Technology advancements have changed the landscape of the real estate industry with the appraisal process being no exception.

At Brian Ward Appraisal, we incorporate industry standard appraiser related technology and implement meaninful devices, services, and processes that increase the speed, accuracy, and integrity of the appraisal process and its data.

Online Order Form / Online Ordering
Ordering is now available using forms over the Internet, on the World Wide Web (see "Order Appraisal"). This online ordering provides the following advantages:

• Near error free and less chance of a delay: The exact data on the online form is transmitted directly to our server. No more misunderderstood words over the phone or unreadable text over faxes.
• End to end confirmation: Online order forms are delivered and confirmed with a receipt back to you, the client. Questioning whether the order was received is no longer a concern.
• Convenient. An order online can be placed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Property Inspection
Our typical residential real estate property inspection is completed using a leading edge laser measurement 'distometer' and a hand-held computer to record the measurements/dimensions as well as other property notes. These inspection tools provide the following advantages:
Accuracy: The laser is accurate to +/- 0.0015 meters at 200 meters and the recording into a hand held computer enables verification that the measurements are consistent.

• Speed: The laser can measure great and small distances in a fraction of the time it takes to pull a measuring tape the same distance.
• Data Integrity: After the inspection is complete and from the appraiser's automobile, the inspection file is saved into the hand held computer and emailed to the company data server, effectively making multiple near- immediate backups of the inspection data.

Technology Enabled Research
A wise appraiser with over 41 years of appraisal experience loved to say that "a bad appraiser with good data is better than a good appraiser with bad data". At Brian Ward Appraisal, we are GREAT appraisers with GREAT data and our pledge of 'no stone left unturned' is heavily based on our research ability and resources which include public record data from multiple data providers, multiple listing service data local to the inspected neighborhoods, other county supplied property data records and analysis resources, aerial and satellite imagery, industry leading building cost analysis databases, and a host of other online resources including FEMA, US Census, National Association of Realtors, and more.

Appraisal Report Completion and Report Storage
We have invested in industry standard appraisal software, selected for the greatest partner compatibility and data integration. During every step of the appraisal process, the report, pictures, sketch, notes, maps, calculations, and other files and data are backed up in near real time to allow for fast recovery from failure and for data integrity. Additionally, the report data is indexed for fast reference and retrieval. Although data is backed up in this manner, another periodic backup is also performed.

Appraisal Delivery
An appraisal report can be delivered by email as an Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) file within minutes of completion - including, property photographs, maps, the sketch, and any other supporting documentation. The PDF file is digitally signed using industry standard encryption and the file can be password protected, at the client's request, to ensure the greatest confidentiality.