MBA Premier Member Profile: Dart Appraisal
(One in a continuing series of profiles of Premier Members of the Mortgage Bankers Association.)
Dart Appraisal is an independent, nationwide Appraisal Management Company founded in 1993.
We’ve been operating as a true AMC (not an appraisal company) for more than 24 years and have one of the most experienced appraiser panels in the industry. We have coverage for every county in every state of the country, and also do business in Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Our proprietary system is integrated with most major LOS platforms, and we can design any custom integration necessary. We understand that appraisal management is not one-size-fits-all, and work closely with our partners to engineer a solution that meets their unique needs.
We also believe that at the end of the day, every business relationship comes down to people. Dart clients rank our customer service as the top reason they work–and stay–with Dart.
To learn how Dart can get your appraisal management process on target, please visit us online at www.DartAppraisal.com.
Senior Personnel
–Darton Case, CEO
–Michael Dresden, President
–Teressa Hupfer, Vice President of Operations
–Marc Tatarcuk, Vice President of Sales
MBA: What is the most important issue facing your company right now?
MICHAEL DRESDEN: Compared to recent years, 2017 has been a slower year in terms of origination volume. Similar to other companies in our industry, one of the challenges we’ve been facing this year is making our processes more efficient to make up yield lost to lower production volumes. Skyrocketing compliance costs is another challenge we’re currently dealing with. We have a dedicated compliance executive on staff who focuses on compliance efforts for both state and federal regulations, as well as on fulfilling Dart Appraisal’s own compliance plan. As a company, we hold ourselves to the highest industry standards. We voluntarily undergo a SOC 2 audit on a regular basis and also conduct full disaster recovery testing annually.
MBA: What are some key trends your company is tracking?
DRESDEN: Echoing my sentiments in the previous question, origination volume is the most significant trend we are tracking. Appraiser waiver usage is another issue we’re paying close attention to. New appraisers joining the profession, as well as lender usage of trainees, also remain key topics of conversation in the valuation industry.
MBA: Why did your company join the Mortgage Bankers Association?
DRESDEN: Dart is a long-term member of MBA. We believe it’s a foundational part of any business to be active in your industry’s association – not just for the networking and marketing opportunities available, but also to have access to the latest news and events MBA offers. Additionally, we appreciate the advocacy efforts MBA puts forth on behalf of all of its members.
MBA: How has being an MBA Premier Member benefited your company?
DRESDEN: The expanded marketing opportunities our premier level membership offers have definitely benefited Dart. We also enjoy the expanded access at various MBA events, including the annual Chairman’s Conference.
(MBA Premier Member Profiles are a service provided by the Mortgage Bankers Association and MBA NewsLink as a service to MBA Premier Members. Publication does not constitute an endorsement of a particular company, product or service. For more information about the MBA Premier Member program, contact Rashida Holmes at rholmes@mba.org or 202/557-2779.)
