Key Feature Missing from Your Real Estate Mapping Software

If you were recently involved in the housing market, you probably noticed how active it is. Prices are reaching new peaks, and demand greatly exceeds supply.

While this is beneficial for realtors, industry experts note a shortage of appraisers. They highlight that appraisers face significant pressure to complete appraisals quickly, ensuring lenders can meet their closing dates.

In this tough market, real estate appraisal mapping software should help appraisers and appraisal management companies (AMCs) file appraisals faster. But, many tools lack key features, especially for route planning and route optimization, which can greatly improve an appraiser’s efficiency in visiting sites and completing appraisals.

In this article, we’ll explain what appraisal mapping software does, why route optimization is important for appraisers, and how tools like eLogii can help you plan your appraisal routes.

Jump to the section that sparks your interest:

• What Current Real Estate Appraisal Mapping Software Offers
• Route Optimization: The Missing Piece in Your Appraisal Mapping Software
• Four Ways You Can Use eLogii for Appraisal Route Mapping

What Current Real Estate Appraisal Mapping Software Offers

Right now, real estate appraisal software tools help with the appraisal process once an appraiser is on-site. This includes taking digital measurements and filling out forms for submission.

1. Digital Measurements: Appraisers used to use a tape measure for property dimensions. Now, tools like DISTO allow them to capture measurements digitally and transfer them straight to property sketches.
   
   
2. Digital Sketching: Tools like TOTAL Sketch and TOTAL Sketch Pro let appraisers draw the property layout based on the measurements they’ve taken.
   
   
3. Specialized Mapping: Appraisers need flood maps, census tracts, and neighborhood location data to assess property value. Tools like Land id offer easy access to these maps and GIS layers.
   
   
4. Cloud Storage: Appraisers take photos and videos as part of their reports. They store these in tools like SFREP’s Image Manager or Google Drive and then include them in their reports.
   
   
5. Form Filling: Different lenders require different forms from appraisers. Tools like Bradford Technologies’ ClickFORMS help automate data entry, making form filling easier.

While these tools help appraisers prepare and submit their appraisals efficiently, they don’t tackle issues with scheduling visits, planning routes, and optimizing daily mileage. That’s where route optimization comes in.

Route Optimization: The Missing Piece in Your Appraisal Mapping Software

Route optimization helps appraisers visit more sites each day, cut down on mileage, adjust routes on the fly, and keep homeowners happy. Here’s how:

1. Visit More Sites Daily
   Route optimization software finds the quickest routes between sites, saving time on travel. This lets appraisers fit in more site visits and complete more reports each week.
   For example, Crocus, the UK's leading gardening website, doubled its revenue and customer service effectiveness with the help of eLogii's route optimization software.
   
   
2. Cut Down on Mileage
   Mileage costs can add up for appraisers, which is why some appraisal tools include mileage estimators for tax deductions.
   Route optimization software creates shorter routes, instantly lowering mileage costs.
   
   
3. Adjust Routes on the Fly
   Appraisers’ schedules often change. Homeowners might be late or cancelations might open up new slots.
   Route optimization software lets appraisers adjust their routes in real time to handle these changes.
   
   
4. Keep Homeowners Informed with Notifications
   Appraisal visits can be stressful for homeowners. To make things easier, send them notifications about when you’re on your way.
   Good route optimization tools provide real-time updates so homeowners and other key parties know the status of the visit. This helps ensure homeowners are prepared and involved in the process.

4 Ways You Can Use eLogii for Appraisal Route Mapping

eLogii is a tool for real estate route planning and optimization that helps appraisers and real estate pros organize their visits. You can choose a date range of up to 30 days and plan your routes ahead of time. Here are four ways eLogii can help you map out your appraisal routes:

1. Same-Day Re-Optimization
   This feature allows for real-time adjustments to routes in response to delays or cancellations. It ensures appraisers can adapt their schedules on the fly, maintaining efficiency despite unexpected changes.
   
   
2. Date-Range Planning
   You can organize and plan visits over an extended period with date-range planning. This functionality helps appraisers manage their schedules more effectively by preparing routes well in advance.

1. Traffic-Enabled Travel Times
   Traffic-enabled travel times use both real-time and historical traffic data to calculate accurate travel durations. This helps appraisers avoid delays by providing routes that account for current traffic conditions.
   
   
2. Live ETA Updates
   Live ETA updates offer real-time information on estimated arrival times for each visit. This informs homeowners about when to expect the appraiser, improving communication and customer satisfaction.

Upgrade Your Appraisal Mapping with eLogii

If you're an appraiser navigating the busy housing market, your current appraisal mapping tools might fall short.

eLogii can help you quickly plan multiple stops, get to those stops more efficiently, and enhance your overall productivity.