How To Become A Real Estate Appraiser

Step 1: Prepare for College in High School

You can start by preparing for college while you are in high school. You can take classes in math and English to make sure that you write well. You will need to do well so that you can get into a good program. You can also get a part-time job working for a real estate company while you are in high school so that you can start to learn about this career. This will help you understand what is expected of you, and it will make college easier if you have a basic understanding of real estate.

Step 2: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

When you go to college, you want to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Real Estate or in Real Estate Appraisals. You will take courses in Income Property appraisal, real estate investment, residential appraisal, and more. This will help you learn a lot of what you need to know before you become a Real Estate Appraiser.

Some community colleges offer an Associate’s Degree in Real Estate, or you can get a two-year degree in engineering, math, and more. You will probably need a Bachelor’s Degree for higher level positions, but you can get some jobs with this Associate’s Degree.

Step 3: Get Certified

All Real Estate Appraisers who want to work on federal property need to be certified. It is necessary for them to meet the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. There is an association of professional real estate appraisals called the Appraisal Institute that helps people find programs where they can get certified. If you already have a Bachelor’s Degree and have taken the classes you need, you can be a Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser or a Certified General Real Property Appraisal credential. You have to be certified as one or the other to work in this field.

Step 4: Get Licensed

In some states, you can qualify for the Licensed Trainee Real Property Appraiser license. You will need to have 75 hours of qualifying education for this license. Many states also have a Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser License, which will allow you to conduct transactions in specific types of residences. These licenses normally require 30 hours in college, 150 qualifying education hours, and 2,500 hours on the job.

Step 5: Apply for Jobs

You can apply for jobs, and you will have more opportunities if you are certified and licensed to appraise both residential and commercial properties. You work out of an office, but you will spend most of your time in the field appraising properties. The hours you spend working are important while you are working on your licensing because you need 2,500 hours of experience before you can get the license.

Step 6: Take Continuing Education Classes

You need to stay on top of the latest trends in your field, which you can do through continuing education courses. They are usually available online and in person by way of webinars and seminars. There are a wide variety of continuing education courses available that cover a range of topics in real estate appraisal.

Step 7: Advance in Your Career

When you start out as a Real Estate Appraiser, you might only be prepared to do residential real estate. However, you can continue your education while you are working. You can take courses online while you gain experience working in this field. This career has a lot of room for advancement because there are many different kinds of real estate that you can inspect.