A 3-minute primer to what sets us apart
After years in this industry working for other firms, we set out to create something much better: fill their gaps, break their molds, right their wrongs. Here are 4 ways we do this:
#1
We are not an ‘appraisal-factory’ for banks and mortgage companies
Since most appraisers (more than 90%)—from the local solo operator to the big national firm—rely on banks and mortgage companies for most of their appraisal orders, these institutions naturally become their most important clients.
This is bad for you for at least two reasons:
- Because these appraisal firms consistently get dozens of orders every month from each institutional client, your business frankly means very little to them—as a result, you can expect poor service (unreturned phone calls, missed deadlines, and an unreliable appraisal).
- And because these appraisal firms do most of their work for [1] banks who knowingly sacrifice quality and accuracy for an ultra-fast turnaround at a rock-bottom price, they have no choice but to become an assembly-line-like factory producing low quality, often inaccurate appraisals.
To maintain our service and quality standards, as well as our independence, we avoid working with institutional clients such as banks and mortgage companies.
Instead, we prefer to service individual private clients like you, as well as a host of legal, financial, and tax professionals and their individual clients.
As a result, most appraisals we do are used for a variety of personal, legal, or tax-related issues, rather than mortgage financing. That’s why we have better familiarity with your needs and situation.
Also, we haven’t developed the bad habits that come from constantly prioritizing speed and cost over quality and accuracy—habits that inevitably result in low quality, unreliable appraisals.
[1] You would think that banks and other mortgage lenders would care more about the appraisal being accurate. The truth is that they don’t, and here’s why.
Most commercial lenders give themselves a built-in margin of error of at least 20% – 30%, by lending only 70% – 80% of the property’s appraised value. That may work for them but can you afford to hire an appraiser whose value is wrong by 20% – 30% or more?
This is why most banks only care about the speed and cost of an appraisal, at the expense of accuracy – because they just want to sell as many loans as possible, as quickly and cheaply as they can.
#2
We never use trainee appraisers—all our appraisers have at least 15 years’ experience
Want to know an industry secret?
Many appraisal firms use inexperienced appraiser trainees, also known as ‘licensed appraiser assistants,’ to do your appraisal start to finish—with little or no supervision.
Upon completion, your appraisal is basically rubber-stamped with the signature of the senior appraiser you thought you hired to do the job.
Why? Because trainees work cheap—and sometimes they even work for free. This is how many appraisal firms cut costs to maximize profit, at your expense.
It’s a disturbingly common practice.
You see, trainees are supposed to be apprentices. But it takes years of oversight and hand-holding to correctly learn the trade and earn an appraisal license—most firms can’t be bothered with that.
Institutional clients like banks and mortgage companies have no problem with this practice because it enables appraisal firms to dramatically cut costs and speed up turnaround time.
As a result, banks get what they really want – cheap, fast appraisals. And as you just learned in the section above, banks don’t really care that this practice often leads to low quality, inaccurate appraisals.
But what about you?
Do you need a reliable, thoroughly-researched, accurate appraisal of your property? If so, you should avoid hiring an appraiser that primarily serves institutional clients.
We never use trainees or licensed appraiser assistants in any capacity. All our appraisers are MA State Certified and have at least 15 years’ experience.
When you work with us, you’ll have one highly skilled and experienced appraiser who works on your appraisal all the way through, from start to finish.
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A few things are important to me when I’m looking for a vendor to conduct business with. Timely response, courtesy and professionalism, and competence. If those things are important to you too – these are your people! Really appreciate the service.
#1 of 68 reviews
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I gave them an impossible timeline and they made it possible. Service outstanding and they lived up to their commitments. I wish all my vendors were this perfect.
#2 of 68 reviews
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They were very professional and thorough. Marc was great to work with. As a business owner trying to get anything done these days is difficult but this was very easy.
#3 of 68 reviews
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Prompt, great communication and follow up.
