As a business owner, I have found that building relationships is key to success. Whether it’s connecting with fellow appraisers, real estate agents, attorneys, or other business professionals, opening yourself up to building these connections will help you thrive.

 

So you want to build relationships, but where do you start? I can only speak to what I have done personally for myself and my business. To be honest, I had no intention of mingling with agents and attorneys until my professional life got rocked (see my story). I wondered what to do next: attend every networking event I could find, join the chamber of commerce, rotary club, or other professional networking organizations? Then, I happened to get invited to Business Networking International (BNI), which changed my trajectory.

 

BNI has made the biggest difference for my personal growth and business than anything else to date. I have been a member of this organization for over 10 years. The value of meeting with other business owners weekly, as well as connecting outside of the meetings, is invaluable. BNI has taught me how to build professional relationships, listen to other business owners, and apply what works (and what doesn’t) to my own business. This has made me invaluable to my clients, as I now have a network of 50 other business professionals they can rely on.

 

Please do not take this as a plug for BNI specifically; it is a plug for any networking group you join. You need to go all in and commit. When you commit, you will yield huge results for your business.

 

Connecting with other business professionals offers powerful benefits, but connecting with fellow appraisers is even more valuable. This is where your business can truly thrive. Appraisers should not view other appraisers as competition. Building relationships with other appraisers has allowed me to expand and earn additional income. It has enabled me to learn from more experienced appraisers, making me better. It has sparked new ideas through casual conversations. The benefits are hard to quantify, but I do have an example which I can.

 

Earlier this week, I quantified the benefits of the Appraiser Facebook Forums. During a casual chat with Ernie Ramos from the Chicago area, we were discussing direct lenders. This conversation reminded me of a post I saw in one of the groups about a member working with a new direct lender. I Googled that direct lender and sent one email asking to join their panel. That post and my email got me added to the panel, and this connection resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in gross revenue from that lender over the years.  The benefits of connecting with other appraisers, both online and in person, are immense and can significantly grow your business.

 

The main goal of the Appraisal Referral Network is to form connections between appraisers. Out of those connections, referrals would naturally flow. Honestly, we all have access to databases of appraisers and could call an appraiser today, but the benefit of being a member of the same network is huge. It’s kind of like my membership in BNI; it gives me an “in” with any other BNI member. I can call an attorney from any chapter and ask to sit down for coffee, and they would agree. Members are more open to connecting with other members. That’s your in! If you are not a member of ReferAppraisals.com, please join us and connect with your fellow appraisers.

So, you’ve decided to become an appraiser specializing in Non-Lender business. Now what? How do you start attracting clients and getting your phone to ring? Should you join the chamber of commerce, distribute flyers, arrange speaking engagements at real estate offices, or even stand on a corner with a sign?

 

The most effective first steps are to create an engaging website and set up your Google Business Profile. These steps will establish your online presence and make it easier for potential clients to find and contact you.

 

Creating a website is the most crucial first step in gaining non-lender business. While I may be an expert in real estate appraising, I am not an expert in web design. That’s why it’s important to hire a professional web designer to create a simple, effective website for your business. Yes, this involves some expense, but you can find qualified, affordable designers on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. Investing in a well-designed website will pay off with your first non-lender order.

 

Keep the website simple and user-friendly. People have short attention spans. My site, for instance, includes tabs for the home page, a drop-down menu with my services, coverage areas, reviews, rates, request a quote, blog, and contact information. Honestly, I might even have too many tabs—simpler is often better. Here’s my site for reference: empireappraisalgroup.com.

 

A consumer visits your page to see if you offer the service they need, what it costs, and how to contact you. If your site is too complicated, they’ll go elsewhere. It’s not difficult to get started. I have detailed pages about my services primarily to boost my Google ranking, not because I expect every customer to read about divorce appraisals or IRS tax laws.

 

Take action and complete your website to start opening your business to non-lender opportunities.

 

Now that your website is ready to go, the next step is to create your Google Business Profile. A Google Business Profile allows you to manage how your local business appears across Google products, like Maps and Search.

 

With a Google Business Profile, you can:

  • Maintain Accurate Information: Provide your business hours, website, phone number, and location (street address, service area, or place marker, depending on your business).
  • Interact with Customers: Post photos of your business, products, and services, and collect and respond to customer reviews.
  • Attract New Customers: Improve your online visibility so new customers can find you and direct them to your website.

 

Nearly everyone uses Google, so it’s essential to have a presence on this platform. You can’t achieve that without a Google Business Profile. One of the best features is the reporting: you’ll receive insights on how many people called you, visited your website, viewed your profile, and the search terms they used. This valuable information can greatly enhance your marketing efforts.

 

We haven’t covered whether it’s beneficial to advertise on Google yet. To learn more about setting up your Google Business Profile and understand how much of business comes from Google, please sign up at ReferAppraisals.com.



Dan Lindeman

Appraisal Referral Network

ReferAppraisals.com



I want to share my experience from a recent listing appraisal and discuss my approach to these appraisals. I was hired by a seller who was selling their home as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). FSBOs are an excellent source of business; if they’re not hiring an agent, they should at least hire an appraiser to avoid leaving money on the table. We’ve all seen the buying side of appraisals for lenders and noticed how much money sellers lose trying to avoid the 6% commission—saving that commission but listing $50,000 below market value.


On this assignment, the seller found me on Google. How do I know this? I make it a point to ask on every assignment, either during our phone conversation or through a question on the last page of my engagement letter. This is important because it helps me understand which marketing efforts are effective. If a seller mentions they were referred by someone, I always reach out to that person to send a thank-you message or card, expressing my appreciation for the referral.


For all listing appraisals, I evaluate the property from a potential buyer’s perspective and provide recommendations to the seller on necessary repairs or changes to make before showing the property. This is crucial because a house needs to show well in addition to being priced correctly.


On this listing appraisal, while observing the exterior, I noticed several issues: the front porch needed painting, the lawn was dead, and the windows and sides of the house were filled with cobwebs and needed pressure cleaning. Inside, there were sections of the ceiling that were yellow from an old smoke detector, dehumidifiers draining in the sink, and a wine cooler awkwardly placed in the middle of the seating area at the breakfast bar. I shared my feedback with the seller. In the past, I’ve even advised sellers to rent a POD to clear out personal items when the clutter is overwhelming. I am always honest with the seller because that’s what they are paying for. Additionally, I provide a list of recommendations in my report and email to them.


This house also had painted concrete floors throughout, except in the bathrooms. Given the $1.5 million price range, I was brutally honest with the seller and told him that I didn’t know if buyers in this price range would love or hate these floors. Having appraised over 10,000 homes, I could only recall one other with painted concrete floors, indicating this feature is not typical. I advised the seller to be prepared to either offer a credit for new flooring or install new flooring to avoid selling below market value. In the appraisal, I treated the painted floors as if they were simply dated flooring.


When doing a listing appraisal, appraisers need to be open and honest with sellers and provide candid feedback. While this goes above and beyond providing value, it’s what we are hired to do. Offering recommendations and suggesting minor changes can ultimately help sellers achieve the highest possible price for their home, which is their goal. And yes, I want the seller to get the highest price—not because of bias, but because it reflects a successful and thorough appraisal on listings.


Discover more about listing appraisals and other non-lender sources of business by joining ReferAppraisals.com.  In this micro lesson, I’ll reveal the top sources for listing appraisals and provide you with an email template to send to sellers along with the appraisal.


Dan Lindeman

Appraisal Referral Network

ReferAppraisals.com