Some Suggestions for Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving constantly. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply additional information or have steps added to their process. They do this additional work to guarantee the end user receives the most useful information possible. To keep up with the always changing requirements, Zink Appraisals Inc. is always researching additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Zink Appraisals Inc. we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a few things you can do to accelerate the process when you order an appraisal from Zink Appraisals Inc.:

  1. Are you ordering appraisals online? When you order online, you automatically get e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the order.

  2. Complete and accurate subject property information is key. There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to 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. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — however, remember that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.

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

  3. Let us know up front of the property's unique details. Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing elements add 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 details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. These are things we'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive more quickly.

  4. Did you make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect? Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious parts in the appraisal process. We understand that a homeowner may be uncomfortable with a stranger inspecting every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making lots of notes. One common belief is that they need to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, under the impression that will increase the appraised value and will delay the appointment until it is cleaned.

    Hearing it directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- some info 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. I encourage you to point your customers to our website, where we have several pages of useful information for homeowners and others describing the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!

  5. Easily verify the status of your report on our website. 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.