The best choice for Internet marketing for appraisers

Appraisal reports are commodities. They're generally fungible in the eyes of the people who order them. Traditionally, that's why appraisers market themselves as though they were selling reams of printer paper.

Why buy this box of printer paper instead of another brand?

1. It works better.
2. Different thickness, dimensions to fit your needs.
3. It costs less.
4. It's easier to buy and you get it sooner.

Why buy an appraisal from me instead of another appraiser?

1. My work is better.
2. Different varieties of reports to suit your needs.
3. I charge less.
4. You get your report faster.

Can you think of other ways to market paper? The package? Nobody pays attention to the package. This is really about it, particularly when you take into account that like appraisal reports people generally buy paper when they need it, and not when they don't; and they always know when they need it, so you can't even market paper by reminding your customer they're due for a new ream.

Let's look at the appraiser's four ways to sell him or herself.

Let's look at the second one. Most appraisers will do single family, multifamily, condos and coops, etc., and that's not often going to be a differentiator. Just like most brands of paper come in different thicknesses, different dimensions, etc. You may exclude certain people among your competition by offering a kind of report they don't, but it's doubtful you're the only one offering the kind of report your customer is looking for.

Let's back up to the first one. Appraisers are cynical and aren't likely to argue with the fact that this isn't a great way to differentiate, either. It's not so much that your clients don't care about high-quality work, it's that for them high-quality appraisal work means some different things than it does to you. It means fat turn times. The fee is a component. And of course, an appraiser does great work when the loan works out, and usually has done a stinky job when the loan falls through because the appraiser didn't "hit the value." So you can't differentiate on quality work, really, either.

So you get tens of thousands of appraisers marketing their fast turn times and low fees. It's not a race most appraisers can win. Not that most appraisers can't turn certain assignments around in 24 hours and charge low fees, but they wouldn't survive if they tried to differentiate themselves from their competitors on the basis of speed and fees.

So there's no way to sell your services then? There is -- but it starts by realizing you're not selling paper. You're selling your expertise, your unique knowledge of an area, yes. So are half your competitors. Want to know the secret?

The secret is to be irrefutably and demonstrably the best at something. Don't waste time thinking about what you might actually be the best at now. Why, you may actually be the best appraiser in your county. But that's hard to prove, and you have to when several of your competitors are likely to be saying it, too.

Pick something and then be the best at it. Maybe it's a type of property -- two to four unit residential. It may be a certain type of report -- a 2075 exterior-only to support Desktop Underwriter's AVM. It may be a neighborhood, town or ZIP code. Pick something to be the best at, be the best at it, then tell your clients you're the best at it.

Pool together all the two to four unit residential appraisals you've done in the last htree years. Ask your clients to give you more. Arrive at soime impressive number of 2000As, acquire a testimonial or two, and market yourself as the best appraiser of two to four unit residential in ____________ County.

When you visit a home to do an inspection, take for 2075 with you. Fill it out. Include it with the report you give your client with a note that you do 2075s, too. Market yourself as the best appraiser for 2075 exterior inspections in ______ County.

Pore over your comps database and count the number of homes you've appraised or evaluated as comps in a certain neighborhood, town, ZIP. Use that impressive number to market yourself as the best appraiser for properties in _______________.

Will you lose 1004 business? You may, initially, if you're marketing yourself well. But the same clients that need 2000As and 2075s are also going to need other kinds of reports, and once they're convinced you're the best at what they've been having you do, you'll get work outside your niche. Same with neighborhoods and ZIP codes.

The secret is that there is a lot less competition for "best appraiser for exterior only 2075s in ________ County" than there is for "fastest turn times in _________ County." With less competition, clients needing the service you're best at will find you. And they'll reward your good, timely, professional work with more assignments. Anyway, the alternative is to market yourself as the fastest, cheapest appraiser in _____ County. And nobody wants to be that.

