Some Tips for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide extra information or have steps added to their data gathering. All of this is to ensure their client receives the best information possible. In order to keep up with the always changing requirements, Premier Valuation Services, Inc. is constantly researching new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for faster. At Premier Valuation Services, Inc. we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a few items you can do to decrease turn times when you order an appraisal from Premier Valuation Services, Inc.:

  1. Are you ordering appraisals online? With online ordering, you receive automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the order.

  2. Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property? There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. And if you have a tax parcel number, plat map number, subdivision name or anything else that uniquely identifies the property, please pass it along. Even a list of recent sales from the area is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

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

  3. Are you letting us know up front any features of the property that might make it distinct? It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how details unique to a property contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When you order your report, let us know if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive earlier.

  4. Did you make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect? Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming tasks in the appraisal process. Many current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the thought that a stranger wants to come in their home, look around, and make lots of notes. Many commonly think they should make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, believing that will increase the appraised value . So they put off the appointment until they have cleaned.

    Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a little bit about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make a significant difference in their home's value, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has multiple pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. They can even 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 quickly as possible!

  5. Our website is a great resource for verifying your report's status. Why are you still playing phone and fax tag when our website offers up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7? As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier and faster to track your report's status.