A real estate appraiser is an expert in property valuation. They are hired by mortgage lenders to determine a fair market value for a property and write a report that details the property value. Buyers, sellers, and lenders then use that information to make decisions regarding a listing price and loan amount, and whether that listing price can be negotiated. With an appraisal report in hand, the lender will never give out more money than a home is worth to a borrower, and a seller can anticipate how much their home will ultimately go for.
Like many professions, there are different levels of expertise an appraiser can reach. Here, we will delve into the four different real property appraiser licenses available, and how you can attain them.
The four types of home appraiser licenses.
There are a few levels of appraiser licenses, all connected to the necessary experience–and sometimes education–of the individual.
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Trainee Appraiser
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Licensed Residential Appraiser
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Certified Residential Appraiser
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Certified General Appraiser
Each classification has different education requirements, some involving a college degree. We’ll walk you through every level, listed in order of the education and training required for each.
Trainee (or associate) appraiser.
A Trainee Appraiser is, as the name suggests, an appraiser in training. Once trained, you must complete appraisals alongside a supervisor. The Trainee Appraiser is the first license possible for an appraiser to attain, and possibly the most important, because of the hands-on training that you’ll get while obtaining it. You are subject to at least one mentor (a Supervisory Appraiser).
This first license level for appraisers goes by a few different names, which you might come across:
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Associate Appraiser
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Trainee Appraiser Registered Appraiser
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Apprentice Appraiser
The name of this level is usually determined by state appraiser regulatory agencies, but they all refer to the same license level. For simplicity, we’ll refer to this role as the Trainee Appraiser.
Though there is no final examination requirement for this level, the Trainee Appraiser needs to pass end-of-course exams in each of the required courses to get credit.
The Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) of the Appraisal Foundation determines the education and training needed to become an appraiser and to reach each subsequent licensing level. According to the AQB, 75 hours of Core Curriculum coursework in the following courses are required to become a Trainee Appraiser:
|
Trainee Appraiser Course |
Coursework Hours |
|
National USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) Course |
15 Hours |
|
Basic Appraisal Principles Course |
30 Hours |
|
Basic Appraisal Procedures Course |
30 Hours |
There might be additional hours of coursework depending on your state. Lastly, all the coursework must be done within five years of applying for it.
Licensed residential appraiser.
A Licensed Residential Appraiser credential is the next license up from Trainee. This classification means an appraiser can work with non-complex, 1-to-4-unit residential properties with a value less than $1,000,000 and complex residences with a value less than $400,000. For this purpose, complex refers to a property for which the ownership, market, or property itself are atypical.
This license requires more education than the Trainee level, at 150 total coursework hours, including the 15-hour National USPAP Course and a passing exam score. A Trainee Appraiser can earn this license by completing the additional coursework below.
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Licensed Appraiser Course |
Coursework Hours |
|
Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use |
15 Hours |
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Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach |
15 Hours |
|
Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches |
30 Hours |
|
Residential Report Writing and Case Studies |
15 Hours |
In addition to the 150 hours of coursework, to become a Licensed Residential Appraiser, you need to complete 1,000 hours of experience in at least six months.
Finally, the appraiser needs to take the AQB-approved Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser examination and pass to earn this license (National Uniform Licensing Examination for Licensed Residential Appraisers).
Certified residential appraiser.
A Certified Residential Appraiser is the next license up, the second highest for appraisers. Unlike the Licensed Residential Appraiser, those at this level can appraise vacant and unimproved land for one-to-four residential properties. It doesn’t include the appraisal of subdivisions (which requires a developmental analysis from an appraiser with the next license level).
The education needed for this license includes those taken at the Trainee level, and once completed, includes the following courses.
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Certified Residential Appraiser Course |
Coursework Hours |
|
Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use |
15 Hours |
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Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach |
15 Hours |
|
Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approach |
30 Hours |
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Residential Report Writing and Case Studies |
15 Hours |
|
Statistics, Modeling and Finance |
15 Hours |
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Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies |
15 Hours |
|
Appraisal Subject Matter Electives |
20 Hours |
This is a total of 125 hours in addition to the 75 Trainee Appraiser course hours. Combined, 200 hours of coursework needs to be completed for this level of licensing. If you already hold a Licensed Appraiser classification, this is only 50 additional hours of coursework.
Unlike the previous two license types, a college degree or at least 30 semester hours of College Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) examinations are necessary for this classification. That can mean a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree, or CLEP® examinations. The AQB has a detailed list of courses and other qualifying education in their guide of Appraiser Qualifications.
Once you’ve satisfied the necessary education requirements, to become a Certified Residential Appraiser, 1,500 hours of experience in at least 12 months is required. These hours can accrue from previous licenses, but they still must take no less than 12 months to complete.
Finally, with these prerequisites under your belt, you must take and pass the National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified Residential Appraisers.
Certified general appraiser.
The Certified General Appraiser is the highest license for appraisers. They can appraise any real property, including residential, vacant land, and commercial property.
At this level, a bachelor's degree is necessary. If the appraiser already holds the previous license (Certified Residential Appraiser), these are the additional coursework requirements:
|
Certified General Course |
Coursework Hours |
|
General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use |
15 Hours |
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General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach |
15 Hours |
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General Appraiser Sales Comparison and Approach |
15 Hours |
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General Appraiser Income Approach |
45 Hours |
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General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies |
10 Hours |
In total, that is 100 course hours in addition to the 200 previous course hours. Additionally, the appraiser must carry out a total of 3,000 hours of experience in no less than 18 months. Again, these hours can be accumulated from previous licenses, but they must be completed in no fewer than 18 months.
Finally, the National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified General Appraisers must be taken and passed.
A quick guide to appraiser license requirements.
Education and experience requirements vary among appraiser licenses. Here’s a helpful chart detailing the basics for you, so you can easily understand the education and experience you need to earn the license you want.
|
Appraiser License Level |
Qualifying Education Hours Required |
Required Experience Hours Working under a Certified Appraiser |
College Degree Requirement |
Exam Requirement |
|
Trainee Appraiser |
75 hours |
None required |
Not required |
Not required |
|
Licensed Residential Appraiser |
150 hours |
1,000 hours in no less than six months |
Not required |
Must pass exam National Uniform Licensing Examination for Licensed Residential Appraisers |
|
Certified Residential Appraiser |
200 hours |
1,500 hours in no less than 12 months |
Must complete one of these options:
|
Must pass National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified Residential Appraisers |
|
Certified General Appraiser |
300 hours |
3,000 hours in no less than 18 months (1,500 of these hours must be in non-residential appraisal work) |
Must have bachelor's degree or higher in any field and from any accredited college or university |
Must pass National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified General Appraisers |
The work you put in is worth it.
No matter what level of appraiser you choose, you’ll be setting yourself up for a successful career in a thriving industry where appraisers are in hot demand!
Our online appraisal courses are powered by our custom LEAP 2.0 platform to engage you from start to finish, just like our real estate courses. Work on your qualifying education or CE anytime and anywhere with interactive content that helps you retain information more easily, progress tracking to keep you on target, and real-life examples to deepen your understanding of key concepts.
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