Labels: Selling Yourself

The new Home Valuation Code of Conduct represents a drastic change in some appraisers' business models. Have you been marketing your services primarily to mortgage brokers? That's going to dry up soon. What do you do in response?

A lot of people that haven't been involved in choosing appraisers before are going to be doing it soon, and many will start with Google and Yahoo. Many will alight on the first result under "YYYY County appraiser," but many more will do their research more thoroughly. You want both types to choose you. How do you do it?

One way is to ensure your new clients can find you. Your website content must be unique, relevant, coherent (that is, not a bunch of spam keywords) and accessible from the major search engines. Achieving search engine success is complicated -- by design, so it's harder to "game the system." Google and Yahoo and other search engines are looking for sites that other high-traffic, relevant, trustworthy sites link to. They're looking for sites associated with relevant copy, both on the sites themselves and in articles and blog entries elsewhere. High-touch, professionally managed link exchanges and outstanding website copy are musts.

Labels: Website Copy

Internet marketing can get traffic to your website; what potential clients do once they're there is up to you. On your website and elsewhere, clearly state the reason you should be hired and not the next appraiser in the search results or in the phone book. If it's fast turn times, say so. But if it's quality, compliant work done right the first time, say that. If it's that you've done XXX appraisals in YYY County in the last 24 months (with XXX being an impressive number), say that. Avoid the temptation to say all these things and every other good reason to hire an appraiser you can think of. Stick to one easily digestible, memorable message. If you're rigorous about being the highest-quality appriser in your area, you'll lose some business from clients looking for 24 hour turn times, but you'll gain business that will pay you for what you're best at.

Labels: Selling Yourself

The new Home Valuation Code of Conduct represents a drastic change in some appraisers' business models. Have you been marketing your services primarily to mortgage brokers? That's going to dry up soon. What do you do in response?

Network. Utilize communities like Myspace, Facebook and Active Rain to make referral sources and potential clients aware of you. Think of networks like these as huge opt-in advertising vehicles. Develop a personality and message and use these venues to get your company name and brand in front of the people who want to know about it. And it's never been a better time to join an appraisal organization. there certainly are a lot of them to choose from.

Labels: Social Networking

When your client remembers you after you're done doing business together, they're more likely to hire you the next time. Clean, professional reports are memorable, as is the quality of service you've provided. But freebies help!

No one needs more gewgaws or office supplies clogging up their desks. Here's an idea: You can catch the green wave and contribute to offsetting carbon emissions by buying a carbon offset for your client with each report you deliver.

Sites like DeltaOffsets let you buy an offset to one metric ton of carbon emissions for $7.50. Whatever the level of your own commitment to combating climate change, this is a memorable freebie (that's the key) that many of your clients will appreciate, maybe even more than you would.

Labels: Selling Yourself

The new Home Valuation Code of Conduct represents a drastic change in some appraisers' business models. Have you been marketing your services primarily to mortgage brokers? That's going to dry up soon. What do you do in response?

Grow your website traffic organically. You get "foot traffic" to your website -- traffic that doesn't click through an ad or search result -- when you're linked on other quality, relevant web pages. Do you have links on the sites of local service providers like mortgage brokers, Realtors, title companies and closers? Do you know your stuff, as demonstrated by intelligent, relevant e-zine articles, blog entries, press releases and website content -- with your name and link on it? Is there a compelling, obvious reason to visit your website -- or for that matter, pick up the phone and call you?

Labels: Website Promotion

Blogs are powerful ways to boost your inbound links and the attention search engines will pay your site. A lot of professionals disdain blogs as vehicles for ordinary, personal information readers don't care about. A lot of professionals can't make the commitment to constantly updating a blog, and aren't the best copywriters.

The solution to these aversions and limitations is to hire someone to blog for you. It's no different than hiring a marketing company or a design firm to create ads. Don't miss out on the search engine and organic traffic potential of blogs simply because you're unable or unwilling to do a good job yourself.

Labels: Blogging