What advantage does an appraiser have over a Realtor? What about a Realtor over an appraiser?
An appraiser is paid for their opinion and the report. End of story. There is no more work, or "job" available to them. You could argue that this makes appraisers more objective - they have no one to please, where a Realtor might want to make the homeowner happy, in case they decide to sell down the road.
The biggest thing Realtors have going for them is that they are in the market every day with real buyers and sellers and get feedback on what people respond to. This is the non-tangible type of thing that doesn't show up in a spreadsheet, like fee, vibe, lighting, etc. We can also let you know what adjustments you could make to increase your home's marketability/salability while keeping an eye on profitability.
Typically, an appraisal will cost you $800-$1,000 while a report from a Realtor is typically free.
Whether that points you in one direction over another might be based, in part, on what you're looking for and why you're getting a price update done.
