In this eye-opening episode, we're joined by Bill Garber, Director of Communications at the Appraisal Institute, who pulls back the curtain on AI's innovative SRA Designated Advantage program.

Discover how this groundbreaking initiative is connecting qualified SRA designees with key players in the residential appraisal market—from regional banks and credit unions to attorneys, estate planners, and government agencies. Garber explains how the program is strategically designed to increase visibility and generate new business opportunities for SRA professionals.

"The Appraisal Institute is the best organization positively impacting appraisers' bottom line," Garber boldly claims during our conversation. Our host Boizot adds personal testimony, sharing how referrals through the organization have directly benefited his own practice.

Whether you're an appraiser looking to grow your business or a service provider seeking qualified professionals, this conversation offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of residential appraisal services.

Listen now to learn how designation can become your competitive advantage!

True to the Appraisal Institute’s commitment to appraiser-focused content, Face Value continues to engage audiences across the broader real estate industry. Members are encouraged to share feedback and suggest podcast topics by emailing [email protected].

We're back with a must-listen episode! Tonia and Warren sit down with Appraisal Institute President Paula Konikoff, JD, MAI, AI-GRS, for an insightful discussion on the latest industry trends.

Konikoff shares how she’s staying connected with members through LinkedIn updates and direct emails, ensuring transparency and engagement. She also addresses key challenges facing residential appraisers, including fee compression and the need to diversify beyond lending.

Plus, as a Los Angeles resident, she reflects on how recent wildfires highlight the evolving role of appraisers in disaster-stricken areas. “In boom and bust, appraisers are essential,” she notes.

True to the Appraisal Institute’s commitment to appraiser-focused content, Face Value continues to engage audiences across the broader real estate industry. Members are encouraged to share feedback and suggest podcast topics by emailing [email protected].

In this twelfth episode of Season 3, hosts Tonia Vailas, MAI, AI-GRS, and Warren Boizot, SRA, AI-RRS, dive into the complex world of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs).

Joining the conversation are industry experts Scott Dibiasio, Director of Government Affairs at the Appraisal Institute, and Mark Verrett, SRA, ASA, and CEO of Accurity Consolidated. Together, they break down:
✅ The history behind the creation of AMCs
✅ The services they provide & their compensation structure
✅ The controversies surrounding AMCs & their impact on appraisers

Tonia and Warren also discuss how AMCs might shape the future of the profession and how appraisers can adapt to industry changes. Plus, they highlight the Appraisal Institute’s Leadership Development and Advisory Council (LDAC) Conference on May 14-16, where appraisers will have the chance to advocate for their profession on Capitol Hill.

📩 Got thoughts or ideas for the show? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].

🔊 Listen now and stay informed on the evolving appraisal landscape!

The episode focuses on the process of acquiring designation through the Appraisal Institute, featuring recent SRA designee Megan Judd, a residential real estate appraiser for 30 years. Judd speaks with passion about what prompted her to acquire her SRA designation and the multi-year journey she took, concluding this past year.

She talks about the value of the designation, the job opportunities it unlocks and the importance of remaining relevant through designation in a fragile marketplace. Vailas and Boizot also reflect on their own journeys to acquiring designation and the value it added to their professional lives.

They also discuss opportunities for local coalition building and lobbying members of Congress on behalf of appraisers through AI’s Leadership Development and Advisory Council (LDAC)

The episode focuses on appraising rural markets. Despite

Davidson discusses rural geography and what constitutes a rural property - it's not just how close the houses are together! Warren recalls being told that checking the box for ‘rural’ might ‘kill a deal’, an idea Davidson dismisses as a problem from the past. They discuss the impacts of water rights and utilities on value, the ‘barndominium’ craze, and opportunities for the next generation of appraisers.

The episode focuses on stigmatized properties, where the value of a property is affected by psychological reasons. Guest Rob Stilo has appraised stigmatized properties throughout Colorado, including the home of Chris Watts, who in 2018 murdered his pregnant wife and two young children. Rob discusses the methodology he used to determine that the Watts house would be unsellable in the first two years after the tragic events, then regain 10-20% of value each year thereafter.

