The most successful appraisers are those who consistently bring in new clients. Are you looking to earn more referrals and repeat business? Start by fostering good relationships with your appraisal customers. Taking the time and effort to build strong appraiser-client relationships is a great way to establish a good reputation and distinguish yourself from the competition so that you can easily generate new business through client referrals and word-of-mouth.
Not sure where to begin? To help you out, we asked our community of real estate appraisers, “Which is MOST important for building strong appraiser-client relationships?” Read their responses below for insights into several effective strategies you can use to keep your customers happy and keep business flowing.
What’s Most Important for Building Strong Appraiser-Client Relationships?
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Produce credible, high-quality work (47%)
One of the best ways to earn repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals is to simply do your job well. Make sure your appraisal reports and opinions of value are thoroughly researched, well-explained, and reliable. An additional perk of producing high-quality work is that you will save yourself time by avoiding revision requests.
“Producing high quality reports in a timely manner is the way to keep clients happy!”
“While being courteous and professional is important, that should be a given. Clear communication is also important, but ultimately having the client know they can count on credible, high-quality work is most important I believe.”
Have clear communication (20%)
Client communication and education are also important, especially when working with new appraisal clients. Take the time to explain the appraisal process, communicate what you do and don’t look for, and—no matter what type of client you’re working with—do your very best to provide timely status updates throughout the process.
“Clear communication is the basis of any service industry such as ours. With clear, consistent communication we, as appraisers, can educate and enlighten clients in such a way that they can better understand the appraisal report as well as the entire process involved in creating and providing a quality product in a timely manner.”
“Producing credible, high-quality work is always what we strive for. However, if we don’t communicate that work or with our client effectively, the high-quality work might not be appreciated.”
“Many times issues arise with clients [when] expectations are not clearly expressed. Most appraisers want to meet expectations if both participants are clear as to what is expected.”
Be courteous and professional (11%)
Treat all current and potential clients politely and professionally from the get-go. This may seem obvious. But it’s worth spelling out, because a courteous and professional demeanor is essential to making a good first impression and providing a positive customer service experience throughout the entire appraisal process, from acceptance to delivery.”
“I think being courteous, professional, and producing credible, high-quality work all go in tandem to be the secret sauce people are looking for to select an appraisal professional and tell others about their experience.”
Deliver reports on time (7%)
Timeliness is extremely important in every step of a real estate transaction. Always deliver your appraisal reports on time, and do not accept an assignment if you’re unsure whether you can deliver by the required deadline. If you’re working with AMCs, be sure to complete your report within 24–48 hours after the appraisal inspection, as many AMCs will score you on this metric.
Go above and beyond (4%)
Come up with additional ways to help out your clients, such as providing a checklist for homeowners on how to prepare for the appraisal inspection or offering advice on the best ways to boost home value. When you go the extra mile for your clients, you can bet they will remember your name and happily pass it on to anyone they know who’s in need of appraisal services.
Always be ethical (4%)
Last but certainly not least, always behave ethically and follow USPAP. Stick to your guns when faced with appraisal pressure. To provide trustworthy results and uphold the integrity of the appraisal profession, you must be ethical, honest, and unbiased in your work. Otherwise, you risk losing your professional reputation. This could mean turning down business from time to time, but ultimately you will earn more business by maintaining your good reputation.
“Without ethics, the other aspects just come second in priority.”
Other (7%)
About 7% of respondents selected “Other” and wrote in something to the effect of, “All of the above.” To be the best appraiser you can be and foster good appraiser-client relationships that generate repeat business and referrals, you should strive to incorporate all of these elements into your daily business practices.
“All of these items are extremely important.”
Connect with Clients Online
Another way to maintain existing client relationships and generate new business is to connect with clients online. At the very least, make sure you have an online presence so that people can find you online. If you want to take it a step further, utilize online marketing channels to promote your appraisal business and engage with prospective clients.
Make yourself available to answer any questions people may have about the appraisal process, the local housing market, or general real estate topics. You could do this proactively by writing and sharing blog articles that answer common questions, or you could make it a point to respond to any real estate-related questions posted by members of your social media community.
Check out these posts for more tips and insights to help grow your business:
- Top Channels for Marketing Your Appraisal Business
- Top Appraisers Advise on How to Generate New Business
Grow Your Career with CE Courses from McKissock
The ability to produce credible, high-quality appraisal work starts with a solid educational foundation. McKissock Learning has all the appraisal continuing education and licensing and certification courses you need to build a thriving career. If you’re looking to pick up new skills or certifications to expand your service offerings, check out our professional certification programs and consider upgrading your license to Certified General Appraiser.
