I've been thinking recently about how the market has changed all over the country. I had a thriving business 2 years ago and now I find myself doing split fee appraisals for large third party companies. Every order I receive is through email and I rarely speak to a person unless there is an issue.

I understand the goal of these companies, which is to remove the conflict of interest which is inherent in the appraiser/lender relationship. I have lost clients over the years because of value issues and they eventually find a appraiser who will give them what they want, but that has been the minority.

I like the independence that being an appraiser provides, which sadly seems to be coming to an end. The larger lending institutions, which in the past have supplied a consistent work-flow, are now sending all of their appraisal orders through the third party companies. This has affected my bottom line directly. I no longer am paid a living wage, the splits are significant and the amount of time it takes to develop a well researched appraisal does not reflect the fee they pay you.

I am at a loss for what the future may hold for appraisers. Can the profession weather these hard times?