White did not disappoint, as she pointed to the lack of young appraisers and willing mentors in the business.
Durbin noted that the article highlights an issue that still remains in the appraisal business a dozen years later; a lack of diversity in the industry
As for the question about her degree in neuroscience, White explained that she would have had to pursue an MD or PhD and she wasn’t interested in that so she looked for other options.
One Big Advantage
As hard as it was to break into the business, White recalled having the distinct advantage of a financial cushion provided by her family. It enabled her to hang in there instead of switching to something that paid the bills.
White lived with her parents, who also covered her food and insurance needs while she took a part-time job as a cheerleading coach, which covered her gas money and hanging out with friends.
“I was able to send out hundreds of resumes, and wait. I could afford to go on a few inspections a week and still have a roof over my head,” she said. “I didn’t have to worry about making a living wage in those first two years because I had financial support.”
But it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. By 2016, White said the strain of running a business was wearing on her to the point that she was on the verge of leaving for an office job. Three weeks later she got a call from Better Mortgage.
“They needed someone to build their appraisal department from the ground up. I got to put all of my appraisal knowledge to work while being in an office setting. It was my dream job,” she said.
During her time at Better Mortgage, White said she created a staff appraiser panel and hired 19 appraisers, most of whom were trainees and 50% of whom were women or minorities.
The Present
More recently White, who is now a member of the board of trustees at the Appraisal Foundation, and the government relations committee at the Appraisal Institute, has become a public, vocal advocate for combating appraisal bias in communities of color. In December, she was featured in “Our America: Lowballed” a documentary that highlighted the ongoing issue of unfairly low property valuations among Black and Hispanic homeowners, In January, the New York Times published an article that shined a spotlight on her and two other Black women who are on a mission to end bias in home appraisals.
“Bias in appraising is complex and requires a multifaceted solution. It cannot be eradicated by appraisers alone,” she said. “Therefore, the issue needs to be addressed from many different angles. Every opportunity to speak to a different audience is also an opportunity to discover new perspectives and resources, which then get added to the toolkit to address the issue.
White and Kenon Chen, executive vice president of strategy and growth at Clear Capital, have spoken on a number of panels highlighting the need for more diversity in the appraisal industry and the need for greater transparency on issues of racial bias.
Chen said the two started collaborating on improving the appraisal process several years ago during her time at Better Mortgage as head of collateral/chief appraiser.
“I remember being impressed right away at the thought behind her questions and the grace with which she dug into problem solving,” Chen said. “Over the years that impression has only grown as I have watched her navigate professional and personal challenges. She has a willingness to understand the root cause of issues while looking for innovative solutions to move forward.”