Kendal Hartley & Associates, Inc.: Saving time with cutting-edge appraisal technology

At Kendal Hartley & Associates, Inc., we have a confession to make. We always have the latest nerdy gadgets. We use the latest technology around to bring you high-quality, accurate appraisals.

If you ask most appraisers, 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 changing our workflow. We strive to be the very best and we've found that using the very latest in new technology allows us to bring you more accurate reports, quicker turnaround times, and of course, the very best in customer service.

Work with someone who uses technology to their advantage

Innovating the ordering experience

In the past, most of our orders were delivered via fax and were confirmed with phone calls once we got back into 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 receive 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.

Kendal Hartley & Associates, Inc. understands that real estate is all about speed. 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 options

Delivery of appraisals as PDF files through email is definitely the standard these days. Many clients prefer email because they're accustomed to receiving attachments like PDFs in their inbox. It's much better than when everything was on paper. But,we've even been able to innovate 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 of the file size? We have the technology to overcome those problems, too. When we send an appraisal, the client is emailed a link to retrieve the PDF. At that point, it doesn't matter if all the extra photos and maps in the report result in too big an attachment. Best of all, the file is hosted on our site for 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

The appraisal process is nothing if not a data intensive system. We spend quite a bit 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 Kendal Hartley & Associates, Inc..

We've learned that taking notes regularly, 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 application for our phone that allows us to sketch a floorplan right on site. Rather than using a clumsy, outdated tape measure, more and more appraisers are utilizing laser measuring devices that are quicker, more accurate, and can get into places that a normal tape measure can't.

We combine all of these different technologies to ensure the final report is complete and accurate, avoiding 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 never have to think about an appraisal again after submitting it to the client. However, appraisals are used to show the condition of a property on the inspection date. Therefore, appraisers are obligated to keep their reports for 5 years in case any disputes or other matters arise regarding the property.

Here again, Kendal Hartley & Associates, Inc. uses all the technology available to us 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 can pull up the entire file whenever it's needed and recall just what that report was about.

These are just a few examples of how we use technology daily. Employing the right software, gadgets, and a high level of customer service allows the appraiser to collect the right data and finish the report quickly and more accurately. All of which helps keep our costs down, and ultimately save you, our cilent, time and money.