Tim Norris & Associates: Saving time with cutting-edge appraisal technology

At Tim Norris & Associates, technology is the name of the game. We do our best to make appraising look easy and we think a large amount of that is our ability to understand how to use the newest gadgets. We use the latest technology around to complete your appraisal without sacrificing quality or accuracy.

If you ask an appraiser, most will agree that much has changed with nearly every aspect of the appraisal business. We offer the highest quality appraisals and cutting corners has never been an option for us — we've found that the best place to save time is by adjusting our workflow. In our effort to be the best we've found that using the very latest in new technology allows us to bring you more accurate reports, quicker turnaround times, and the very best in customer service.

Work with someone who uses technology to their advantage

Innovating the ordering experience

Way back when, most of our orders were delivered via fax and were confirmed with phone calls once we got back to the office. It might be hours before a client even knew if we could do the order. Things are quite a bit different different now. When an order is placed on the site, we get a mobile notification. We often log into our site from the field and send back an email confirmation – including the time and date for the inspection if we've been able to talk to the occupant.

When you order from Tim Norris & Associates you can expect us to be concerned about your deadlines. We aim to reduce the waiting between communications and the faster we can get things done directly effects your bottom-line. This website definitely reduces cycle time for us and our clients by enhancing our communications.

Multiple report delivery methods

At the least, you can expect us to deliver your final report electronically as a PDF. Generally our clients are most comfortable with receiving PDFs attached to their email. It's much faster than previously, before the days of email. But,we've even been able to improve how you receive your report with this website.

Ever lost a file that was sent to you? Or have you ever had an attachment blocked because it was too big? We provide a solution for those problems, too. When we deliver an appraisal through our website, the client receives a link via email to retrieve the PDF. By bypassing email completely we get around any problems caused by file size. The download link is even good for a full 90 days. So if anything happens to the file, you can log back into our site and retrieve it without having to wait on us to send it again.

Advanced data gathering tools

Gathering the data for an appraisal is a demanding process.. We spend a great deal of time gathering both specific information about the subject property and general data about the local market and developing trends. Once again, technology has stepped in to help Tim Norris & Associates.

We've learned that taking notes traditionally, using pencil and paper, generally takes longer since we have to enter everything back in at the office. Don't be surprised to see us with a tablet or collecting data using an app for our phone that allows us to sketch a floorplan right on site. Rather than using a clumsy, old tape measure, a large percentage appraisers are adopting accurate laser measuring devices, making even hard to reach areas accesible.

Using this technology allows us to ensure an accurate report, requiring fewer call-backs and revisions. This can be a real money saver for busy appraisal clients.

Enhanced digital work files

It would be great if appraisers could complete an appraisal, give it to the client, and never be concerned with revisiting that report again. However, appraisals are created to demonstrate the condition of a property on the inspection date. Therefore, appraisers are required by law to keep their reports for 5 years, allowing them to recall any appraisal at any time to defend the valuation or to be used in legal proceedings.

Here again, Tim Norris & Associates leverages our investment in to improve service. By storing every aspect of the appraisal - notes, sketches, supporting documentation, and calculations - along with an electronic copy of the appraisal, we skip the paper file cabinets and only need our computer to recall precisely what that report was about.

We wanted to give you a bit of insight into how we use technology daily. Using the right tools, along with the appraisal know-how you expect allows the appraiser to deliver reports more efficiently, with a higher level of accuracy. All of which helps keep our costs down, and in turn provide you with faster appraisals.