You Don’t Need a Coach — You Need a Tribe

There’s a trend sweeping through the appraisal industry right now: hiring a coach. And listen, I get it. Coaching can have its place. I’ve worked with both of the big-name appraisal coaches out there. They’ve built good programs. You can get value from them — structure, insight, maybe even some momentum if you’re in a rut.

But here’s the truth: nothing earth-shattering comes out of those groups. No secret sauce. No revolutionary systems. And definitely nothing you couldn’t find out by surrounding yourself with the right people.

What you really need isn’t a coach — it’s a tribe.

You need a group of people who are in the trenches with you. People who are willing to go to war for their businesses and yours. Who will call you out when you’re playing small. Who will test new tech with you, swap systems, share wins and losses, and even co-op on expenses where it makes sense. This isn’t about motivational platitudes. This is about collaboration, strategy, and accountability from people who actually understand your world.

A coach can give you direction, sure. But a tribe? A real one? That gives you horsepower. It gives you innovation. It gives you speed.

You want to build something that lasts? Surround yourself with people who aren’t just trying to survive the market — but who want to dominate it. People who will take your 1 AM text because they know you’d do the same. People who don’t see you as competition but as a multiplier.

If I had to choose between a coach and a core group of like-minded appraisers with guts and grit? I’m going tribe every time.
The future of this business — especially with the way tech is evolving, regulations are tightening, and margins are thinning — doesn’t belong to the solo operator with a clipboard. It belongs to the collaborators. The ones who share, test, tweak, and repeat — faster than anyone else.

So, if you’re feeling stuck or searching for that “next level,” don’t assume a coach is the only answer. Maybe what you need is a roundtable, not a lecture.

Go find your people. Build that tribe. Then go to war together.