How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in Massachusetts: Your
5-Step Guide

How to Become a State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser in Massachusetts

Now let's take a more in-depth look at the steps recommended to really start your appraisal career as a state licensed real estate appraiser.

1. 1. Obtain Your Real Estate Appraisal Trainee License

   NOTE: Your state may accept PAREA or Practicum as an alternative to Trainee license with Trainee/Supervisory model.

   Qualifying Education. Before you can become a state licensed appraiser in Massachusetts, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of Massachusetts Appraiser Qualifying Education (QE), broken up as follows:

   • 30 hours of appraisal principles
   • 30 hours of appraisal procedures
   • The 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course, or an equivalent course

   You’ll also need to complete a 4-hour Appraiser Trainee/Supervisory Appraiser Course. Before signing up for this course, you need to find a supervisory appraiser who will act as your mentor through completion of your experience hours (Step 3).

   All Qualifying Education must be approved by either the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) or the MA Board of Real Estate Appraisers. You must complete all qualifying education prior to submitting your trainee application.

   Before applying for your license, take a moment to read through the Board’s detailed application requirements and pay special attention to the background and character qualifications.

   Once you’ve met all of the above requirements, you will need to apply with the state for your Real Estate Appraisal Trainee license, which requires a $113 fee.

2. 2. Complete Appraiser Education

   After getting your Real Estate Appraisal Trainee license, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a state licensed real estate appraiser: 150 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 75 of these hours through your trainee license – nice work!)

3. 3. Conduct Your Appraisal Work Experience

   Once you’ve finished your education, you must conduct and log at least 1,000 hours of actual appraisal experience. Those 1,000 hours must be completed:

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

   This means that you must take no less than six months to complete your 1,000 hours of appraisal experience which must be completed under a supervisor.

   There are many ways to find and enter into a working relationship with a supervisory appraiser. A great way to begin your search is to use the list of active certified appraisers in Massachusetts found in the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry of Appraisers. 

   If the application is accepted, you’ll be sent instructions on how to take the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examination — the final step before you can apply for your license.

4. 4. Submit Your Application for Your Massachusetts State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser License

   Now that you've completed your education and logged your experience, it’s time to apply for your license. Generally, the Massachusetts Board of Appraisers meets every other month and reviews applications at that time, so processing may take up to two months to complete. Factors that also affect the processing time are the completeness of the application when filed and the number and nature of any character issues or questions with respect to fitness for licensure. It is crucial to ensure your application is complete before you submit it for these reasons.

   To fill out your application, you first need to create an account on the Massachusetts Licensing System E-portal.

   When you first apply for your license, you’ll need to pay a $390 fee for application and national registry.

5. 5. Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination

   In Massachusetts, your education and experience must be approved by the board prior to receiving permission to take the national examination. After the Board receives your application and determines it’s complete, you’ll be directed to take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam.

   In Massachusetts, you will receive exam scheduling information upon the acceptance of your application. In the meantime, The Appraisal Foundation publishes tips on the exam structure that can help you prepare. Here’s an overview:

   • The exam is four hours long. The Licensed Residential Examination can take up to four hours to complete.
   • There are 125 questions on the test. The National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam is composed of 125 total questions. Fifteen of these questions are considered practice, and answering those questions wrong does not negatively affect your score.
   • A score of 75 points is passing. Scores for the National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam range between 0 and 110 points. Each question carries an equal weight of 1 point. In order to pass, you must earn a minimum of 75 points.
   • You can take the test more than once. The Appraisal Foundation allows you to take the test up to three times.

Appraiser License Types in Massachusetts

It’s important to understand how Massachusetts classifies real estate appraisers across four separate categories, each with their own qualifications for licensure:

1. Real Estate Appraisal Trainee
2. State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser
3. State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser
4. State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

After receiving your Trainee license, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent license levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to get to your State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser license. But first, here’s a quick overview of the requirements for each licensing level.

Real Estate Appraisal Trainee

Massachusetts, like most states, requires a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a real estate appraisal trainee, this first level of licensure is recommended before you can become fully licensed and start appraising real estate on your own.

Here's a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become a trainee:

State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser

The next level up is the state licensed real estate appraiser. At this level, you can provide appraisal services in transactions with:

• Non-complex 1-4 unit residential properties (transaction value < $1,000,000)
• Complex 1-4 unit residential properties (transaction value < $250,000)

Here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become a licensed appraiser:

State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser

In Massachusetts, the next level of licensure is the State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser license. Certified residential appraisers may provide appraisal services in transactions with:

• 1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity

State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

State certified general appraisers are the highest level of appraiser professionals. They can provide appraisal services in transactions with all types of residential or commercial real property without regard to value or complexity.