#4 of 68 reviews
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I am an out-of-town property owner who needed a small commercial building appraised. Appraisal was on time and well prepared. Just as important, all three people I spoke with at this firm were friendly, thorough, and informative; and I even got some tips for where my costs were out of line so I can manage my building better!
#5 of 68 reviews
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Marc is super responsive, competitive and extremely understanding. I find his reports to be very thorough, easy to follow with attention to detail. He adheres to turn times with exceeding expectations.
#6 of 68 reviews
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Highly responsive to deadlines and budgets. Very thorough analysis and professional presentation. Working with Marc was an absolute pleasure.
#7 of 68 reviews
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From my initial inquiry through the completion of the appraisal process, the team provided excellent service and quality. Each member of the team demonstrated strong expertise in commercial real estate valuation, ensured they had all relevant information for the appraisal, and delivered a comprehensive report on schedule.
#8 of 68 reviews
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Great service. Their property evaluation of our prospective purchase provided an invaluable peace of mind for my investment group.
#9 of 68 reviews
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Prompt and professional.
#10 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team are fantastic. Helpful, polite, and quick. Couldn’t ask for a better experience.
#11 of 68 reviews
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I am out of state and working with Marc and his staff was very simple. They were professional and very responsive every step of the way. I would highly recommend them.
#12 of 68 reviews
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Marc and group were very professional and timely. We received our appraisal in less time than expected. I have them in my phone book for future use.
#13 of 68 reviews
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The appraisal process was excellent and they provided fast and accurate services. I highly recommend and if we have another opportunity for appraisal services we will be using them again.
#14 of 68 reviews
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The entire appraisal process was excellent in every way. Each person I interacted with was very professional and courteous. A joy to work with.
#15 of 68 reviews
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Prompt and professional, definitely a new member of my team.
#16 of 68 reviews
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#17 of 68 reviews
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Did a retrospective appraisal for me. Report was done on time, and report was done correct and problem free. Communication with company was excellent. I’m very satisfied with work done for me and would highly recommend them.
#18 of 68 reviews
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Great service and quick turn around time. Highly recommend.
#19 of 68 reviews
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Very easy to work with and helped us out on numerous properties. Marc and team were very responsive and timely. We highly recommend them.
#20 of 68 reviews
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The appraiser was very courteous and professional.
#21 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team were great! Very timely, professional, friendly and helpful. Would recommend for your commercial appraisal needs!
#22 of 68 reviews
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My experience was great. They did a very professional job at a reasonable price and it was completed in under two weeks. I will use them again for my next property.
#23 of 68 reviews
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Great company to work with for my commercial property appraisal. Marc was very helpful and all work was done as promised and within the time promised. I would highly recommend this company.
#24 of 68 reviews
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Professional.
#25 of 68 reviews
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Outstanding group to work with. Fast, easy to work with, great price and turned a great appraisal quickly to get our property sold. Thanks again, and we will be sure to use you again!
#26 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team provided fast and very professional service to our organization. The entire team was very friendly and easy to communicate with. We will be doing busy with them again if the need arises!!!
#27 of 68 reviews
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Great service, beat their deadline to complete the appraisal.
#28 of 68 reviews
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Great doing business with them.
#29 of 68 reviews
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#30 of 68 reviews
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I would like to recommend this business if you are in need of a professional commercial appraisal. Everything from the first contact to follow up was done in a timely fashion and the results were what I needed. Marc was my contact and I am a happy client.
#31 of 68 reviews
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Professional and prompt service!
#32 of 68 reviews
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They responded to our request very fast and did the appraisal in time.
#33 of 68 reviews
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Excellent! Very high quality appraisal, excellent customer service and an incredibly fast turn-around time. Very professional. Will be using for all my clients again.
#34 of 68 reviews
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Fast and Efficient.
#35 of 68 reviews
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Marc was great! Even got the job done ahead of schedule. I would not hesitate to use them again.
#36 of 68 reviews
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Great group of individuals and very easy to work with.
