So what are the things an appraiser has to be thankful for?
It’s easy to get caught up in the negative parts of our jobs, however I would guess that if we all thought about it we would find more positive
things than negative. It’s always nice to have something like Thanksgiving to help us reassess our situation. Appraisers are no different than anyone else.
Our profession has been through some changes in the past couple of years which has challenged all of us but I still feel there are many things an appraiser has to be thankful for. I’ll give you my 7 things an appraiser has to be thankful for and then let’s keep the conversation going by telling me yours in the comment section below.
Nothing to lose and everything to gain
The benefits of being grateful range from better physical and mental health to improved self esteem and happier relationships. I’d rather consider the positive factors in a situation, and be thankful for my blessings, so I’m going to share with you what I find to be positive factors of the appraiser lifestyle and you can see how they stack up to yours, so let’s get started.
- Relaxed work schedule- The majority of appraisers work for themselves and enjoy a relaxed work schedule. This makes it easy to spend time with family. While most appraisers put in well over 40 hours in a typical work week they can take off when they want to attend their child’s ball game or dance recital. I have a home office an I’m thankful that I have been able to be around when my kids get home from school to ask them how their day went. Kids grow up way to fast and being able to be around them when they’re growing up is priceless
- You can pick and choose your clients- If you work for yourself then you are able to pick and choose the clients you want to work for. There has been a lot of negative talk about Appraisal Management Companies (AMC’s) and the low fees that they pay. The bottom line is that we can choose not to work for those that do not pay customary and reasonable fees (C & R) and only pursue the ones that understand what appraising is and will pay us for our efforts. Those that offer low ball fees will eventually get the idea and realize that there is more to a quality appraisal than a low fee.
- You’re in total control of your success- As I stated in the previous comment, we can choose not to work for those companies that are not beneficial to our business because we are in charge. We are in control of who we work for and what type of work we pursue. I prefer to have a diverse set of clients so that I don’t put “all of my eggs in one basket”. I would rather have a variety of work from some good lenders, real estate agents that value my professional opinion, as well as some work from attorneys who may need estate appraisals. By diversifying my client base to include non-traditional appraisal work my volume of work will not be negatively affected if interest rates increase or the market slows down.
- Good blend of working in and out of the office- I like my job because I don’t have to sit at my desk all day. I am able to work outside of the office during appraisal inspections which helps me to not get bored with what I am doing. If I had to sit behind a desk all day I don’t think I would enjoy what I do as much so for this I am thankful.
- You have control over how much money you make- A good part of owning your own business is that you are in charge of everything you do. If you want to make more money all you have to do is market to more clients and take on as much work as you care to handle. In some jobs you have a fixed rate of pay or salary, however by being an appraiser and owning your own company you can choose how many clients you have. There are a variety of ways to market to clients for appraisal services and you’re only limited by the effort you put into it. Some appraisers choose to keep working part time after they retire and they can decide how much they want to work and there is a lot of freedom in being able to do this.
- Current trends in grassroots efforts- As I stated previously, our industry has gone through some significant changes over the last several years which has made many appraisers question whether this is a profession worth staying in. Some positive changes that have resulted from this is the trend in appraisers starting to take control of the situation and make themselves heard through the use of social media and state coalitions. Social media helps appraisers amplify their voices to have businesses listen to our concerns and state coalitions have helped to gather appraisers together to provide a unified voice. A void in this type of action by the larger national appraisal societies has forced appraisers to take it upon themselves, however their efforts are paying off.
- Better tools for doing our job- My last point for being thankful is that the tools available to appraisers to do their jobs are greater than they have ever been. With the technology available today appraisers can use laser measuring tools, digital cameras, and tablet computers among other things to do their jobs. In addition to the actual tools to perform an appraisal we are able to use social media and online marketing tools such as this blog to promote our business. Gone are the days when you had to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to advertise your business.
What are you thankful for?
Do any of my points resonate with you? I’d like to hear your take on the matter and know what you’re thankful for, so leave a comment below. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thanks for your Thanksgiving post
. From time to time it is good to be reminded that we have things to be grateful for… and we do. I very much appreciat4e your helping us remember.
Thanks George for your comments.
Tom, thank you for pointing out all of the positives about working as an appraiser. These things are easy to forget with the stress that we feel at times. I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving.
Hey Gary, I agree it is easy to get bogged down in the stressful things but I hope we can all encourage one another and look for the good things in all that we do.
Dear Friends,
I’m thankful for number of appraiser colleagues and peers coming together; it’s been an amazing journey and transition. The insight and intelligence being shared is a precious benefit to us all, as well as the public. Appreciate your contributions so much and look forward to the next, and the next……Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Thanks for sharing Lori. I really appreciate the task that everyone has taken up for the betterment of our profession. Thank you for representing all of us at the recent meeting in DC and for everything else you have done. Happy Thanksgiving!
Love this! Since we have 7 kids, the flexibility to be able to attend events has been one of the best things about being appraisers! Totally agree on all points. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wow Shannon, 7 kids? The ability to adjust your schedule is probably the most important feature for you. I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving!
I was going to start a new thread, but I couldn’t resist responding to Shannon’s comment. Holy Batman!!! 7 kids? I cannot even imagine that.
I agree with the points above. I’m thankful to be my own boss and to work as much as I’d like. Also, as cheesy as it sounds, I am thankful for you and glad to get to talk back and forth despite being located in different states. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Agreed Ryan. The friendships built over the years with appraisers across the country are definitely at the top of the list.
Yes, Ryan, we have a very busy life. I often say that I will write book titled “Never a Dull Moment” however I can’t quite seem to find the time to write that book! It is a blessed life and this week we are thankful and looking forward to visiting with our family as some of our kids will be coming home from college. We are hoping that at least one or two of them might end up becoming appraisers! Happy Thanksgiving!
Despite all of the maddening setbacks the profession has endured over the past few years, appraisers have shown resilience in the face of adversity. Appraisers have come together and want to help each other do better. And this idea of helping each other is in no small part due to you Tom and other blogging appraisers such as Ryan Lundquist, Gary Kristensen, and Rachel Masey as well as groups like Roy Meyer’s Appraiser Insider. You guys have planted ideas in me that I hope will bear fruit in 2016. So, in this time of giving thanks, I want to thank you Tom, Roy, Ryan, Gary, and Rachel for being there for the appraiser community.
Thanks Tom, I appreciate your kind words. We all have a choice to go down a certain road and I hope the one I have chosen is more productive that one that gets us nowhere. I think 2016 will see significant progress for appraisers.
Nice post! Its nice to read something positive, which rarely happens in our business. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and keep up the good work!
Thanks Dana I appreciate the kind words! You have an awesome Thanksgiving too.
One of the things I am thankful for in addition to good health and family, is that as a Realtor, I will not answer to a “Boss” other my customers again
Very true Chris! I’ve worked so long for myself I don’t know how I would handle a boss if I had one. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!