How to Become an Appraiser

An appraiser develops and reports an opinion of value on a specific type of property.  Appraisers may opt to specialize in various disciplines such as:

  • Real Property Appraisal is the valuation of real estate. Real property appraisers can choose specialty practices such as residential, commercial, or agricultural. To learn more about real property appraisal, you may want to contact one of our sponsors. Click here to visit our webpage on how to become a real property appraiser.
  • Personal Property Appraisal encompasses the valuation of all types of personal property such as fine and decorative arts, antiques, gems and jewelry, and machinery and equipment. To learn more about personal property appraisal, you may want to contact one of our sponsors.
  • Business Valuation is the valuation of businesses and includes all tangible and intangible assets ranging from the value of equipment to the value of a business name or logo. To learn more about business valuation, you may want to contact the American Society of Appraisers. 
  • Mass Appraisal encompasses the valuation of multiple types of real property or personal property using generally recognized formulas and statistical models. To learn more about mass appraisal, you may want to contact the International Association of Assessing Officers.

To learn more about becoming a real property or personal property appraiser, read below.

How to Become a Real Property Appraiser 

Under the provisions of Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), Congress gave the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) the authority to establish the qualification criteria (minimum education, experience, and examination requirements) for real property appraisers. State appraiser regulatory agencies are required to implement real property appraiser licensing and certification requirements that are no less stringent than those issued by the AQB in the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria.

To review detailed steps on how to become a real property appraiser, click here. 

How to Become a Personal Property Appraiser

Personal Property Appraiser Qualification CriteriaThe AQB establishes minimum requirements for all personal property appraisers who are members of sponsoring organizations of The Appraisal Foundation. Personal property appraisers who are not members of sponsoring organizations are encouraged, but are not required, to follow the minimum education and experience recommendations established by the Personal Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria. Individuals interested in becoming a personal property appraiser may want to consider contacting one of The Appraisal Foundation's Sponsors who specializes in this area.




 Summary of Personal Property Appraiser Requirements  
Education Hours   College Degree Requirements    Experience Requirements   
 120 Hours of Specific Topic Coverage - Consult the Criteria for Details   30 Semester Hours from an Accredited College, Junior College, Community College, or University; OR An Associate's Degree or Higher (in any field)   General Experience: 700 Hours; 

and

Specific Experience: A minimum of 1,800 hours of market-related personal property appraisal experience (the equivalent to one year full-time allowing for holidays) performing any aspect of "valuation services" (as defined by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice), of which at least 900 additional hours are in the area(s) of specialization;
or
A minimum of 4,500 hours of market-related personal property non-appraisal experience (equivalent to 2.5 years full-time allowing for holidays) in area(s) of specialization; 
or
An equivalent combination of market-related personal property appraisal experience and market-related non-appraisal experience in area(s) of the appraiser's specialization, based upon a minimum ratio of 1 year to 2.5 years.