How Do I Choose the Best Appraiser School?

Your first consideration in choosing an appraiser school is deciding whether you want to be a personal property appraiser or a real estate appraiser, as each profession has distinct licensing and certification requirements. If you plan to become a real property appraiser and you live in a jurisdiction where appraisers must be licensed to practice, you will need to first ensure that any school that you attend is approved by the government body that licenses appraisers in your area. Personal property appraisers typically have more educational options, though it is a good idea to enroll in a school that is approved or recognized by at least one well-known industry or trade association. In either case, you should select an appraiser school that has a good reputation, is affordable, and that schedules its classes so that you can participate in them fully while managing your other responsibilities.

As accurate real estate appraisals are crucial to the health of an area’s economy, many jurisdictions require appraisers to complete a course of study at an approved appraiser school before practicing. In some countries, an appraiser may need to complete his training at a university, while in the United States, a real estate appraiser has the option of completing a course at a vocational school. It is not uncommon for real estate schools in the United States to offer appraisal classes as well. If you decide to attend an appraiser school that also offers real estate agent training, make sure that the school has the required authorizations to offer both types of training. Some schools may be approved by a real estate licensure board, but may not be approved by the appraiser licensure board, even if they offer appraisal classes. Get a list of approved schools from your area’s real estate appraisal board before you enroll in a program.

If you want to offer personal property appraisal services, educational requirements may not be as stringent, as many areas do not require a personal property appraiser to be licensed. Courses are sometimes available through auctioneer schools or trade associations. Before enrolling in one of these schools, spend a lot of time investigating its program. Find out if the school is licensed to operate in your area and whether other people in the industry think that it is worth your time to enroll. You should also do research on certification programs in your appraisal specialty and find out if these programs recognize the appraiser school that you are considering as offering good preparation for completing the certification exam.