ADAPTING TO THE NEW NORMAL…
By Paul Herrington Farm Credit East State Certified Appraiser
The year began business as usual. As a state certified appraiser, I split my week between in-office work and farm visits to complete customer appraisals. Never did I anticipate the changes to come as we entered the second quarter. As the coronavirus pandemic and related relief programs escalated, I was asked to join a team of employees from across the association to become a regional specialist and assist customers in completing Paycheck Protection Program applications. In this new support capacity, I had to draw on my previous experience as a loan officer to answer questions, source information and find creative solutions to assist customers. Throughout the process, customers have been grateful for this support. Even when we haven’t been able to give them everything they need, they’ve been appreciative of the guidance we were able to provide. However, appraisals still need to be completed despite the pandemic. To protect the health and safety of staff and customers, we weren’t able to able to complete in-person, on site appraisals, but that didn’t mean work couldn’t be done. We just had to make some adjustments to the ‘traditional’ way we’ve completed appraisals. Until very recently, appraisals consisted of video calls and many, many photos. I’ve scheduled virtual tours, requested photos and videos from owners, and contacted realtors for permission to use their photos. While these methods don’t quite compare to being on site and seeing all aspects of a property with your own eyes, a virtual meeting still allows me to ask about property characteristics, see objects up close or even ask for a second look in real time.
FOR NOW
Google Earth also came in handy, providing date-stamped land or building views from the road. Additionally, my local connection allows me to visualize the area and confirm the Google Earth images. It may not be a perfect strategy, but it allows the work to be completed remotely and on a timely basis. I’ve been appreciative of customers’ understanding during this time. As long as we can gather the data to feel comfortable in the appraisal, the customer is supportive because it keeps their process moving, too. We’re all in this together. As we work toward a slow and steady return to normal, I look forward to getting back on farms to do physical inspections. The customer connection is what I love about completing appraisals — when you can understand a person’s motivation for purchasing or owning property and how they want to utilize it, that’s what I most enjoy — so I look forward to a return to business-as-usual.
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FINANCIAL PARTNER
