How to become a Certified Appraiser. The certification process is voluntary, but highly recommended. To become certified as a certified appraiser, you must meet the following requirements: complete an approved appraisal course from an accredited institution of higher learning (college or university), apply for membership to ABRA and submit an online application requesting certification by The Appraisal Foundation.
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1. Get a Trainee License by Completing Coursework
To become a real estate appraiser, you must first become a real estate appraisal trainee. That means you need to complete and pass specific coursework that provides a solid foundation in real estate appraisal. The Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) sets national course requirements; however, some states require additional coursework. The appraisal industry is regulated differently in each state, but all require you to start your career as a trainee appraiser.
National
To become an appraisal trainee, the AQB requires you to complete a total of 75 credit hours of educational content from an approved provider. The required core curriculum coursework, which cannot be substituted by experience, is broken out as follows:
- Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours): This course introduces aspiring appraisers to basic real property concepts, legal considerations, real estate finance, economic principles, and appraisal ethics.
- Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours): The procedures course teaches students about the actual valuation process, including the three traditional approaches to value—cost approach, sales comparison approach, and income approach—and how to collect data, describe the subject property, and communicate appraisal results.
- National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) (15 hours): The USPAP 15-hour course sets forth industry requirements for ethical behavior and competent performance as described in the USPAP.
You don’t have to meet these hours all at once as training providers, like Hondros College, let you enroll in individual courses. However, bundled classes typically cost less. Although these classes are required, they are also a good idea as they teach you how to provide an objective estimate of the value of a property for tax, mortgage, insurance, and other purposes. Class formats, hours, and locations vary among providers, but you can expect to pay from $500 to $1,400 for an approved licensing course.
Did you know? While the coursework is an upfront expense, it is worth noting that licensed real estate appraisers made an average of $69,000 to $88,000 in 2020, depending on their experience, certifications, and number of hours worked. Plus, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for appraisers to continue growing by 7% over the next decade.
State
In addition to the national course requirements, some states require additional classroom time to become an appraiser trainee. These states still require the 15-hour USPAP trainee class as well as their state-specific requirements.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the prelicensing coursework hours required in each state:
Learn more about your state’s requirements by visiting the state licensing board website or by visiting an online training provider’s website. You can find out more about the best programs in our article on the best online real estate training providers.
2. Complete Appraiser Fieldwork Experience Hours
After becoming an appraiser trainee, you must start working under the strict mentorship of a licensed real estate appraiser. Before moving on to the next level of appraiser licensing, you must complete somewhere from 1,000 to 2,500 hours of supervised work within about six months. See the requirements for your state below:
Trainee appraisers can often find positions at residential appraisal firms and banks. These organizations generally have the greatest need for real estate appraisal services, although getting a position as a real estate appraisal trainee can be challenging. Places like the American Society of Appraisers job bank or Indeed can also be great resources for finding a position. Just be sure you work under a certified appraiser and keep track of the hours you work.
Pro tip: Certified residential appraiser D