#37 of 68 reviews
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Marc was great to work with. The appraisal was done quickly and we would use them again.
#38 of 68 reviews
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Wonderful service in a timely manner.
#39 of 68 reviews
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#40 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team were a pleasure to work with. They were always quick to respond to questions we had, and had a quick turnaround time for the actual appraisal. Great report and just what our organization needed. Highly recommend.
#41 of 68 reviews
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We are quite pleased with the services of Marc and his appraisal firm. Their price was fair, the appraisal was thorough and delivered by the agreed upon due date. We plan to utilize them for future assignments.
#42 of 68 reviews
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I ordered a commercial appraisal and received it within a week, as I had a deadline to meet. Not only was it provided in a timely manner, but the document was very well written and thoroughly documented the multiple valuation methods. I highly recommend their services!
#43 of 68 reviews
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I had the good fortune to work with this company and was pleasantly surprised with their speed and professionalism. They provided among the most reasonable bids and were very responsive to my questions and concerns. Thank you Marc and Jack.
#44 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team did a great job with our appraisal! It took less than 3 weeks and it felt great knowing I was supporting a small business. Everything felt very personal and detailed. Highly recommend!
#45 of 68 reviews
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Great customer service. Excellent work. Will for sure use them in the future and refer them to people. Marc was very helpful, professional and very good with returning phone calls/follow ups, etc.
#46 of 68 reviews
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Very detail oriented and super easy to work with.
#47 of 68 reviews
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Had an excellent experience with this company. They were very professional, courteous answered all our questions. Appraisal was very detailed and was completed very quickly.
#48 of 68 reviews
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I was very pleased with the professionalism of the company. Very helpful and effective in doing my appraisal in a timely manner. I highly recommend them.
#49 of 68 reviews
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#50 of 68 reviews
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The appraisal was thorough and completed when promised.
#51 of 68 reviews
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They did a wonderful job on appraising my commercial property. They were very prompt, accurate and professional. I would highly recommend using this company if a commercial appraisal is needed!!
#52 of 68 reviews
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We recently used these commercial appraisers for our commercial building and received a very thorough report with all the information we needed. Their turn around time was great, and they were easy to work with. I would definitely recommend using them if you need a commercial appraisal.
#53 of 68 reviews
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#54 of 68 reviews
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They did a very good job and I would use them again.
#55 of 68 reviews
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Great company to work with.
#56 of 68 reviews
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These commercial appraisers were professional, courteous, and quick to provide a full report. I would definitely recommend them.
#57 of 68 reviews
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Brian was attentive and professional!! Excellent firm. I recommend very highly.
#58 of 68 reviews
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Very professional! Great and timely service…thanks guys! Antoinette was awesome!
#59 of 68 reviews
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The whole experience was phenomenal! The service was prompt, professional, and most of all fair. I was most impressed with Marc and his work ethic of not only being the owner, yet yielding his time to be thorough, and extremely customer service driven. The appraiser (Larry) was also knowledgeable, experienced, led us throughout the whole process, and executed the job in a way where we were pleasantly pleased. I would recommend this company to any and all who need the services they render.
#60 of 68 reviews
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Professional and fast service, highly recommended.
#61 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his colleagues were very responsive to our needs for a retrospective commercial property appraisal and fair market rent estimate. From the initial call where they took the time to explain their services and provide a quote for the appraisal, to providing a letter of engagement, setting up a site visit, and producing the final report. They came in on budget and ahead of estimated time to deliver the appraisal report. I would use them again!
#62 of 68 reviews
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Quick and very easy to work with. Highly recommended!
#63 of 68 reviews
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Marc was very helpful and exceptionally kind. They were even able to appraise a building in (another state) for us! Their prices were half of another quote that I received!
