BEHIND THE SCENES In this behind the scenes, two GreenStone employees from the appraisal team speak about how their daily work supports customers and improves the overall customer experience. Shane Kenner 23 years of service Senior Appraiser Adrian, MI What advancements has GreenStone made to better serve their customers? The appraisal is an important part of the loan process and GreenStone has implemented some significant advances regarding how appraisals are ordered and submitted. This process change was one of the most significant I have seen during my tenure. It has streamlined the appraisal process by providing an easy user interface for the staff ordering the appraisal and the appraiser, making the process faster and 21
Fall 2021 — Partners
providing the convenience for the appraiser to access to all information online. Additionally, this allows for easier appraisal tracking and overall data analysis. What was the significance of the land value benchmark project? The land value benchmark process was implemented to track market trends of farmland prices. Early in the annual process, appraisal staff would appraise an actual farm each year to see what value change had occurred. Today we appraise a “virtual farm” as well as transitional land, or land in areas of non-farm influence. The process has become more important in the past fifteen years as we have seen more significant land value changes. Benchmarking allows GreenStone to effectively track land values by region, aiding in customer buying decisions and general lending evaluation. The benchmark process allows GreenStone to rely upon appraisal values for a longer period, saving the customer money in the long run as a new appraisal does not to be ordered and paid for every time a loan is requested.
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I really love getting out and meeting our borrowers in person. The southeast appraisal team covers 13 different counties.
What do you enjoy about your role? I really love getting out and meeting our borrowers in person. The southeast appraisal team covers 13 different counties, and I am often called to work in any of them. This has led me to several small rural communities throughout the region. I’m convinced that we have the best borrowers
