Agents are From Mars, Appraisers are From Venus

Course Description

This course was created to provide a broad overview of the differences between agents and appraisers, and what they need to know about each other. The better they understand each other, the better they can serve their clients.

Students will learn and laugh at some of the common misconceptions throughout the industry. Although agents and appraisers work in the same industry, they often speak different languages. Take a look at each perspective and discover how both sides have more in common than you might think.

Agents and appraisers depend on each other to survive, and this class will help you work more efficiently with each other. A class unlike any other, written by a veteran appraiser who was first a real estate agent for ten years. The selection of "comparable sales" seems to be our biggest difference and we’ll examine more about this vital topic. Learn how agents view appraisers and see what appraisers say about agents. At the end of the day, this class will help agents and appraisers work better together.

Course Goals and Objectives

The goal is to examine the roles of agents and appraisers and how they work together in the home-buying process and explore the many misconceptions they have about each other. And, to analyze the role of automated valuations in the real estate and mortgage lending businesses and how their growth is impacting both agents and appraisers. The ultimate goal being to help agents and appraisers better understand each other.

At the end of this course, you will be able to

• Have a better understanding of how agents and appraisers see each other and the many misconceptions that exist.
• Review the job descriptions for agents and appraisers.
• Detect the two biggest causes of pricing problems.
• Examine what makes a comp a comp, as seen through the eyes of agents and appraisers.
• Identify the fundamentals of prices and opinions.
• Make sense out of pricing and opinions, and how we all like to think we are very good at pricing.
• Discuss how, by working together, agents and appraisers could greatly strengthen consumer protection.
• Ponder the tax department’s role in the real estate valuation process.
• Take note of the dangers of Big Data.
• Gain a better understanding of how the quality of the MLS directly impacts the quality of all appraisals.
• Uncover why this may be a good time to consider becoming an appraiser, and who makes the best candidates.
• Understand why appraisers will always be needed by those who truly want to know the fair market value of their property.
• Investigate what Automated Valuation Models “do” and “do not do.”
• Explore the potential for errors in AVMs and the growing reliance on these services by the public, lenders, and government services.
• Illuminate the changing of the mortgage industry and the new reliance on automated valuations.

Course Content

This online course is divided into five chapters:

• Lesson 1: Job Descriptions & The Way We See Each Other
• Lesson 2: The “Comp” Dilemma
• Lesson 3: Values and Opinions
• Lesson 4: RPR®, Tax Records, Square Footage & the MLS
• Lesson 5: Did You Know & The Automated Revolution

Each chapter contains video commentary from the author, reading materials, and an end-of-lesson quiz with a minimum passing score of 75%. An optional final exam is presented at the end of the course. A course completion certificate will be issued for Oregon real estate continuing education credit after the OREA-mandatory 4-clock-hour study time has been completed.