Like many of you, I carry a smartphone wherever I go. I happen to be partial to Apple, but I have also used Android with success. In today’s world, smartphone technology is almost essential for a highly productive appraiser. In addition to phone calls, a smartphone can make your life much easier with the use of applications (apps) designed to help you work smarter. Here are a few of my favorite apps for helping me to be more productive as a real estate appraiser.
Total Mobile
Mobile inspections (the ability to input all of your subject’s data into the computer in the field) are the new wave for appraisers. I happen to use Total, but I hear good things about Phoenix Mobile as well. Total allows me to sync my appraisal report from the office, input my data, sketch, and photos in the field, and remotely upload it back to the office seamlessly. By the time I drive to the office, that report is ready for me to start making adjustments. For the busy appraiser, mobile appraisal apps are an essential tool in the box.
Expensify
Keeping track of your mileage and expenses is a must for a business owner. Expensify allows you to do all of that as well as download it directly into QuickBooks. I simply take a photo of my business receipts and Expensify does all the rest. I no longer have to worry about keeping paper copies of anything for the IRS. It is all stored nicely in the cloud.
Google Drive
Speaking of the cloud, we keep all of our workfile papers on Google Drive (free for 15 gigabytes and inexpensive should you need more). The order, the assessor’s tax sheet, any MLS sheets, etc. are all kept in a folder that is named by address. If I am out in the field and need some information, I simply pull it up on the Google Drive app on my phone.
VoIP
All of our office phones are voice-over IP systems (Vonage). This allows us more flexibility to forward calls, “follow calls,” record, and change voicemail announcements on the go. Using the VoIP app also allows me the freedom to keep my cell phone number private. We have all had those times when an angry home owner has saved our cell phone number and used it to harass us when the value did not turn out as they wanted it to. The VoIP app allows me to call contacts from the road and have the caller ID show up on the other end as the main office number instead.
E-Key
For many years, I always met the agent at the inspection. There was no need for me to have a lockbox key. Though there are still good advantages to meeting the agent at the home you are inspecting, there are also times when it would be more convenient to have your own key. My e-key app (Supra), allows me to not have to carry an extra device in order to access homes with a lockbox. Just remember to keep your device charged.
JotNot
Have you ever been at a property with a particularly difficult floor plan and wished you could see the blueprints to help it all make sense? Have you ever had a homeowner bring out a set of blueprints and made you wish you could just take them home? JotNot allows you to take a picture of any document (blueprints, list of improvements, surveys, tax sheets, etc.) and it will automatically convert them into a readable PDF for storing in your workfile.
Office Camera (Tenvis)
For those of you with employees who work in your brick and mortar building, I would highly suggest a video surveillance system (with audio). It keeps both you and them safe from any number of things. My surveillance system (Tenvis) has a proprietary smartphone app which allows me to log in to both see and hear my employees from anywhere in the world.
RoboForm
There are so many usernames and passwords to remember these days. Furthermore, most websites make you change your password on a regular basis. How do you keep track of them all? RoboForm is the solution. It keeps and automatically updates your usernames and passwords for all of the websites you allow. The mobile app allows you to log into your websites from the road. If you have ever missed an advertised appraisal order because you were not near a computer and could not remember the login information, this app is for you.
SuperNote
Just the other day, I had a borrower meet me at the door of a final inspection to check off repairs. They were not happy and began verbalizing it. I did not want to be accused of something, so I pulled out my smartphone and opened the SuperNote app. It allowed me to record the conversation in mp3 format so I could keep it in my workfile in case I needed to protect myself in the future. Find a good voice recorder app and have it handy. You just might need it some day.
Voxer
I have saved my favorite app for last. As a busy appraiser, I have a constant need to communicate with the office. Many of those “conversations” are too short to warrant a phone call, but too long for a text. Voxer is a walkie-talkie style app, which allows you to send quick audio notes back and forth between you and your employees. It is amazing and I use it probably 30 times per day! You will not regret getting and using Voxer.
Without a doubt, the smartphone has changed the way we appraise. Finding new apps that help us to be more productive and efficient can revolutionize your business model. These are the apps that I use on a regular basis to assist me in being the best appraiser I can be. What are some of the apps that you use? Let us know and share the wealth.
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Written by : Dustin Harris
Dustin Harris has been an active appraiser since 1996. For the first 12 years of his career, he was working 60-hour weeks for under $100,000 annually. Then, he radically revamped his business model using principles of success that catapulted his appraisal business to over a million annually, all within 20 hours a week consistently. Since 2010, Dustin Harris (aka “The Appraiser Coach”) has been guiding appraisers towards business mastery, enhancing both profit and efficiency. With “The Coach,” you surround yourself with hundreds of successful appraisers across the nation. Your investment isn’t just in guidance—it’s a blueprint for guaranteed substantial returns. It’s what you have always dreamed your appraisal business would be.
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I’ve used Roboform in the past but now I use LastPass. I have it on my computer and my phone.
If you feel the need to spy on your office staff, it’s quite probable that you hired the wrong people to begin with. Not only is this pathetic for a small company, it’s also a sign of control freak.
Since you love to spy on your employees here is another app that you’ll be ape ship over: Trackster. You can follow them everywhere they go in their vehicles via GPS…both during their work hours and after hours. Happy Stalking!
You might want to check the laws in your state about recording others without their consent or knowledge….it’s illegal in California and can only be done under certain circumstances.
I also have used Roboform and am now using Last Pass on all my devices and computers. Lots more features and less expensive.