If you’re relatively new to the appraisal profession or just starting out, what are some of the best ways to build up your resume and reputation so that you can advance your career? As part of our monthly survey series, we asked our appraisal community, “What’s ONE thing new appraisers can do to boost their appraiser resume?” According to our respondents, above all you should focus on gaining experience and education. Read the full survey results below for resume tips and insights.
Want to participate? Sign up for our newsletter to get the next “Question of the Month” survey delivered to your inbox.
What’s one thing new appraisers can do to boost their appraiser resume?
Here’s a recap of the most popular answers we received from our real estate appraisal community, followed by their comments below. Appraisers tend to agree that these are the seven best tactics to improve your resume:
Gain work experience
Take appraisal classes
Earn credentials and certifications
Develop a relevant specialty (e.g., green appraisal)
Diversify your workload and skills
Find a good mentor
Join an organization
Gain work experience
“The only thing – more experience.”
“Experience in complex assignments.”
“Sign up on every AMC list you can.”
“Take on the hard jobs in far flung places, for little money. These difficult jobs are great character builders and allow new appraisers to use or develop skills they may not otherwise have to when only doing simple or easy work.”
“Get experience…Offering to donate valuation services to non-profit groups (if you are competent) is a great way to get your name out to potential clients.”
“Recommend getting experience wherever possible, even for no pay as an assistant. Take in person classes and hear the war stories, because every house and appraisal is different.”
“Work in an experienced appraiser’s office. Practical field and office work experience is needed, including reading USPAP guidelines.”
Take appraisal classes
“Continuing education!”
“Take relevant classes from McKissock!”
“Specialized education.”
“Take courses.”
“Take development training.”
“Take as many classes as possible and list them on the resume.”
“Start and continue educational classes even if you have not found a Supervisor to work with.”
“Take additional CE courses, above the minimum required to maintain your license, and disclose the total number of educational hours on your resume.”
“Take extra appraisal courses to expand their knowledge.”
“Learn past the required CE! Read! Talk with peers!”
“One of the biggest ways I can think of to boost your resume is to continually gain as much education and experience as possible. There is no substitute for either.”
“McKissock unlimited course enrollment plan! The McKissock unlimited plan provided structure for me to complete a dozen or more courses more than a year before the CE credits are due. The instructor support that I received was much more above-and-beyond what one might have anticipated.”
McKissock Unlimited Learning Membership empowers you with flexible, convenient appraisal classes, professional development, and trending topic material. Join now.
Earn credentials and certifications
“Get certified.”
“Take classes for a designation.”
“Add certifications/experience.”
“Get as many Certifications as possible.”
“Credentials in multiple areas of expertise.”
“Credentials are important because they require the professional holding said credentials to follow professional standards as a means of maintaining said credentials. This attribute can be seen as signifying a higher level of professional competence, compliance, and qualification for a practitioner and moreover the work they perform.”
“[Complete your] QE at a young age. Industry professionals of various ages often put off their coursework because they are busy working. If you make the time and get your certs, peers and employers will recognize the young guns who took initiative early!”
“Get [your] certified residential or certified general license.”
Looking to get licensed or certified? McKissock offers high-quality appraisal courses taught by leaders in the profession. Find course packages.
Develop a relevant specialty (e.g., green appraisal)
“Specialize in a relevant type of appraisal.”
“Increase relevant education or specialty education that is relevant in their market area.”
“Improve their geographic specific training and market knowledge. For example if your market has a lot of log cabins become an expert in log cabins. Or energy items, solar, etc.”
“Specialize in green appraisals.”
“Learn about solar. With electric being pushed, solar becomes much more important.”
“Specialized classes for specific property types, i.e., green buildings.”
“Green Certification. More homes are being built today with energy saving materials. Green Certification allows appraisers to take these features into consideration when determining market valuation.”
“Become more experienced in litigation appraisal…there will always be demand for appraisers with court experience.”
“Expand into new specialty areas of appraisal services: right of ways, divorce, etc.”
Become recognized as a green appraisal expert with McKissock’s Certified Green Home Appraiser Program.
