We frequently receive emails or calls requesting a copy of a completed appraisal report, often from the homeowner. Sometimes we can send the report to them, and sometimes we cannot, even if they are the homeowner or the buyer. Why is this?
The “Client” specified on an appraisal report is the party who hired the appraiser for the assignment – regardless of who owns the property or pays the fee. The client can be an individual, a group, or an entity such as a lender or attorney.
If an appraisal was ordered by a lender and completed on your home for a loan you are pursuing, the appraiser cannot disclose the report directly to you. Instead, it will go to the lender, and from there they can share the report as needed. In these situations, we direct the homeowner back to their lender contact for the report.
If the appraisal client is “John Smith” and his wife requests a copy, the appraiser can only provide the report directly to John and it is up to him to decide whether or not to share it.