How Long Does It Take to Become a Real Estate Appraiser?

Real property appraisal is one of the most important and fulfilling careers in the real estate industry, primarily due to its massive influence on the real estate market. Real property appraisers are trained to develop unbiased, professional opinions of a property’s estimated opinion of value. That makes it an excellent career choice for someone who loves taking on responsibility, thinking critically, and analyzing the many factors that go into valuing a real estate property.  

Sound like you? Great! Read on to find out how long it takes to become a real property appraiser. 

How Long Does It Take to Earn Your Appraiser License? 

There are a few different types of appraiser licenses you can earn when starting your career, and each has their own education and experience requirements. Let’s dive into the first license level that allows you to appraise real estate properties on your own: the licensed residential appraiser designation.  

Note: A few states don’t recognize this license level at all, while in others, additional coursework and/or experience hours may be required. It's always a good idea to check your state appraiser license requirements ahead of starting your training. If you wish to aim for a higher license level out of the gate, you can expect additional coursework and experience requirements to what we list here. 

To become a licensed residential appraiser, you’ll need to complete requirements in two main areas before you can take your exam and apply for your license. These areas include: 

• Qualifying Education coursework 
• Work experience hours 

How Long Does It Take to Complete Coursework to Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser? 

Before you can apply for an appraiser license in any state, you must first complete Qualifying Education, or QE. This includes 75 hours of entry-level appraisal coursework required by The Appraisal Foundation’s Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB). These courses are listed below.   

Appraiser Qualifying Education Requirements

Source: Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria 

After completing your QE, trainee license and become a trainee appraiser. This title can vary from state to state, but ultimately, it means the one thing – you're now prepared to earn the required experience hours you need to become a licensed residential appraiser. You can also begin to work on the additional coursework hours you need to earn the licensed residential appraiser designation. These courses are listed below. 

Licensed Residential Appraiser Coursework

Source: Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria 

Remember, some states may require additional or slightly different courses, so it’s always a good idea to check with your state’s appraiser licensing agency as you begin the licensing process. For example, most states also require you to complete an additional 4-Hour Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser course that prepares you to earn your experience hours in the field.  

Your appraisal coursework hours are cumulative across your career. This means if you choose to earn a higher-level license – the certified residential or certified general appraiser license – you will have already completed the initial 150 hours of the required coursework.  

Both of the certified-level appraiser licenses require completing some college degree coursework, earning an associate’s degree, or earning a bachelor's degree. Therefore, the licensed residential appraiser designation is a great place to start your appraisal career. You can always work on the requirements for the certified license level later in your career. 

How Long Does It Take to Gain Experience Hours? 

Once you’ve finished your appraisal coursework, in most states, you must log at least 1,000 hours of appraisal experience working with a supervisory appraiser. These hours must be completed: 

• Under the supervision of a certified residential appraiser or a certified general appraiser; and 
• Over a period of at least six months* 

*Some states require more time to complete this experience log. You can expect anywhere between six months to a year to complete the experience for this level, but six months is most common. 

To put things into perspective, if you log 40 hours per workweek working as a paid trainee appraiser, you will earn your experience hours in a little over six months.  

A newer appraiser trainee program – PAREA, or Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal – may be an additional option to gain experience hours without finding a supervisory appraiser to hire you. However, be sure to check your state’s licensure requirements to ensure any experience hours you earn in a PAREA program will qualify in your state. 

Licensed Residential Appraiser Education & Experience Requirements At a Glance 

Between the 1,000 hours of required trainee appraiser work experience and the 150 hours of appraisal education, it can take you anywhere from eight and 18 months to earn your independent appraiser license. Consider the timeframes below when planning your appraiser licensing journey.  

How Long Does It Take to Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser?

Source: Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria 

Start Your Appraisal Career With Confidence!

It may take some hard work and dedication to become a real property appraiser, but once you’ve earned your license, you'll enter a field that is both lucrative and fulfilling. As with any new career, the more time you give, the more expertise you gain. So, here’s to now! Begin your appraisal career with confidence and with The CE Shop. Enroll in appraiser Qualifying Education courses today! You’ve got this.