Class Valuation, upon acquiring Landmark Network, embraced appraiser John Dingeman, who had been serving in the same capacity as chief appraiser, quality control for the three years preceding his new appointment. Dingeman, past president of the National Association of Appraisers, said after meeting with the leadership at Class Valuation, it was clear that the proper focus and attention appraisers seek to help them do what they do was aligned in every aspect.
Dingeman’s new position at Class Valuation became official in 2019.
“The opportunities are endless,” Dingeman told Valuation Review. “The resources provided to the teams are amazing. Working with team members and fellow appraisers like Scot Rose, Julie Jones, Jon Tallinger, Margo Foster and Rob Roldan is synergistic at its core.
“I find everyone to be like-minded and driven to serve both our lender/clients and our appraiser partners,” Dingeman added. “I have worked in management nearly my entire adult life and I have been serving as a continuing education instructor for the past seven years. The opportunity to coach and teach is what excites me; the opportunity to learn is two-fold.”
Chief appraisers, and appraisers themselves, have specific goals to be successful. Dingeman emphasized that appraisers are resourceful, smart, and do not need a lender or an AMC repeating requirements outlined in a selling guide or a handbook.
Dingeman also understands the technological challenges and restrictions of delivering a meaningful and concise engagement letter.
“Our staff reviewed each engagement letter, the state requirements, and specifically each of our client’s specific requirements and concluded to a three-page engagement letter,” he said. “Working with our developer in implementing a delivery system proved to be a larger challenge but everyone rose to the occasion and made it happen. My next goal is to work with an innovative quality control engine to help our appraisers be more successful and to minimize the number of revisions that come back to an appraiser from either our quality control team or from the lender/client.”
Listening to the needs of all parties concerned is also an element Dingeman puts a high price tag on; in fact, such a skill more than served him well in his duties at Landmark, as past president with the Coalition of Arizona Appraisers (CoAA), and his current role as past president of the National Association of Appraisers (NAA).
Listening, he said, and being mindful of others is critical towards collective success; whether one agrees or disagrees with ideas and suggestions.
“You can then share in a meaningful dialogue and can effect change,” Dingeman said. “Serving for CoAA and the NAA was about giving back to the profession I love, and it was about bringing change to our profession. Respect is earned, and I can say that CoAA and the NAA have that from appraisers and our industry partners alike.
“That is a result of the character and make-up of those respective boards and not just me. I believe that taking on professional challenges made me a better appraiser: I know they made me a better person,” he added. “I explored opportunities in the appraisal management and lender space in hopes of affecting change. I did just that, and every day I work to achieve that singular goal.”
People are drawn to potential new job assignments or are attracted by what specific companies have to offer both themselves, and the public they serve. Dingeman said the Landmark Network acquisition could have manifested itself in a variety of career changing paths.
He said he loves working in the field and really enjoys helping appraisers – whether it’s their writing skills, moving to a paperless office, or measuring homes. In the end, Class Valuation presented the greatest opportunity of all, and working with 15-plus appraisers is pretty great too, he added.
Adapting to change remains a challenge in the valuation profession, but that is really nothing new.
“Appraisers are not unique to this,” Dingeman said. “Every person, both personally and professionally, is challenged by change, and we as human beings can be reluctant to embrace it. I do believe that as professionals we should look for ways we can change and have a positive impact on the customer experience. We can do this while at the same time doing our part to protect the public trust. There is no doubt that consumers, especially millennials and Generation Z, are expecting speed; immediate gratification.
“For example, it’s why we have two lines for the McDonald’s drive thru; we could not wait one more minute for our Big Mac,” Dingeman added. “Changes to our processes are necessary to adapt to the economic changes and demands. I am sure most dentists 25 years ago never dreamed that they would bifurcate their own process and allow someone else to physically clean the teeth, and a few short years later a new profession of dental hygienists emerged.”
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