
Real estate appraisers are professionals tasked with estimating the value of buildings and pieces of land. They work on a single piece of land or building at a time. This is different from the job of an assessor, who works on many pieces of land or buildings at the same time.
A real estate appraiser specializes in either residential or commercial properties or land. Before land or property is developed, insured, taxed, mortgaged, or even sold, a real estate appraiser is required to appraise them.
They first visit the land or property, evaluate it and its characteristics as well as those of the location, and then analyze it compared to other properties or land they have worked on, something that is important in helping buyers make the right offer.
However, different states and organizations have different job requirements for a real estate appraiser.
For instance, looking at different real estate appraisers’ job descriptions, some of them require these professionals to gather, analyze, and verify data on commercial or residential properties including physically inspecting the interior and exterior of properties, measuring different structures, analyzing the property market, taking photographs of buildings, and verifying the quality of properties.
Becoming a Real Estate Appraiser
Since most states require one to be licensed, it means that you need to have a license. Different real estate appraiser schools offer courses that will allow you to become a certified professional and start a career as a real estate appraiser.
If the transactions you are involved in the process of your job are linked to financial institutions and banks that are federally insured, you will need to have a license issued by the state where you work.
The AQB (Appraiser Qualifications Board) comes up with the minimum requirements for both education and experience. They also set the requirements of the real estate appraiser examinations for different states to follow.
Skills Needed for a Career as a Real Estate Appraiser
For a successful career as a real estate appraiser, you will need to possess skills in different areas such as mathematics and customer service. You can gain these skills from school and work experience. The most important skills include;
Communication
You will need to always communicate with your clients, either verbally or on written reports. This is because you will find yourself working with individuals, banks, construction companies, or even developers who lack experience in the real estate industry.
This means that you need communication skills for you to make sure that every person you are dealing with understands everything.
Customer Service
Real estate appraisers work with different clients all the time, meaning that they should possess amazing customer service skills to ensure that their clients are happy. They should also learn how to remain professional at all times to discharge their duties accurately and in a timely manner.
Mathematics
A successful real estate appraiser should find it easy when using things like algebra, arithmetic, statistics, and trigonometry. They also need to be knowledgeable about the different fundamentals of finance.
This is because, for instance, the real estate industry involves different steps when buying a house, with the steps varying depending on the transaction process and state regulations.
Construction and Building
Since they deal with commercial or residential properties, real estate appraisers need to understand different aspects of construction and building.
This includes things such as construction methods and materials used as well as the tools required for remodeling or the repair of properties.
Education Needed
The type of education needed for a career as a real estate appraiser varies from one state to another as well as the type of license one needs. It, therefore, means that students need to evaluate these things before choosing the education program that they need.
It is important to note that if you want to be certified as a real estate appraiser, you must possess a college education.
Real Estate Associate Degree
It takes about twenty-four months to complete a real estate associate degree. The degree program covers different topics, key among them mathematics, appraisal, finance, and marketing.
Some of them also require students to go through internships, something that is vital for students to gain some work experience. You can get an associate degree on campus or online.
Real Estate Bachelor’s Degree
A real estate bachelor’s degree requires about four years, but this might be different especially for students who enroll on a part-time basis or those who take accelerated programs.
A degree in real estate will cover topics such as management, marketing, finance, appraisal techniques, and real estate law. You will also be required to go through an internship in a real estate agency or company.
In conclusion, becoming a real estate appraiser is not as complicated as most people think. All you need is the right education and guidance, as well as an understanding of the regulations governing the career in your state.