Back in 1990, I worked with a young appraiser that wrote "Warren T. Deed" as the buyer for all of his improved sales in a report. The neophyte appraiser indicated that, "I don't know who this guy is but he's buying up the city." Come to find out the appraiser probie was erroneously referring to "warranty deed." Howling laughter ensued for weeks at our office. We gave him a Darwin Award.

Sure we all make dumb mistakes, hopefully limited to early in our career. However, I don't think the freshman appraiser was struck by lightning, but rather wandering around our office that lacked (at the time) office systems, procedurals and access to experienced appraisers to provide guidance.

Fast-forward to 2013 when we hired a young appraiser. This one was clearly different. Much smarter, never having to repeat things to him more than once. An "A" player even at his youthful age. Arguably Warren T. Deed-guy was probably a C player, but with guidance, systems and procedures he might have been elevated to a more acceptable B Player. The 2013 appraiser with support became a rock star producer in short order.

So what does office systems and procedures pragmatically mean to a typical commercial appraisal firm? First it's important to know where we came from and where we are going as it illustrates change. To borrow from my wife's newsletter, "change is the tool of progress."



1990 Appraisal Firm
Windows 3.1/DOS (ugh), Lotus 1-2-3, Quattro Pro and WordPerfect, one honking monochrome monitor, Intel 8086 PC, dial-up internet, no real search engine, Netscape browser, researching comps with microfiche, dictating reports on micro tape transcribed by secretary, multiple revisions and edits on printed paper.

2014 Appraisal Firm
Windows 7/8, Office 2013/365 (Excel/Word), 3-4 flat screen high resolution color monitors, uber fast PC i7 Intel chipset, SSD memory hard drives, FIOS internet, Google, aerial and street photography, cloud-based sales and lease data services, Dragon voice dictation, cloud resources, industry-specific software solutions and workflow apps, no secretary support, paperless office and remote/flexible workforce.

Many of the foregoing tools have vastly improved in the past 24 years.  However, the most impactful efforts comes from office systems and procedures that are critical for a competitive edge including:

1. E-Myth Mastery - documentation for client fulfillment, management, leadership, marketing, money, lead generation and lead conversion.
2. Position Statements spelling out in writing duties of staff appraisers, reviewers and support staff.
3. Metrics written production goals of the firm, calculate and track hourly wages.
4. Time Management tracking, daily logs and prioritization skills.
5. Scheduled Reviews of all staff with position statements and use metrics as discussion points.
6. E-Communication Maintenance - keeping your website professional, creative and relevant, consistent presentation of all business cards, email signatures and correspondence, and give energy to your blogs, newsletters and LinkedIn activity.

It's debatable Darwin actually said these words, but I believe the message rings true, "it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." Though he's a touch obnoxious, Richard Branson has an interesting point. "Make a list of all the things you are passionate about...and think about that industry, is it ripe for innovation? Their customers are waiting for a better alternative to arrive."

It's been said that the best way to predict the future is to create it. Your future is defined by what you do today. Are you positioned to take advantage of our industry's evolution??