Please join me in roasting crappy Appraisers!

[Greg Moore]

The role of the Appraiser is an odd one: Way too much art (opinions) and way too little science (data-analytics), with way, way, way too little accountability. While the world embraces tech tools to automate workflows and tasks, reduce errors, and thereby increasing precision, the Appraiser is basically doing the same thing they did 80+ years ago.  Show up with a tape measure and a camera, pretend like they are doing something scientific, pontificating unscientific opinions, charging ridiculous fees for said opinions, then going home with no accountability for the disasters that stems from those opinions. And the worse part: we have to pay for this rubbish, and live with the rubbish for 3-6 months we can pay for new rubbish --OR live with the rubbish and make a whole helluva lot less $$ then a scientific method would have yielded.

These people are not scientists.  They are not "professionals" in a true sense of the word.  Yes, in exchange for 75 hours you too can obtain a license to be an Appraiser and work on your own!  No one will check your work.  That's NOT a professional.  And by extension, it should no longer be a profession.  

This is a role in our investor ecosystem that is ripe for automation and transformation. I, for one, am sick and tired of these opinions (and folks, let's be honest -- that's all they are offering here.  75+ hours of qualification to offer you their opinion on what they think your property is worth.) Now I know there is the occasional rare professional equipped with both experience and a scientific method.  Well, I don't actually "know" -- I just suspect.  I've never actually had the privilege of meeting or interacting with such a rare species. (And to be fair, Robert Kiyosaki has said (once) 'a great Appraiser is invaluable.' I've just concluded that this is must be some mythical creature that would have great value if the creature actually existed.  But I digress...)

Alas, I don't know what one individual can do.  The ecosystem is set up to require us to get an appraisal the same ol' way we've been getting them since the 1930s.  So all I can do is joke about it.  So please join me in sharing your favorite Appraiser joke.  I'll start:

“What does an appraiser’s wife say if she can’t sleep? ‘Honey, tell me about your day at work.’”

Ok, one more...

“I finally figured out how to make a million dollars in the real estate business. You ask an Appraiser to appraise your two million property that you own free and clear.”

Keep it going... go on! I know you have a favorite.  Please share!