | 10:30am MT | Virtual Conference
• Aug 19th | 10:30am MT | AI Academy Virtual Show & Tell
• Aug 24th | 10:30am MT | Dream Team Connect
• Sep 2nd | 10:30am MT | AI Academy Virtual Hands-On Training
• Sep 8th | 10:30am MT | Virtual Conference
• Sep 13th | TBA | Eastside Architects In-Person AI Building
• Sep 14th | TBA | Eastside Mastermind In-Person Meeting
• Sep 16th | 9:30am MT | Dream Team Connect
• Sep 16th | 10:30am MT | AI Academy Virtual Show & Tell

Add these meetings to your calendar

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In mid-July, we officially launched the Appraiser AI Academy and the Appraiser AI Architects programs, and I could not be more thrilled with how they are proceeding already. The energy, the engagement, and the immediate results we are seeing from appraisers who are taking action have been incredible.

If you have been sitting on the sidelines wondering how AI fits into your appraisal business, now is the time to get involved. I invite you to check out the details in the Chalkboard section below. The future is moving fast, and we are building the tools to help you lead it.

Let's talk about standard operating procedures, or SOPs. I know that sounds like a dry, corporate topic, but it is actually the secret to freedom in your appraisal business. Mostly, I want to focus on why they are important and talk about the McDonald's system. Have you ever noticed how you can walk into a McDonald's anywhere in the country, and the fries taste exactly the same? That is not an accident. It is because their SOPs are so incredibly structured that you could literally put anyone in that job, and it would be difficult for them not to be successful.

That is the level of structure you need in your appraisal office. When you have clear SOPs, it lessens the burden on you as the owner. You get fewer questions from your staff or trainees because the answers can already be found in the documentation. You are no longer the bottleneck for every single decision or process. Think about how much time you spend answering the same questions over and over again. How do we handle a revision request from this specific AMC? What is our protocol for scheduling inspections when the homeowner is difficult to reach? If you have to answer those questions verbally every time they come up, you are wasting valuable hours that could be spent appraising or growing your business.

THIS INCLUDES ALL THE BENEFITS IN THE ALL STAR TEAM!

I want to focus specifically on digital SOPs. Most of you do not have physical offices anymore, and even if you did, binders full of papers are difficult to search and impossible to keep updated efficiently. You need a system that is searchable, accessible from anywhere, and easy to modify as your business evolves. When a client changes their requirements, you should be able to update your SOP in one place and know that everyone on your team has immediate access to the new rules.

There are lots of tools out there to help you build this. Yes, there are programs with monthly membership fees that are set up specifically for creating and managing SOPs, and they are great if you want a fully baked solution. But there are also a lot of free tools out there, mostly AI-related, that are absolutely amazing. NotebookLM from Google is one of them. You can dump all your business documents into it, and it becomes an intelligent, searchable brain for your company. You can literally ask it questions like, "What is our process for FHA appraisals?" and it will pull the exact steps from your own documentation.

So, where do you start? You start by simply gathering all of the documents and information about your business. Pull the text from your own website, grab your templates, your checklists, and your client requirements. Just put it all together and start organizing it. Do not worry about making it perfect on day one. The goal is just to get everything out of your head and into a centralized location.

COUNTERTOPS MADE IN IDAHO

The easiest way to build new SOPs is to stop writing them from scratch. Start recording every meeting that you have. Record every training session with your trainee. Record every staff meeting with your virtual assistant. Turn those recordings into SOPs. Loom is a fantastic tool for this. You can record your screen while you explain how to pull comps or how to format a specific report, and then use AI to transcribe that video and turn it into a step-by-step written procedure. It takes almost zero extra effort because you are just recording the work you are already doing.

You do not have to build your entire SOP library in one weekend. Just start documenting what you do as you do it. If you are explaining a process to someone today, record it. Tomorrow, you have a new SOP. Over time, you will build a comprehensive system that allows your business to run smoothly, whether you are sitting at your desk or sitting on a beach.

This is exactly the kind of systematic thinking we are applying in the Appraiser AI Academy and the Appraiser AI Architects programs that we launched in mid-July. We are taking these foundational business principles and supercharging them with artificial intelligence. The appraisers in these programs are not just learning about AI; they are actively building tools and systems that make their businesses run like well-oiled machines. They are creating the McDonald's system for their own appraisal practices, and the results have been nothing short of incredible. If you want to stop being the bottleneck in your own business, you need to start building your systems today. That is the power of the McDonald's system, and it is exactly what you need to build for yourself.