#64 of 68 reviews
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Working with Marc, Scott and Jack has been a true pleasure. They work thoroughly, and quickly. I first called Marc when I needed an appraisal on a 7 unit building. We were already deep into the escrow as the seller was being difficult giving us access for the inspections. When the deal fell apart and my client identified a new property in another neighborhood, Marc did that appraisal and DID NOT charge us an additional fee. That’s what I call customers service!!! Thank you I will be calling again!
#65 of 68 reviews
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#66 of 68 reviews
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Marc and Larry made this process very seamless for us. The appraisal report provided was very detailed and professional. I would use them for future commercial appraisals and would recommend to others.
#67 of 68 reviews
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It is infrequent to come across a company that is genuinely honest and considerate of their non-customers. I called with an inquiry and immediately they found faults in my interests. They took time to point out issues and resolutions to my concerns. It was clear that they could not turn me into a customer. Nonetheless, a couple of days later they followed up with me and helped me further to resolve my issues. Although I never became a customer, they helped me tremendously. Thank you so much! I highly recommend this company for their time and honesty!
#68 of 68 reviews
#3
We guarantee our work
Most appraisers don’t. Having read the points above, you can probably understand why.
Knowing that your appraisal will not be challenged or rejected is as important as knowing it is accurate.
We guarantee your appraisal report will meet the reporting standards and requirements of the authority you’ll be submitting it to (court, IRS, or government agency).
#4
With us, you’re a big fish in a little pond
(instead of the other way around)
If you read the points above, you now understand why we avoid ‘institutional clients’ and their high-volume appraisal needs.
Instead we prefer to work with individual clients like you who need an appraisal of just one or maybe several properties.
We believe that when you hire a company for an important job, you should expect to be treated like an important person.
We know from experience this is not the case at many appraisal firms—where [2] big institutional clients are doted on, while individual clients like you are pushed to the back of the line and unapologetically treated as less important.
Our clients have our office numbers, cell phone numbers and personal e-mail addresses. We make ourselves available day and night. When you call, we answer. Not a receptionist or a pushy salesman.
We offer you a unique level of access and commitment—and we can usually do so at a lower cost than big name firms, because we don’t have to charge extra to cover bloated operational costs.
[2] Because we focus on individual clients like you, and avoid institutional clients, quite frankly, your business means a lot more to us than it does to most other appraisal firms.
From your first phone call, to your receipt of the completed appraisal report—our commitment to your satisfaction is evident throughout every step of the process.
Let's talk—get answers to your questions including info on appraisal pricing and timing.
Call for your price quote (takes just 5 minutes):
(617) 209-2522
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A few things are important to me when I’m looking for a vendor to conduct business with. Timely response, courtesy and professionalism, and competence. If those things are important to you too – these are your people! Really appreciate the service.
#1 of 68 reviews
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I gave them an impossible timeline and they made it possible. Service outstanding and they lived up to their commitments. I wish all my vendors were this perfect.
#2 of 68 reviews
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They were very professional and thorough. Marc was great to work with. As a business owner trying to get anything done these days is difficult but this was very easy.
#3 of 68 reviews
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Prompt, great communication and follow up.
#4 of 68 reviews
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I am an out-of-town property owner who needed a small commercial building appraised. Appraisal was on time and well prepared. Just as important, all three people I spoke with at this firm were friendly, thorough, and informative; and I even got some tips for where my costs were out of line so I can manage my building better!
#5 of 68 reviews
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Marc is super responsive, competitive and extremely understanding. I find his reports to be very thorough, easy to follow with attention to detail. He adheres to turn times with exceeding expectations.
#6 of 68 reviews
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Highly responsive to deadlines and budgets. Very thorough analysis and professional presentation. Working with Marc was an absolute pleasure.
#7 of 68 reviews
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From my initial inquiry through the completion of the appraisal process, the team provided excellent service and quality. Each member of the team demonstrated strong expertise in commercial real estate valuation, ensured they had all relevant information for the appraisal, and delivered a comprehensive report on schedule.
#8 of 68 reviews
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Great service. Their property evaluation of our prospective purchase provided an invaluable peace of mind for my investment group.
