The monthly newsletter · Issue #3
We are all somebody else's weirdo
Everyone has an opinion about your number. Here's why holding your ground usually means you're doing it right.
Hey friend,
This one's short, because I think you already know it.
If you've spent any real time in this profession, you've grown a thick skin. Not because you wanted to. Because you had no choice.
Agents think you killed their deal. Borrowers think you undervalued their home. Lenders want it faster. AMCs want it cheaper. The homeowner who spent six months on their kitchen can't understand why it didn't add dollar for dollar. And every so often someone on the other end of an email questions your methodology, your judgment, or your credentials. Sometimes all three before lunch.
Everyone has an opinion about your number. Everyone.
Here's what this work has taught me over the years. Other people's opinions of your work are filtered through their own interests, their own expectations, and their own idea of what the answer should have been before you ever walked through the door. That's not an appraisal problem. That's a human problem.
The best appraisers I know have made peace with that. They do the work. They support their conclusions. They communicate clearly and professionally. Then they let the report speak for itself, no matter who's unhappy about it.
That's not stubbornness. That's integrity.
Independence is built into the foundation of what we do. The moment you let outside opinions shape your value conclusions, you've stopped being an appraiser and started being something else.
Now, a thick skin isn't the same as a closed mind. Take the criticism. Evaluate it honestly. When it's valid, use it. A good revision request or a sharp reviewer can make you better. But don't shrink your professional judgment to fit somebody else's expectations.
A few things to sit with this week:
- Think about the last time someone pushed back on your value. Did you evaluate the criticism on its merits, or react to who it came from?
- Is there anywhere you've quietly started shaping conclusions to avoid the pushback?
- What helps you let a supported report speak for itself and move on to the next file?
Somebody is always going to think you're the weirdo for holding your ground. In this profession, that's usually a sign you're doing it right.
Talk soon,
Ben Longshore
Ben's Appraisal
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