While the discussion of haunted houses was fitting for the Halloween season, Rob noted that stigma can also be positive. He discussed some of the properties he appraised in Colorado that benefited in value by their inclusion in a home-building TV show. Warren chimed in with a PSA to television producers of home-related show content – Always include the opinion of an appraiser!

Appraiser-centric - in line with all the Appraisal Institute’s communications , the new Face Value podcast is targeting audiences across the wider real estate industry. Member input and podcast ideas are welcome and encouraged, please send them to [email protected].

The episode focuses on short term rentals, featuring guest Rodman Schley, an MAI and SRA designated real estate investor and valuation expert, an Emmy-nominated TV host and producer, author and head of Blue Fusion Capital, which focuses on investing in short term vacation rentals. He’s served on the Appraisal Institute’s National Board of Directors, including a term as its 2021 President.

Schley discusses his investment in short term rentals in Costa Rica and swaps host stories with Vailas and Boizot, both of whom are also owners of short term rental properties. Schley talks about the cap rate he requires to commit to an investment property, ways to economize and optimize management tasks, and the evaluations he makes when investing, which he says appraisers know well. Schley also discussed some of the regions he’s looking into investing in the future.

Appraiser-centric - in line with all the Appraisal Institute’s communications -- the new Face Value podcast is targeting audiences across the wider real estate industry. Member input and podcast ideas are welcome and encouraged, please send them to [email protected].

The Appraisal Institute, the leading association of real estate appraisers, releases the sixth episode in season three of its popular “Face Value” podcast, hosted by Tonia Vailas, MAI, AI-GRS and Warren Boizot, SRA, AI-RRS.

The episode focuses on the NAR Settlement; what happened, why, and what’s next for homebuyers and sellers. Boizot and Vailas are joined in this episode by guests: Darwin Ernst, SRA, AI-RRS, a certified Residential Appraiser and current Vice Chair of Region 1 for the Appraisal Institute, and Heather Mull, a MAI/SRA designated appraiser and the owner of Placer Realty Advisors, a full service commercial appraisal and consulting firm.

With both commercial and residential professionals represented, the discussion digs deep on the types of new broker agreements, ranges in compensation, and effects of the settlement on sale price and appraisal.

Appraiser-centric - in line with all the Appraisal Institute’s communications - the new Face Value podcast is targeting audiences across the wider real estate industry. Member input and podcast ideas are welcome and encouraged, please send them to [email protected].

The Appraisal Institute, the leading association of real estate appraisers, releases the fifth episode in season three of its popular “Face Value” podcast, hosted by Tonia Vailas, MAI, AI-GRS and Warren Boizot, SRA, AI-RRS.

The episode focuses on trends in landscape architecture and debates whether landscaping adds value to a property, if at all. Boizot and Vailas are joined in this episode by guests Howard Morris, SRA, a certified Real Estate Appraiser and Licensed Real Estate Agent in New York, and Kevin Winkelmann, an award-winning landscape architect. Kevin discusses some of the projects he works on, and some of the trends he’s seen post-COVID, trends that Morris also sees in his work as an appraiser. These include pools, pergolas, outdoor barbecues and the recent addition of pickle-ball courts.

Viewers of the Youtube episode will be able to take a peek at some of the projects Winkelmann designed through his company, Design By Sundown.

Throughout the episode, Boizot raises the question of value. Both he and Morris agree that while it may not add much value, they recognize the appeal of outdoor spaces for homeowners. Morris introduces the analogy of a birthday cake. It can be decorated nicely on the outside, but it’s the taste inside that matters most.

Appraiser-centric -- in line with all the Appraisal Institute’s communications -- the new Face Value podcast is targeting audiences across the wider real estate industry.

Member input and podcast ideas are welcome and encouraged, please send them to [email protected].