Incoming President's Message 2023
Real estate appraisal is an awesome profession. Every assignment is a little different, every property is like a quaint little word problem we get to solve, we’re outdoors some days and indoors others, it requires very little overhead and capital, and we get to meet new people every day. In general, fee appraisers have the flexibility to work for who they want, when they want, and under mutually agreed terms. However, not all appraiser’s see it this way. Pick any on-line real estate appraiser’s forum and it does not take a long scroll down to find complaints; my volume has dried up with interest rate increases, the underwriter asked for another comparable to support my opinion of value, I hate ANSI, I hate AMCs, I don’t understand how to handle an ADU, I can’t believe we sell our services in a reverse auction...
I understand the complaints, but I don’t share them because; and this is the bottom line; if you treat real estate appraisal as an occupation and not a profession you are marketing yourself as a ‘form-filler’ and not a valuation service. Surprise, the GSEs, the UAD, and MISMO are actively trying to replace you with a computer program. When it comes time to register for continuing education do you wait until the last few weeks? Do you log on to EasyAppraisalCE.cheap because you can click through a 4-hour class in 90-minutes? Do you trade 7 revisions with the underwriter rather than write a report anticipating the likely questions your client will have about your unique subject property? Are you confused about how to apply ANSI, handle an ADU, or treat transient rental income? Do you only work for AMCs as their low-cost bidder> Do you need help to grow your skills and market your services to a wider range of clients including private individuals, trusts, estates, insurance companies, and litigators? Well, if so, the Appraisal Institute is the solution.
The Appraisal Institute owns the real estate valuation ‘book of knowledge’. It is our members and our staff who develop and deliver the best books, seminars, and courses. Are they the cheapest; no. Are they actually capable of raising your skills, your competency, and your client base; Yes! When you come to an Appraisal Institute function you meet the most talented real estate analysts in your market. You have access to the timeliest discussion on local topics from local experts. You develop professional relationships that last decades and a network of peers available when you have questions. You support the largest real estate valuation association in the world; one that is advocating for the profession every day. Invest in yourself and your business this year; join the NH/VT Chapter of the Appraisal Institute or recommit yourself to come to our meetings, seminars, and courses.
Over the coming year as the interest rate continue to rise and appraisal volume continues to fall, I encourage you to look to the Appraisal Institute as a solution, to help you transition from a vocation to a profession, to build your skills, to build your client base, to build your competency, and to never sell your time in a reverse auction ever again. Drop us a note or a text anytime to see what the Appraisal Institute can do for you.
Sean A. Sargeant, MAI, SRA
