Real Estate Appraisers in 2011

Now that we are entering the new year, real estate appraisers in any U.S. market must start looking to increase their marketing efforts and reach to find new clients. Although the last few years have been difficult for any real estate profession, there are always new opportunities to be found. We are certain that 2011 will be a stability year, housing markets are finding footing and there have been increases in home buyer demand throughout the country. Home inventories are higher than ever and prices are the lowest we have seen for a decade.

Whenever the economy is shifting and evolving, despite much of it being “negative” there is still money changing hands. And when there is money being moved about, there is opportunity for new relationships and work to be found.

There are more marketing avenues now than ever for residential and commercial appraisers. We’ll start by looking into some online tactics that must be covered to be competitive in your market. Google places is an excellent source for advertising and gaining visibility in search engines for your city or county. Google is putting the largest emphasis ever on local searches and providing small businesses with a way to directly connect to their local consumers. Outside of Google, appraisers must apply to and promote their listings on websites such as: e-AppraisersDirectory.com, Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Zipappraisers.com and more. Make sure to add your Google places listing to your profiles as this will help in your search engine placements.

Also if you have not submitted for your FHA certification, make sure to do that this year. Becoming an FHA appraiser will increase your income opportunities. You have to be state certified to quality to be listed on the FHA appraiser roster. More information can be found at HUD’s Appraisers Roster FAQ. It’s an easy step to take.

So don’t just sit around and wait for work to find you. Be active and start getting your name out. Grow your online exposure. You will be amazed at how often you can stir up new clients and beneficial relationships from these great online resources.