CYBER-MEETINGS

Online forum keeps appraisers in touch with each other, and on top of the issues

In late December 2006, Zaio established an interactive forum for appraisers. Typical of many forums today, it is accessible by invitation only. Ken Verrett, a Zaio zone owner and a member of the Zaio Zone Appraiser Advisory Committee (ZZAAC) says, “It’s very common for people who have special interest areas to use forums to exchange ideas; forums also make it easy for large groups of people to talk together.”

Zaio’s forum makes it possible for zone owners across the country to get together and talk about problems and opportunities, and make suggestions on how to improve the industry and Zaio’s products specifically. “We regularly discuss things that work and don’t work,” says Verrett, “We’ve got threads of discussion coming in from all over the country. It’s exciting to see discussion from so many different markets.”

In July, use of the forum took off with 250 postings, followed by 450 in August. The number of members continues to grow. “We’re now up to over 200 people, which is still less than half of what we think the potential is,” says Ken, though he concedes that it’s not for everyone. “Some people are just not comfortable with the format.”

According to Ken, “members of Zaio’s executive regularly drop in – Thomas Inserra, Frank O’Neill, Brad Stinson and Steve Oliver – a lot of the Zaio folks attend the forum throughout the day. Each one will offer comments where they think they have something to add. It is a great opportunity for everyone to ask questions and hear answers from everyone in the organization.

“This is unique in my experience. Appraisers are generally a pretty skeptical bunch and very independent minded. Getting appraisers to see a common business opportunity and then buy in and work together is a little like herding cats. But Zaio is truly a partnership. We’ve all invested hard cash and we’re only as strong as our weakest link. I think the forum is so successful because we are all committed to seeing each other succeed.”

So far, it has been a self-policing forum, in that the person who raises the question has ownership and pursues it until they get an answer. However, the team recognizes that as Zaio grows they need to formalize some of the procedures. Verrett and Greg Colton, an Area Development Officer (ADO) and Zaio zone owner from Maryland, have taken a leading role. They’ve proven to be most comfortable with the interactive format and have been assigned the responsibility of monitoring the forum on a daily basis to catch issues that are unanswered.

If you’re interested in joining the online Zaio Appraiser’s Forum, please email Zone Support at ZoneSupport@Zaio.com. To be eligible for membership, you must be a zone owner, a designated person from a zone owner’s office, or a Zaio staff member.

Once Zaio receives your request to join, a formal invitation is sent to you with instructions for the simple registration process. “Don’t let the technology intimidate you,” says Zaio’s Vice President, Zone Operations and Training, Frank O’Neill, “our Tech Support team has assisted a number of zone appraisers to set up the program, and their assistance is available to all invited members. Once online, you’ll benefit from the collaboration with members from across the country.”

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