Let's talk about a niche that many appraisers overlook: tenant-in-common, or TIC, appraisals. If you are looking to diversify your client base away from traditional lender work, this is an area you need to understand. A tenancy in common is a legal arrangement where two or more parties share fractional ownership interest in a real estate property. Unlike joint tenancy, where the surviving owner automatically inherits the other's share, TIC interests can be sold, mortgaged, or passed on to heirs independently.

So, why are TIC appraisals important? Because anytime a fractional interest is transferred, gifted, or inherited, a valuation is usually required. Appraising a TIC interest is generally a two-step process. First, you have to appraise the real estate as a whole to determine its full market value. Second, the specific fractional interest must be valued, which often involves applying a discount for lack of control and lack of marketability. While the discount itself is sometimes calculated by a business valuation expert, the foundational real estate appraisal is entirely in your wheelhouse. This is highly specialized work that commands a premium fee, and it is completely insulated from the typical AMC fee compression.

The real question is, how do you get clients who will order TIC appraisals? You are not going to find these orders sitting on an AMC portal. You have to go directly to the professionals who handle these transactions. Your primary targets should be estate planning attorneys and family law attorneys. Estate planners deal with TIC arrangements constantly when setting up trusts, managing inheritances, or helping clients distribute their wealth without forcing the sale of a family property. Divorce attorneys encounter them when couples need to divide assets but choose to maintain joint ownership of a property temporarily.

THIS INCLUDES ALL THE BENEFITS FROM THE LOWER TIERS!

Another excellent source of TIC work is 1031 exchange facilitators. Investors frequently use TIC structures to pool their money and defer capital gains taxes through 1031 exchanges. Building relationships with the qualified intermediaries who handle these exchanges can put you on the short list when an appraisal is needed to establish the baseline value of the property.

To get this business, you need to speak their language. Reach out to local estate and divorce attorneys. Do not just ask for work; offer yourself as a resource. Let them know you understand the nuances of appraising properties held in a tenancy in common and that you can provide the rock-solid, defensible valuations they need for the IRS or the courts. Attend their local networking events, join their LinkedIn groups, or offer to buy them a cup of coffee to discuss how you can make their jobs easier. You can even write a short, informative one-pager about the appraisal process for TIC properties and drop it off at their offices. Once you establish yourself as the go-to expert for these complex ownership structures, you will find a steady stream of high-fee, non-lender work coming your way. It is all about positioning yourself as the solution to their specific problems.

Point #1: Fable 5:  The AI landscape is moving at breakneck speed. We are currently looking at the capabilities of GPT-5.6 and the highly anticipated release of Fable 5. But here is the reality: by the time you read this, there will probably already be a next-level model or tool making headlines. The lesson here is not to wait for the "perfect" version to arrive. Jump in now, learn the current tools, and adapt as they evolve. If you wait for the technology to stop changing, you will be left behind entirely.

Point #2: The iPad:  Let's talk about a simple tool that everyone knows about but often overlooks: the iPad. I recently purchased a cheap, used iPad, and I find myself using it more and more every single day. It has become so integrated into my workflow that when I go to our Dream Team Mastermind meetings, I no longer even need to carry my laptop. Sometimes the best technology investment isn't the newest, most expensive gadget; it is the simple, reliable tool that just makes your life easier.

I want to talk about my experience in Salt Lake City recently. In mid-July, I traveled to Salt Lake and rented a conference room at a Homewood Suites for three full days. On Saturday, we had about sixteen appraisers fly in from all over the nation to spend a full eight hours building AI tools specifically for appraisers. It was intense, it was focused, and many of them walked away with custom tools they can start using in their appraisal practices today.

On Sunday, I got together with my Dream Team mastermind group for breakfast and dinner. It was a day of informal get-togethers, camaraderie, friendships, and family. Then, on Monday and Tuesday, it was masterminding all day long. It was absolutely incredible and wonderful in so many ways.

By the time I left on Tuesday afternoon, I nearly had tears in my eyes. It was such a profound experience. I had many people reach out afterward, sending me private notes thanking me for the time and the effort it took to put it all together. But here is the truth: it wasn't about me. It was about everyone there. It was about the knowledge gained, the friendships strengthened, and the exuberance of being around people who are actively working to improve themselves and their businesses.

There is a unique power in getting in the same room with people who share your drive and your vision. You cannot replicate that energy on a Zoom call or in a Facebook group. When you surround yourself with forward-thinking professionals, it elevates your own mindset. It pushes you to be better. If you are feeling stuck or isolated in your business, I challenge you to find your group. Find the people who are going where you want to go, and get in the room with them. It will change your business, and it might just change your life.

Now, go create some value!