#9 of 68 reviews
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Prompt and professional.
#10 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team are fantastic. Helpful, polite, and quick. Couldn’t ask for a better experience.
#11 of 68 reviews
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I am out of state and working with Marc and his staff was very simple. They were professional and very responsive every step of the way. I would highly recommend them.
#12 of 68 reviews
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Marc and group were very professional and timely. We received our appraisal in less time than expected. I have them in my phone book for future use.
#13 of 68 reviews
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The appraisal process was excellent and they provided fast and accurate services. I highly recommend and if we have another opportunity for appraisal services we will be using them again.
#14 of 68 reviews
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The entire appraisal process was excellent in every way. Each person I interacted with was very professional and courteous. A joy to work with.
#15 of 68 reviews
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Prompt and professional, definitely a new member of my team.
#16 of 68 reviews
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#17 of 68 reviews
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Did a retrospective appraisal for me. Report was done on time, and report was done correct and problem free. Communication with company was excellent. I’m very satisfied with work done for me and would highly recommend them.
#18 of 68 reviews
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Great service and quick turn around time. Highly recommend.
#19 of 68 reviews
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Very easy to work with and helped us out on numerous properties. Marc and team were very responsive and timely. We highly recommend them.
#20 of 68 reviews
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The appraiser was very courteous and professional.
#21 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team were great! Very timely, professional, friendly and helpful. Would recommend for your commercial appraisal needs!
#22 of 68 reviews
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My experience was great. They did a very professional job at a reasonable price and it was completed in under two weeks. I will use them again for my next property.
#23 of 68 reviews
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Great company to work with for my commercial property appraisal. Marc was very helpful and all work was done as promised and within the time promised. I would highly recommend this company.
#24 of 68 reviews
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Professional.
#25 of 68 reviews
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Outstanding group to work with. Fast, easy to work with, great price and turned a great appraisal quickly to get our property sold. Thanks again, and we will be sure to use you again!
#26 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team provided fast and very professional service to our organization. The entire team was very friendly and easy to communicate with. We will be doing busy with them again if the need arises!!!
#27 of 68 reviews
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Great service, beat their deadline to complete the appraisal.
#28 of 68 reviews
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Great doing business with them.
#29 of 68 reviews
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#30 of 68 reviews
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I would like to recommend this business if you are in need of a professional commercial appraisal. Everything from the first contact to follow up was done in a timely fashion and the results were what I needed. Marc was my contact and I am a happy client.
#31 of 68 reviews
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Professional and prompt service!
#32 of 68 reviews
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They responded to our request very fast and did the appraisal in time.
#33 of 68 reviews
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Excellent! Very high quality appraisal, excellent customer service and an incredibly fast turn-around time. Very professional. Will be using for all my clients again.
#34 of 68 reviews
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Fast and Efficient.
#35 of 68 reviews
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Marc was great! Even got the job done ahead of schedule. I would not hesitate to use them again.
#36 of 68 reviews
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Great group of individuals and very easy to work with.
#37 of 68 reviews
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Marc was great to work with. The appraisal was done quickly and we would use them again.
#38 of 68 reviews
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Wonderful service in a timely manner.
#39 of 68 reviews
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#40 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team were a pleasure to work with. They were always quick to respond to questions we had, and had a quick turnaround time for the actual appraisal. Great report and just what our organization needed. Highly recommend.
#41 of 68 reviews
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We are quite pleased with the services of Marc and his appraisal firm. Their price was fair, the appraisal was thorough and delivered by the agreed upon due date. We plan to utilize them for future assignments.
#42 of 68 reviews
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I ordered a commercial appraisal and received it within a week, as I had a deadline to meet. Not only was it provided in a timely manner, but the document was very well written and thoroughly documented the multiple valuation methods. I highly recommend their services!
#43 of 68 reviews
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I had the good fortune to work with this company and was pleasantly surprised with their speed and professionalism. They provided among the most reasonable bids and were very responsive to my questions and concerns. Thank you Marc and Jack.
