The Appraisal Firm: Using technology to improve your customer experience

Here at The Appraisal Firm we seek to be on the forefront of appraisal technology. We use the best and newest technology available today to bring you high-quality, accurate appraisals.

The appraisal process has changed tremendously in recent years and these days, is a lot more demanding. Since cutting corners on analysis isn't an option for an ethical appraiser, the logical place to save time is in our daily workflow. In our effort to be the best we've found that using the very latest in new technology allows us to bring you more accurate reports, quicker turnaround times, and excellent customer service.

Hire an appraiser that takes advantage of the latest technology

Innovating the ordering experience

Way back when, the majority of orders arrived via fax and were confirmed with phone calls once we arrived at the office. It might be hours before a client even knew if we could do the order. Things are quite a bit different different now. When an order is placed on the site, we receive a digital notification. We can even log into this site from the field and send back an email confirmation – including the time and date for the inspection if we've been able to talk to the occupant.

When you order from The Appraisal Firm you can expect us to be concerned about your deadlines. We utilize our resources to reduce the waiting between communications and the faster we can get things done directly effects your bottom-line. By utilizing our website we can reduce the time it takes to finish your appraisal.

Report delivery

At the least, you can expect us to deliver your final report electronically as a PDF. Many clients prefer email because they're accustomed to receiving attachments like PDFs in their inbox. It's much better than when everything was on paper. But,we've even been able to innovate how you receive your report with this website.

Everyone knows how frustrating it is to lose a file. Or have you ever had an attachment blocked because of the file size? We have the technology to overcome those problems, too. When we deliver an appraisal through our website, the client is emailed a link to retrieve the PDF. At that point, it doesn't matter if all the extra photos and maps in the report result in too big an attachment. The download link is even good for a full 90 days. So if anything happens to the file, you can log back into our site and retrieve it without having to wait on us to send it again.

Tech-savvy data gathering

One of the most time consuming parts of an appraisal is gathering the data.. We spend much of our time gathering the facts on the subject property, as well as the local market data and trends. The Appraisal Firm employs technology to close the gap once again.

Instead of using paper forms and pencils and then re-keying all the information at the computer, don't be surprised to see us with a tablet or collecting data using an application for our phone that allows us to sketch a floorplan right on site. Rather than using a clumsy, old tape measure, a large percentage appraisers are adopting accurate laser measuring devices, making even hard to reach areas accesible.

We combine all of these different technologies to ensure the final report is complete and accurate, avoiding call-backs and revisions. This can be a real money saver for busy appraisal clients.

Digital work file technology

It would be much easier if appraisers could never have to think about an appraisal again after submitting it to the client. However, appraisals are created to document the condition of a property on the inspection date. Therefore, appraisers are obligated to keep their reports for 5 years, allowing them to recall any appraisal at any time to defend the valuation or to be used in legal proceedings.

Here again, The Appraisal Firm uses all the technology at our disposal to improve service. We store every part of the appraisal - notes, sketches, supporting documentation, and calculations - along with an electronic copy of the appraisal, we can pull up the entire file whenever it's needed and recall precisely what that report was about.

These are just a few examples of how we use technology daily. Using the right software, gadgets, and a high level of customer service allows the appraiser to deliver reports more efficiently, with a higher level of accuracy. The goal is to lower costs, and in turn provide you with faster appraisals.