5 Steps to Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide additional information or have steps added to their appraisal process. They do this extra work to ensure the end user gets the best data that can be achieved. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Duncan Appraisals is always researching new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At Duncan Appraisals we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some items you can do to speed up the process whenever you order an appraisal with Duncan Appraisals:

Order your appraisals electronically. With online ordering, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the order.
Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property? Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily delay an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is helpful information to include with your request. Even a list of recent area sales is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.


	Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

Are you letting us know up front any elements of the property that might make it unique? Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique elements contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when ordering your report if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we will find out on our own, knowing them as soon as possible will likely make your report arrive earlier.
Did you make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect? One of the most inefficient tasks of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with a stranger looking in every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making numerous notes. Having the thought that it will make the house appraise for more money, many homeowners believe they must make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection . So they delay the inspection until the house is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- a little info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. I encourage you to point your customers to this website, where we have multiple pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others regarding the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment as soon as possible!
Our website is a great resource for following your report's status. Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been faster to keep track of your report's status.