Appraiser Critical Thinking: How to Spot a Fake Mona Lisa

More than 50% of chief appraisers, reviewers and commercial appraisers from my informal survey thought report quality declined in the past 10 years. They say appraising is an art. But just like art, there’s amazing work and “meh” work. Some appraisers rely on external reviewers to fix their art. Houston, we have a problem. Curator […]
Thinking about retiring from appraising

With the current bank slowdown, many in the valuation field are considering retiring. In the past, retiring meant taking less jobs but not a full stop. Does green golf courses or fishing on the bay in your center console boat sound alluring? Maybe it’s thoughts of getting to all those house projects. Or finally taking […]
What Appraisers Should Do When Work Is Slow

Now that lender appraisal work pipeline is down to a trickle, appraisers are again eating their young. Panicking, dropping fees to unsustainable levels. Worried about keeping their appraisers and reviewers busy. It’s a normal reaction to a slowdown, but there’s lots of alternatives. Find your energy, motivation and take the time to improve. Challenge yourself […]
The Office Post Dunder Mifflin

Michael Scott, the regional manager of the fictitious paper company Dunder Mifflin, is the only one left in the office. Pam and Jim left the firm, got married and are now influencers. Dwight left for his TikTok side hustle, while Darryl, Stanley and Phyllis all work remote. The hybrid workforce has forced office property owners […]
Occupier Trends for Small Office Buildings Upend Expectations

Conventional thinking has it that the office market crisis has no bounds and that remote and hybrid work have disrupted tenants’ use of large and small buildings alike. Moreover, the prevailing view is that small cap office properties are not competitive with bigger buildings whose owners tend to make capital improvements and add amenities in […]
Reducing decision friction can lead to big gains for appraisal teams

We make decisions every single day. Some may be big (like choosing to implement new software) and some may be small, but decisions can have lasting effects on you and your staff. They can feel like a daunting task. They can seem overwhelming, complex and time-consuming. The reality is that’s just fear disguised as complexity. […]