These companies promise lenders that they will manage the ordering, do quality review, and make payments for appraisal services.  They are paid an additional sum above an appraisal fee by a lender for the services they perform.  They claim that they are an independent third party and that they are able to provide unbiased ordering services and review to better ensure that they are minimizing the risk of the lender.  Currently, these companies have gone unregulated in most states across the country. This unregulated environment has caused across the board complaints from appraisers.  Some of these management companies now require 24-48 hour turnaround times, force appraisers to reduce their fees or risk being removed from their appraiser lists, pressure appraisers to meet needed values, and, despite claiming to be unbiased in their ordering systems, some of these companies assign appraisers by broadcasting appraisal orders available at a first come first serve basis, leaving little time for an appraiser to know what type of property it is before they accept the assignment.  These management companies are diminishing the appraisal industry.  The homeowner is getting charged $600 - $800 and the appraisers are only receiving $250 - $350 for their services.  Good appraisers are leaving the industry, leaving inexperienced appraisers in markets nationwide.  Appraisers are cutting corners in order to please these companies and do enough appraisals to pay their bills.  These companies have also started to slack on the payment of appraisers within a reasonable timeframe or at all.  If we don't put a stop to this, the impact will devastate the appraisal industry and we will be in another worse problem than when the bubble bursted.