#44 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his team did a great job with our appraisal! It took less than 3 weeks and it felt great knowing I was supporting a small business. Everything felt very personal and detailed. Highly recommend!
#45 of 68 reviews
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Great customer service. Excellent work. Will for sure use them in the future and refer them to people. Marc was very helpful, professional and very good with returning phone calls/follow ups, etc.
#46 of 68 reviews
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Very detail oriented and super easy to work with.
#47 of 68 reviews
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Had an excellent experience with this company. They were very professional, courteous answered all our questions. Appraisal was very detailed and was completed very quickly.
#48 of 68 reviews
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I was very pleased with the professionalism of the company. Very helpful and effective in doing my appraisal in a timely manner. I highly recommend them.
#49 of 68 reviews
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#50 of 68 reviews
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The appraisal was thorough and completed when promised.
#51 of 68 reviews
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They did a wonderful job on appraising my commercial property. They were very prompt, accurate and professional. I would highly recommend using this company if a commercial appraisal is needed!!
#52 of 68 reviews
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We recently used these commercial appraisers for our commercial building and received a very thorough report with all the information we needed. Their turn around time was great, and they were easy to work with. I would definitely recommend using them if you need a commercial appraisal.
#53 of 68 reviews
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#54 of 68 reviews
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They did a very good job and I would use them again.
#55 of 68 reviews
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Great company to work with.
#56 of 68 reviews
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These commercial appraisers were professional, courteous, and quick to provide a full report. I would definitely recommend them.
#57 of 68 reviews
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Brian was attentive and professional!! Excellent firm. I recommend very highly.
#58 of 68 reviews
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Very professional! Great and timely service…thanks guys! Antoinette was awesome!
#59 of 68 reviews
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The whole experience was phenomenal! The service was prompt, professional, and most of all fair. I was most impressed with Marc and his work ethic of not only being the owner, yet yielding his time to be thorough, and extremely customer service driven. The appraiser (Larry) was also knowledgeable, experienced, led us throughout the whole process, and executed the job in a way where we were pleasantly pleased. I would recommend this company to any and all who need the services they render.
#60 of 68 reviews
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Professional and fast service, highly recommended.
#61 of 68 reviews
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Marc and his colleagues were very responsive to our needs for a retrospective commercial property appraisal and fair market rent estimate. From the initial call where they took the time to explain their services and provide a quote for the appraisal, to providing a letter of engagement, setting up a site visit, and producing the final report. They came in on budget and ahead of estimated time to deliver the appraisal report. I would use them again!
#62 of 68 reviews
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Quick and very easy to work with. Highly recommended!
#63 of 68 reviews
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Marc was very helpful and exceptionally kind. They were even able to appraise a building in (another state) for us! Their prices were half of another quote that I received!
#64 of 68 reviews
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Working with Marc, Scott and Jack has been a true pleasure. They work thoroughly, and quickly. I first called Marc when I needed an appraisal on a 7 unit building. We were already deep into the escrow as the seller was being difficult giving us access for the inspections. When the deal fell apart and my client identified a new property in another neighborhood, Marc did that appraisal and DID NOT charge us an additional fee. That’s what I call customers service!!! Thank you I will be calling again!
#65 of 68 reviews
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#66 of 68 reviews
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Marc and Larry made this process very seamless for us. The appraisal report provided was very detailed and professional. I would use them for future commercial appraisals and would recommend to others.
#67 of 68 reviews
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It is infrequent to come across a company that is genuinely honest and considerate of their non-customers. I called with an inquiry and immediately they found faults in my interests. They took time to point out issues and resolutions to my concerns. It was clear that they could not turn me into a customer. Nonetheless, a couple of days later they followed up with me and helped me further to resolve my issues. Although I never became a customer, they helped me tremendously. Thank you so much! I highly recommend this company for their time and honesty!
#68 of 68 reviews