“People are looking for less expensive ways to originate loans now,” said Mike Courtney, Sales Director for Veros Real Estate Solutions (Veros) and Valligent. The request sounds straightforward. In practice, it leads to questions about much more than a report’s price: What information does the lender need? Who collects it? Will the report be accepted? What happens if the property needs a closer look?
Late October 2026 interviews with Courtney and fellow Sales Directors Alex Vargas and Sarah Bell point to several practical questions lenders can ask when reviewing valuation expenses. Start with the service required, how the information is collected and whether the next person in the process can use the result.
Start with what the loan requires
Vargas described interest in valuations used for home equity lending and in options for private lending. Bell also pointed to inspection conversations in which clients are trying to reduce time and overhead.
A property inspection collects information about the property. An evaluation develops a value conclusion. An appraisal review examines the support and quality of an existing appraisal. Ordering one when the decision requires another can send the file back through the process.
Start by identifying the required deliverable and confirming the applicable lender, investor and regulatory requirements. Then consider what the property and transaction need beyond that minimum. A lower-cost option only helps when it provides the information required to move the file forward.
For example, eVAL is a property evaluation that includes market and value analysis and offers inspection options. ValREVIEW assesses an existing appraisal using local market data and analytics. Each addresses a different question, so the ordering decision should follow the question being answered.
Ask who is actually guiding a virtual inspection
One of Courtney’s most useful observations concerned a misunderstanding about virtual inspection services. Some prospects assume the occupant is simply taking and submitting photos without professional involvement. With Valligent, a trained virtual inspector guides the property contact through a live video inspection, following a prescribed process rather than leaving the contact to decide what to photograph or show. Courtney emphasized that hands-on guidance as a key distinction: “Somebody’s actually guiding these people through the inspection.”
With ValINSPECT Virtual, a trained virtual inspector connects with the property contact through live video and guides the inspection. Valligent’s process includes a prescribed procedure and manual report review.
Before ordering, confirm the inspection scope and the escalation process. What happens if the contact cannot access part of the property, the connection fails or the inspector identifies a concern?
A guided virtual inspection still depends on access, visibility and the assignment’s requirements. Define when an in-person inspection or other follow-up is needed.
Count the work around the report
Courtney described more interest in virtual inspection and valuation options among clients focused on margins. Bell likewise connected inspection interest with reducing the time and human effort involved.
To evaluate that opportunity, follow a file from order to acceptance. Where does someone wait? Where does someone re-enter information, chase access or request a missing item? How often does an initial order need to be upgraded?
Consider an illustrative case: a lower-priced report requires an additional inspection because its original scope did not answer the reviewer’s question. The second order, coordination and review time can consume the initial savings. That is a workflow issue worth measuring, even if both providers delivered exactly what was ordered.
Compare total fees, internal handling time, revision frequency and elapsed time to an acceptable result. Separate routine files from exceptions so an unusual property does not distort the assessment of an otherwise useful service.
Confirm acceptance before changing the order
Vargas described investor acceptance as a factor in whether clients can adopt a different appraisal review product. It is a practical reminder to resolve acceptance before relying on a new report in a live transaction.
Ask who will use the deliverable next. Confirm the required report, scope and supporting information with that party. A product can be useful and still be unsuitable for a particular investor’s requirements.
This is also where a sample report can be more useful than a broad product presentation. Have the actual reviewer walk through it. Can they locate the value support? Understand the inspection scope? Identify unresolved concerns? Know when additional analysis is needed?
Resolving those questions early gives the lender a clearer basis for changing its ordering instructions and training the people who use them.
Review the orders that needed a second step
Bell described clients protecting familiar processes because they fear disruption, even when another option could cost less. Courtney offered the reason behind that concern: “Every deal matters so much to them right now.”
A practical place to begin is with recent files that needed an additional service or repeated follow-up. Was the original scope insufficient? Was an access issue discovered late? Did the recipient need a different report?
Use the answers to refine ordering instructions, set escalation criteria and clarify who handles exceptions. Then measure whether those changes reduce repeat work and the time to an acceptable result. That provides a concrete basis for judging value beyond the report fee.
Where could your valuation process work better?
Connect with Valligent to discuss valuation and inspection options that fit your requirements and workflow.
