ValueMate

What do they actually do

ValueMate provides an appraisal tool for residential appraisers that turns an on‑site walkthrough (or existing inspection files) into a near‑complete draft report. Appraisers can scan a property with a LiDAR‑capable smartphone in roughly five minutes on the Velocity mobile app, which ValueMate converts into a 3D model, 2D floor plan, and structured property data. The desktop‑oriented Workflow product ingests workfiles and public records to auto‑populate UAD‑style fields and assemble a draft the appraiser can review and edit, then export as a compliant report valuemate.ai Pricing.

The product includes an AI assistant for form edits and notes, integrates external data sources (e.g., public records), and supports both demos and self‑serve signup. Velocity requires a LiDAR‑capable phone; Workflow can be used from a computer without mobile capture valuemate.ai Pricing.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Solo residential appraisers: Manual measurements, photos, and hours of UAD form entry slow turnarounds and limit daily capacity; they want faster inspections and a draft they can quickly finalize valuemate.ai.
• Small appraisal shops / regional teams: Inconsistent report quality and slow internal reviews create rework and make it hard to handle spikes in order volume without adding headcount Pricing.
• Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs): They must enforce consistent format, compliance, and SLAs across many contractors and need tools that plug into their existing workflows and checks YC profile Pricing.
• Lenders and bank valuation departments: They need reliably UAD‑compliant reports, faster collateral turn times, and traceable workfiles to reduce underwriting and regulatory risk Pricing.
• Large valuation shops / enterprise buyers: They require custom integrations, enterprise support, and predictable capacity so they can standardize operations across branches without expanding internal IT/support costs Pricing.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Founder‑led local demos and paid pilots with solo appraisers and small shops that showcase a 5‑minute scan and near‑complete draft, supported by YC warm intros to AMCs/lenders and a loaner‑phone program to remove hardware friction valuemate.ai Pricing. Layer in referral incentives and one documented AMC sandbox pilot to secure early proof and testimonials.
• First 50: Package the pilot into a standard two‑week paid trial with onboarding and a measured ROI report; run weekly webinars for solo appraisers, targeted LinkedIn/email outreach to AMCs/lenders, and sponsor regional association events. Publish case studies and a concise UAD‑transition one‑pager, launch light paid search around “appraisal software/UAD 3.6,” and spin up a small reseller program.
• First 100: Stand up an SMB sales team and SDR outbound to top AMCs/banks while adding self‑serve trials for Workflow‑only buyers and a partner certification program. Co‑market a first platform integration, offer standardized enterprise trial SLAs and procurement packs, and run ongoing UAD‑readiness content plus PR around quantified customer wins.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

BLS reports 62,090 employed Property Appraisers and Assessors in the U.S. (May 2023), which excludes self‑employed workers and therefore likely undercounts the independent residential appraisers ValueMate targets BLS.

Bottom-up calculation:

If ~35,000 U.S. residential appraisers are addressable and spend an average of ~$1,500 per year on ValueMate (Workflow seat plus some mobile capture), U.S. TAM is roughly ~$52M annually; enterprise AMC/lender contracts would be incremental to this base. This excludes international markets and non‑appraiser seats.

Assumptions:

• ~35k of the BLS‑counted roles (plus some self‑employed) are active residential mortgage appraisers likely to buy.
• Average ARPU of ~$1,500/year per appraiser for software + capture based on comparable appraisal software pricing tiers.
• Enterprise AMC/lender spend is additive and not included in the base estimate.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• a la mode (TOTAL): Long‑standing appraisal form software used by many U.S. appraisers; provides UAD‑compliant forms and workflow tools, making it a default incumbent in many shops a la mode.
• ACI (First American): Appraisal forms and compliance suite with cloud offerings and UAD alignment; widely used by appraisers, AMCs, and lenders ACI First American.
• CubiCasa (Clear Capital): Mobile floor plan and GLA capture via phone; Clear Capital acquired CubiCasa, making it a common choice for lenders and appraisal workflows needing fast floor plans Clear Capital acquisition.
• DataMaster: Imports MLS/public records into appraisal software to prefill forms and build USPAP‑friendly workfiles; focuses on reducing manual data entry for appraisers DataMaster.
• Spark for Appraisers (True Footage): Data import and analysis tool that auto‑fills grids, market conditions, and workfiles across major form‑fillers; targets similar prefill/time‑savings use cases Spark.