Survey Research Survey Research represents an underutilized analysis technique within real estate and business valuation community.  Nearly everyone within the appraisal community knows about the “three approaches to value”.  Survey Research offers a fourth approach to value, or another analysis technique, in support of the three approaches.  Federal Appraisal LLC offers survey research services based on the deep academic traditions of social and economic survey research. To understand the utility of survey research, it may be helpful to recognize the following: An appraisal is an opinion, and survey research is especially useful in measuring opinions. We are familiar with political polls and other public opinion polls. The same research theories and techniques can be applied to numerous issues within appraisal, in particular the issues of market opinions of value and the elements of value. With its deep academic tradition in the social sciences, survey research offers avenues to research, and foundations for appraisal conclusions that may not exist elsewhere. This is why the appraisal community is perhaps unknowingly already using survey research.  Examples include discount and cap rate surveys, cost manuals, and various Federal Reserve and Bureau of Labor Statistics. View our Survey Research on Approaches for Power Plants. Federal Appraisal LLC offers next generation survey research services to the appraisal, real estate, and economics communities, surrounding real estate, and business valuation.