Real Estate Appraiser

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Work Tasks

REAL ESTATE APPRAISERS give expert advice on the value and quality of properties when being bought, sold, assessed, insured, condemned, taxed, or mortgaged. They appraise houses, apartment and office buildings, farms, and other properties. They rate quality of construction, condition, and design of properties. They gather data from public records of sales, leases, assessments, and others. They arrive at estimates on property value by keeping in mind the location, current market conditions, and real estate trends. They study and interpret market data, then prepare reports on their conclusions. They may estimate market value, insurable value, or investment value.

Salary, Size & Growth

• $61,500 average per year ($29.50 per hour)
• A medium occupation (62,600 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow slowly (0.5% per year)

Entry Requirements

A liberal arts education is a good basis for a career as a REAL ESTATE APPRAISER. A background in economics, finance, business administration, computer science, statistics, architecture, law, engineering, sociology, and English is helpful. College and university courses in real estate and real estate appraisal provide a solid foundation. Community colleges offer 2-year degrees in appraisal. Many of these workers enter from real estate sales, management, and finance jobs. The federal government requires real estate appraisers be state licensed or certified.