Diversify your workload and skills
“Seek a large variety of work and property types.”
“Broad exposure to appraisal types.”
“Diversify their practice by adding additional services beyond loan/lending purposes.”
“Take non-lender work.”
“Get the real estate license…Diversified person working in real estate with a real estate license and appraisers license is more valuable.”
“Take more diversified education. Especially micro and macro economics.”
“Diversify, meaning take on numerous jobs that are different and stretch your skill set. Appraisers pretty much paint themselves into a corner when they find ‘comfort’ in appraising only single-tenant industrial properties or simple properties in general. After 31 years in this business, I have definitely found that I am way more marketable as a result of taking on hundreds of assignments in the past that with which I was less ‘comfortable.’ When we stretch our skill set and force ourselves to learn something new as often as possible, eventually it becomes easy, and before long you may find that you’ve become an expert in a niche that other appraisers won’t touch. There’s some job security perhaps with this scenario, but for me, I’ve done it with virtually every property type, and now I appraise large portfolios of $10M to $100M properties in batches for the who’s who of trust attorneys and the IRS. Since the onset of Covid, I’ve appraised well over $2B in commercial real estate – just working about 3 days a week. I’ve been fortunate and I’m grateful to McKissock for their education programs!”
Find a good mentor
“Obtain an experienced appraiser as a mentor.”
“Show good education and a good mentor/supervisor.”
“Finding a mentor is the best thing you can do. That person will be giving you work, answering your questions, and shepherding you through the process. A bad mentor is a major impediment to certification.”
“Work with other appraisers when possible! I currently shadow my dad who has been an amazing appraiser for 30+ years! I have learned so much from him. I also have been working with my sister who trained with a different appraiser, and it’s been cool to see the three different approaches (dad, sister, trainer) so far that lead to the same problem solving abilities!”
Join an organization
“Make friends with other appraisers.”
“Join an organization.”
“Be involved in the local Association of Realtors.”
“Network with mortgage brokers and real estate agents.”
“Join an appraisal group like Texas Association of Appraisers.”
“Become a member affiliated within the BREA.”
“Joining professional appraisal organizations and attending their conferences or webinars can also be beneficial. Consider collaborating on projects or co-authoring articles related to appraisal and the decorative arts. Publishing your work can establish you as an expert and give you additional credentials that clients and employers find attractive.”
Other ways to boost your appraiser resume
In addition to the most common answers outlined above, some of our survey respondents offered resume-writing tips and other advice specific to the resume itself:
“Perfect grammar and spelling.”
“List diverse, complete experience including: SFRs, condos, 2-4 units and residential vacant land.”
“Explain what type of appraisals [you] specialize in.”
“Have good quality CE classes listed.”
“List professional references and endorsements.”
“List items such as using regression analysis to extract adjustments.”
“Highlight any education or experience pertaining to data science.”
“Have some type of experience in math or Excel experience.”
“Mention transferable skills from previous jobs.”
“New appraisers can highlight current or previous public-facing roles where they interacted with customers. Great examples are cable/internet/telephone technicians who performed installations, maintenance or repairs in people’s homes.”
Last but not least, a few appraisers offered more general advice to help you compete in the appraisal space:
“Improve [your] website and online presence.”
“Stay up to date with market trends and economic conditions as well as completing the required education and certifications.”
“Go meet lenders and clients face to face. I feel it is very important for appraisers to get out there and meet the people we work with every day.”
“A strong network will increase your knowledge and opportunity to grow in the appraisal community…Networking never ends, always think creatively for a new connection to appraisal needs.”
“Learn how to use and engage with current technology. Making the appraisal process more streamlined and efficient can enhance the bottom dollar an appraiser takes home.”
Enhance your resume with appraisal courses from McKissock
McKissock offers the largest appraisal course library on the market. With board-approved and state-specific courses nationwide, we provide all the materials and learning pathways you need to maintain your license, grow your knowledge, and advance your career. Access your required licensing and continuing education course materials on your time—connect with expert instructors, meet state requirements, and balance your career needs with McKissock. Find courses in your state.
What’s your top tip for new appraisers? 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.
