Appraisal Buzz Interview

Our site was officially introduced to thousands of appraisers across the nation and the reception to our site was fantastic!

Please check out the actual interview copy below!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

"Declining Market - Market Your Niche"

With an uncertain future on where your business will be coming from, now is the perfect time to capitalize on a niche where you control the course of your business and from where it will come. We are here today with Mary Thompson, A fellow Certified Appraiser and Developer of an Appraiser Directory with a twist that we find interesting and refreshing.

BUZZ: Mary, with so many directories out there, what makes this one worth checking out?

MARY: Well Joan, First let me say, I promise this is going to be an interesting READ!

Exclusivity, Exposure & Networking. Our site spotlights only experienced Lake and Waterfront Appraisers nationwide. There is no other site like this on the web. We are already coming up number 1 for Lakefront and Waterfront Appraiser searches on Google & Yahoo. Only 5 Appraisers per Lake are allowed to list. Appraisers can even “Corner the Market” and be the only one listed under their chosen Lake.

BUZZ: You really are different! Do you feel there is enough Lake business and why should appraisers market this niche?

Lakefront Appraiser: Lakefront is BIG business and getting bigger. This targeted exposure serves to ADD to your existing business, by marketing your niche as a Lakefront Appraiser. Our Lake business represents 25% of our income and a big part of this comes from marketing ourselves as Lake Lanier Specialists. If you set yourself apart as a Lake specialist, there is no question more people will find you and more work will result.

There are thousands of lakes and tens of thousands of lake homes for sale across the nation, they fare better in declining markets and no AVM, ZAIO or Drive-by Appraisal can replace a 1004 report for these properties.

BUZZ: What kind of exposure do you expect from this site?

LakeFrontAppraiser: Significant, due to its appealing, exclusive nature. The best thing about this niche market is that this work is more personal and referral based. Our Lake Lanier business is over 50% referral and personal based! The best of the best in this business! Lake clients are also long term. Once they find you, they stick with you and refer you, because lakefront appraisers are hard to find on the internet.

I do have fantastic news on the lender front… I have contacted the President of a large lender who has recently decided to offer Lake home mortgages nationwide. How perfect is this?

They agreed to use appraisers listed on our site. Why? Because they need your expertise (underwriters are starting to reject appraisals performed by those who do not have the proper experience for the assignment) and they will be dealing with independent, unbiased appraisers who have no financial or ownership interest in their Company. This independence between lender and appraiser is fast becoming law and they adhere to this policy.

P.S. We discussed fees and they have no problems with higher fees for Lakefront appraisals. You decide your own fees based upon the assignment.

I admit to you, there is one catch: You must be listed on the site in order for Wes & Dan to use YOUR services. Simply put, if you are not listed, they will not find you and you will not get these orders.

BUZZ: Why are Lake Appraisals more personal and referral based, rather than lender based?

LakeFrontAppraiser: Because buyers, sellers and realtors are taking control of the appraisal process upfront due to the size of the investment. They are requesting appraisals prior to listing, purchasing and selling Lake and Waterfront homes. Also, many people pay cash for lake homes and no lenders are involved, yet they still want an appraisal to make sure their investment is solid.

BUZZ: How do you plan to market this site?

MARY: Heavily! Aside from marketing this site, we will immediately start to market YOUR Lake as soon as you come on board. Sample Lake Page. We will also spotlight every single member in our BLOG, with a direct link back to their full page ad. Sample Ad. In a short time you will come on top for searches under your Lake. We did it for our Lake; we can do it for yours. We employ several SEO techniques to make this happen.

Exciting News..LakeFrontAppraiser is going to be hosting a Radio Talk show based out of Atlanta, which broadcasts live on the web and is saved as a pod-cast for all to hear 24/7.
Our shows will center around Lakefront Living across the USA, a hugely popular topic. Out of this venture, huge exposure will result for this site and for YOU.

Special Offer: When you list on our site you will have an opportunity to be a call in guest on our show. You will have several minutes to spotlight your business, why you are the expert on your Lake and provide some interesting facts about your Lake. Great exposure and you essentially become the expert on your Lake. You also get a copy of the pod-cast to place on your own personal website. Do not miss the chance to be a featured guest on our exclusive and targeted radio show. Your company can also become a sponsor of our show/s.

BUZZ: What are some of the other features of your site?

LakeFrontAppraiser: Well Joan, there are 4 essential features.

Guaranteed Results: If you do not receive an order in the first year, your membership will be extended for 6 months, no questions asked. We however are confident that you WILL receive orders. For a limited time, the first quarter is free with your annual membership. *The cost to be marketed will be MORE than covered by only one Lakefront appraisal assignment and of course you WILL write this expense off on your taxes. We are NOT the lowest cost site, if we were; we would not have the resources to market you. We will market you and that is what you are paying for, not just to be listed, but to be marketed; huge difference between the two.

Networking: This site goes way beyond a directory format; it is the only site that brings together other related Lake and Waterfront Professionals Nationwide. Realtors, Lenders, Lake Related Retailers & Builders, will be spotlighted. They will see you and networking will result, this is a huge advantage over the other sites.*Important Point: When anyone advertises on our site, we will automatically cross-market you to those listed in and around your lake/s. Very powerful marketing tool, not found on any other appraiser website.

Call to Action: When someone is looking for an appraiser, it is likely that an impending purchase, sale or refi of Lake Property exists. Timing is everything where buying and selling decisions are involved. Advertisers will “want in” on this site because they know people are ready to act. More advertisers equal more exposure for YOU.

You know who you are dealing with: With the exception of one appraiser directory, I found no others that actually tell you WHO they are on their site. When you review their About Us page, they only talk about the site and its purpose not the individuals involved. I want to know who I am paying my hard earned money to….don’t you?

BUZZ: What do you want Appraisers to do at this point?

LakeFrontAppraiser: We want them to come on board and get more quality and personal business. But at the very least, please check our site out.

Do searches for lakefront, lake and waterfront appraisers and lakefront directories, check out our BLOG, FAQ, Appraiser and Affiliate Pages and let us know what you think of the site. We value your opinions!

If you have any comments or questions, please contact Mary at info@lakefrontappraiser.com or via the website.

We wish you the best in 2008 and we look forward to spotlighting YOU very soon on our site! Thank you for your time, I hope it was a good READ!