Most appraisers treat marketing like it’s optional, annoying, or somehow beneath them. They’ll argue comps all day but won’t send a single email to the people who actually send them work. That’s not a strategy. That’s avoidance. Here’s why this matters.
An agent recently added me to his homeowner newsletter. He wasn’t pitching me. He wasn’t selling anything. He was just staying visible. And it was smart.
His newsletter isn’t flashy. It’s not trying to win design awards. It’s him. He’s a good photographer, so every newsletter includes original photos from his local market. In the most recent one, he featured a massive Christmas tree his city puts up every year. Another shot was from a local festival, a carousel lit up at night.
Between the photos, he included exactly what homeowners actually care about:
-Where mortgage rates are
-Inventory levels
-Median sale prices
-Closed sales
-Year-over-year trends
Then he wished everyone a Happy New Year. That was it. No begging. No hype. No “Call me today before it’s too late.” And that’s exactly why it works.
-He stays front and center.
-He shows personality.
-He builds familiarity.
When one of those homeowners decides to sell in the coming year, guess who they’re calling? Not because he yelled the loudest, but because he stayed present without being annoying.
Now let’s talk about appraisers. Your network might include real estate agents, attorneys, divorce attorneys, estate planners, probate attorneys, CPAs, accountants, or homeowners. Different audiences, the same rule applies.
People don’t remember appraisers who are invisible. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to exist in your network’s inbox occasionally. Here’s the part that should really get your attention: the bar is ridiculously low.
Ninety-nine percent of appraisers are doing nothing.
-No newsletters
-No market updates
-No touchpoints
-No reminders that they’re still alive and still in business
So if you send a simple, professional email once a month, you’re already ahead of almost everyone. Add a little personality and consistency, and now you’re not just another name in someone’s phone. You’re the appraiser they think of first.
Ask yourself one question:
What do I enjoy enough to share consistently?
-Market stats.
-Photos from inspections.
-Short insights from real-world assignments.
-Local trends.
-Your hobbies.
It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be you. Staying top of mind isn’t complicated. It’s not expensive. And it’s definitely not optional if you want consistent private work. Doing nothing is easy. Doing a little is powerful. And right now, doing a little puts you miles ahead of the competition.
You can keep hoping work magically shows up, or you can put yourself in rooms where referrals actually happen.
If you want access to a national network of appraisers who refer real non-lender work to each other, that’s exactly what the Appraisal Referral Network was built for. Learn more at ReferAppraisals.com.
