Since 2008 and the many new regulations in the appraisal industry since then, we sometimes get questions from Realtors about how much communication we, as appraisers, are allowed to have with them. No one wants to break the rules, and with the current lending environment with so many regulations , some Realtors and appraisers err on the side of caution with only a quick hello and goodbye at the inspection. I have even heard of appraisers that will not even talk to the Realtor. This is simply a misunderstanding of what 'unbiased' and 'pressure' means and it is not helpful.
At Sacramento Appraisal Group we like talking to Realtors, bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing expertise. While professional ethics and lending guidelines do prohibit the ordering of an appraisal for lending purposes and from discussing or receiving pressure regarding the value, there is no reason that Realtors shouldn't talk to appraisers, perhaps pointing out things about the home in comparison to the neighborhood, explaining where the listing price came from, etc. After all, if the Realtor has put the time and effort into researching and listing a property, he/she might be able to point something out that might not be obvious at first to the appraiser. A good appraiser will not feel threatened by speaking with Realtors. 
Another question we get often is Can Realtors Provide Comps to Appraisers? Again, this is something that some appraisers dislike, and some don't mind. We don't mind. By the time we are at the inspection, we have already chosen sales comparables based on our research of the home, the market area, and the neighborhood, the Realtor may have knowledge of FSBOs (for sale by owner) that we may have missed. That information is welcomed!
It is true that appraisers have guidelines about comparable selection that must be followed, things such as distance, how much variance in Gross Living Area is acceptable, how old can a sale be, market conditions and their effect etc. This does not mean that we cannot listen, be friendly and helpful. This is why we are committed to teaching, training and communicating how and why appraisers do what they do. In fact, we love to speak at Realtor training meetings and are also always willing to answer any questions you may have about appraisal. Just give us a call.
We know that many Realtors put a lot of time and thought into their listings, and we are always willing to chat about the home. Realtors and appraisers can be such great assets to each other, there is no reason to be adversaries, don't you think?
For information about having a talk at your office about what appraiser's do and why (even about how to challenge a poor appraisal) click here. We can tailor make our talks based on questions from your office, or give a basic presentation with time for Q & A.
The bottom line is that we want to be part of the solution, not the problem.
