A successful appraiser knows that marketing, networking, and communicating effectively with clients is key to growing your business. While there’s no single surefire key to success, there are some things you can do to get more clients and grow your business. Here are our top tips for getting more appraisal work:
Make time to market your services wisely
Because most potential clients are likely looking for an appraiser online, you have to have a substantial online presence. Start with a good business website and make sure you have at least one social media page. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great for building a following and engaging with potential clients.
Setting up your website and social media accounts is just the first step to digital marketing. You need to create good informative content, respond to questions, and build a reputation as a local appraisal expert.
Your marketing strategy should be based on setting yourself and your company apart from your competitors. The appraisal market is saturated, so you need to spend your time creating a clear message that highlights your strengths and is tailored to your target recipient. Use testimonials from past and current clients in your marketing materials.
Network in person
Attend community events, local meetings, and conferences in your locale. Because most of your clients are likely local, these are good places to meet prospects.
A good strategy is to figure out where it is that the best potential clients spend their time. Maybe it’s at your local Chamber of Commerce or Little League games. Consider joining or sponsoring these groups.
Work on building relationships with people who can influence a potential client’s decision to hire you. These include accountants, loan officers, real estate agents, and attorneys. If you’re at an event, strike up conversations with the influencers and potential clients.
Learn how to ask for referrals comfortably and professionally. Don’t beg for clients or ask too bluntly. It will help if you practice how to do this in private.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to ask your clients for referrals.
Broaden your services
Instead of thinking of yourself as a real estate appraiser, aspire to become a professional with several roles or skills. Maybe there are services you can provide that go beyond property appraisal. These include property inspections, property management, tax consulting, environmental inspections, leasing broker, and the like.
The more services you can provide, the more clients you will attract.
Set goals
Like any successful business owner, a successful appraiser sets goals and has a vision. The more specific the vision, the likelier it will be achieved. For instance, for the coming year, you can set specific goals like how much you want to make, how many people you want to employ, and how many hours you want to work.
Creating a vision board helps motivate you to work harder at getting more appraisal work.
Sign up with an appraisal management company
One way to improve your business is to work with an appraisal management company. Not all appraisers feel that this is necessary, but some believe that the lower fees are a good trade-off for getting more appraisal work without having to worry about how to market their business.