As part of our monthly survey series, we asked our appraisal community, “What ONE personality trait should every property appraiser have?” By far, the most popular answer was “Unbiased.” Many appraisers agree that this is the single-most-important trait that you need to have as a real estate appraiser. Consistently providing an unbiased opinion of value is absolutely critical to your credibility and success in the appraisal profession.
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What ONE personality trait should every property appraiser have?
Unbiased (46%)
“As an appraiser, you MUST give an unbiased opinion of value based on the data you have collected and your experience for it to be valid.”
“If you can’t be unbiased you should not be an appraiser. It is the hallmark of what an appraiser does.”
“Every appraiser needs to be unbiased. You can have knowledge, experience, patience, and all the credentials in the world, but if you are biased in either direction you are doing your client a disservice whether it benefits you or them.”
“It’s important to have an open and neutral mind going into a new appraisal. Everyone is going through life differently, and it’s not your job to appraise people’s lives or living, you’re there to appraise their property and assets.”
“As an appraiser, you have to be unbiased because when you are dealing with different properties and different styles you can’t unfairly value a style because it’s not your particular favorite or location of home because you dislike the area. ”
“Appraisals are supposed to reflect value according to the marketplace, not according to the appraiser.”
“I personally think in order to be a great appraiser you have to be unbiased, otherwise you put your reputation on the line.”
Self-motivated (15%)
“All the traits listed above are important. However, if you’re not self-motivated you won’t make it. There are ups and downs in this business but you have to be motivated to get more work beyond AMCs. You need to talk to lawyers (estates and divorces, etc.), realtors (pre-listing values) and the like.”
“Self-motivation is an extremely important personality trait to have in an industry where most work is completed independently.”
“Every appraiser should have the self-discipline to pursue every avenue on each assignment to ensure they are providing the client with the most complete report and the best indication of value.”
“From the acceptance of an assignment to the delivery of the report, the majority of appraisers rely on no one but themselves to move the process forward.”
“Since the appraisal industry seems to always be changing, it is important for an appraiser to be self-motivated, willing to take advantage of appraisal-related opportunities as they arise.”
Analytical (15%)
“Critical thinking is analytical thinking! An appraiser must approach each order applying analytical techniques and thought.”
“Appraisers must be analytical, but first and foremost they must be unbiased before ever entering into an assignment.”
Patient (5%)
“While all the options are good to have, patience is needed with all of them. Patience with the client who needs the report NOW. Patience with the buyers/sellers/tenants who have a ton of questions. Patience to SEE the information and analyze it accurately. Patience to get the work done without rushing, regardless of how many calls/emails/status updates are requested. And patience with the crashing/glitching tech items.”
“This day and age, I feel patience is the most valuable personality trait appraisers need. With so many being involved in the appraisal process, I feel we need to explain more, do more work, and keep everyone informed during the process. As frustrating as it may be at times, I feel it benefits us more in the end.”
Flexible (3%)
“Must be able to embrace and adapt to the rapid changes happening in our industry and remain flexible and open to learning new technologies and utilizing technology and forward-thinking tools.”
“Every appraiser should consider all options and be flexible and consider they may be wrong or not have considered all things at first glance.”
Tech-savvy (1%)
“Tech-Savvy is a close second. The only reason I picked ‘Unbiased’ over it is because I think ‘Tech-Savvy’ is something appraiser can and should CHOOSE to work on, while being unbiased is obviously critical in providing trustworthy results.”
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Other (16%)
Several respondents selected “Other” and wrote in “All of the above”—asserting that, in order to be successful, appraisers must possess all of these traits: unbiased, analytical, self-motivated, patient, flexible, and tech-savvy.
Others had their own ideas about what they believe to be the number one personality trait every property appraiser should have. Additional write-in answers included:
Honesty
Integrity
Curiosity
Credibility
Discipline
Grace
Common sense
People skills
Good sense of humor
Good listener
Good researcher
Professional
Discreet
Non-judgmental
Ethical
Inquisitive
Opinionated
Business-minded
What’s your vote? Are there any other personality traits that every property appraiser needs to be successful? Join the conversation! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Or, sign up for our newsletter to get a new survey question in your inbox each month.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on February 7, 2020 and updated in December 2023.
