What Is It Like To Be A Certified Appraisal Examiner?

Nugent Appraisal Services is utilizing their Associate Membership to benefit their business while also providing new revenue streams for our members. This business relationship is displaying the purpose and anticipated results of Associate Memberships with NICA.

Putting the newly-earned Certified Appraisal Examiner designations to good use, Nugent Appraisal reports that they have been able to secure jobs for our members since putting this working relationship together. This enables our home inventory members to add a revenue stream while Nugent saves time by reducing his hours of travel to document items out of his local area.

What does an Appraisal Examiner do?

We asked four of our members to share their experience as an Appraisal Examiner for Nugent Appraisal Services, and it appears that they all had positive results and are looking forward to future opportunities.

Kate LeGrand, a member located in Plainfield, Indiana and owner of Capital Counts Inventory said, “I totally enjoyed working with Ray and appreciated his professionalism, especially since it was my first examiner job. It was an estate, and only specific items were to be appraised. The executor walked with me from item to item, sharing the provenance of each piece.” Kate enjoyed hearing the stories and felt the client had become a new friend by the time the job was completed.

Member Tricia Hoekwater of Uniquely Yours Digital Solutions in Pittsburg, California stated that her complete time onsite was just about an hour. The client wanted to donate furniture and art for a tax write-off, which included living room furniture, four pieces of art, some large picture frames, and a sleigh bed with wood and steel frame. “This particular project did not garner the gathering of much information about the pieces other than the purchase location and approximate year so it was very easy to document and gather the photographs needed for the appraisal. Being a certified appraisal examiner is fun and what is particularly enjoyable is having the front-end work of marketing and communication with the client done so I could come in and get right to work for the client. The template provided by Nugent Appraisal is wonderful and makes the job so easy. The back-end work was minimal and it’s a great income source for my business.” 

Documenting two Tiffany lamps in Pennsylvania was the scope of this appraisal examiner project completed by John Maida, owner of Cherry Hill, New Jersey-based WJ Home Inventory. He took many photos, descriptions, and measurements of the lamps. “The appointment went well and Ray was happy. It was a small assignment, but quite interesting nonetheless.”

Debra Palmer of Palmer Home and Business Inventory Professionals, LLC in Tampa, Florida was providing examiner services for Nugent Appraisal Services years before they became an Associate Member of NICA. Debra shared, “I became aware of Ray Nugent and Nugent Appraisals a few years ago as I was starting up my inventory business.  Through various teleconferences/webinars I was able to connect with Ray and he offered me the opportunity to do appraisal examinations for Nugent Appraisals in my business territory, Central Florida.  Ray has given me several appraisal examination assignments that have included a wide range of items such as art and collectibles collections, gun collections, coin collections and office furnishings. Project size has ranged from just one fine art item to over 100 items.  Each project has been so interesting and I have found working with Nugent’s clients to always be a pleasure. This collaboration with Nugent Appraisals has helped to grow my business and gives me great hands-on experience with dealing with higher value items in clients’ properties. I look forward to continuing to expand the appraisal examination aspect of my inventory business and completing the NICA Appraisal Examiner Certification in the very near future.”

From a pair of lamps to over one hundred items, comments from these members show the variety of projects that are and will be offered, as Ray anticipates growth through expansion due to interest in the Certified Appraisal Examiner opportunities. Those members who have achieved their Certified Appraisal Examiner designation will be given preference when there is more than one inventory professional within the geographic area of the job. NICA will assist Nugent with finding qualified members and distributing the jobs to all in areas where there are multiple CAEs interested in receiving these assignments.