Tips for Real Estate Appraiser Trainees
Over the past few years, I have actively participated in various online appraiser groups and forums, where a recurring concern has been the difficulty that appraiser trainees face when searching for supervisors. According to the guidelines set by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB), aspiring appraisers must accumulate a specific number of hours of appraisal experience before they can obtain their license or certification. Unfortunately, this prerequisite can often leave trainees feeling disheartened and uncertain about their career prospects. However, if you find yourself grappling with this issue, there is no need to despair. In this article, we will explore several ways you can employ to find a suitable supervisory appraiser who can guide you on your professional journey.
1. Look for firms that are already hiring trainees
Contact your state real estate appraiser board or commission. They may have a list of certified appraisers who are willing to take on trainees. Usually, that would be found on the agency’s website.
If you cannot find such a list, rather than knocking on the doors of random appraisers, a more targeted approach is to connect with other trainees in your state.
You may do so by searching “appraiser trainees” on LinkedIn. Build the connection and explain to them that you are also looking for a supervisory appraiser. Then ask if they could refer you to their supervisor.
Since their supervisor already has experience in mentoring trainees, they could be less reluctant to take on another.
2. Demonstrate your appraisal knowledge with creativity
Many supervisory appraisers are quite busy, and they could be receiving resumes from trainee applicants regularly. So you need a way to make you stand out from the crowd. This is where your creativity comes in.
Rather than sending a blunt and dull resume, how about filming a short clip to introduce yourself to the potential supervisor?
A while ago, I learned another unconventional way to introduce yourself from a certified appraiser. In your introduction, rather than talking about things that are irrelevant or boring to the potential supervisory appraiser, you can use this opportunity to demonstrate your appraisal knowledge.
In a professional tone, talk about the property you’re living in. For example, how many rooms and bedrooms are in the house? What is its size? When was it built? Describe the windows, flooring, exterior, yard, and any recent major upgrades. Describe the neighborhood and the predominant age and value range of residences. What’s the population?
Not only could this leave a memorable impression on the mentor, but it also tells them that you are willing to take the extra step in doing a good job.
But of course, although you can be creative, it’s also important to follow the instructions in the job posting when applying. This reassures the supervisor that you are willing to comply with rules, which is extremely important in the stringent regulatory environment nowadays.
3. Look beyond residential appraisal firms
I talked to many appraisers who suggested trainee applicants should consider looking into commercial real estate appraisal firms. The reason is the assignments that these firms work on tend to be on a bigger scale and more complex. Therefore, they may really need additional people to handle some of their research and legwork, somewhat akin to the way law firms employ paralegals.
Not to mention that the appraisal fees for commercial real estate are usually higher when compared to residential properties. As such, CRE appraisal firms might be able to compensate trainees at a higher level.
4. Look beyond private appraisal firms
During the last few years, I have regularly reviewed appraisal job listings through job posting sites such as Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn.
I saw that many job openings were available in the assessor’s office of local cities or counties. The good news is some of them are willing to take on trainees without any prior experience.
It just makes sense that these offices would have a considerable demand for appraisers. After all, not everyone will buy/sell or refinance their property. But the government needs to assess every property’s value regularly to calculate the property tax.
Like many other government jobs, these positions tend to have stable working hours, steady income, and employee benefits.
The bottom line: When applying for an trainee position, don’t just focus on your needs. Instead, put yourself in the shoes of the supervisory appraiser. How would it benefit them to hire you? What are their needs? What makes them hesitant to take on a trainee? If you can demonstrate that you’re a problem-solver and a great value member of their team, your chance of finding a trainee position will significantly increase.
“The wise young man or wage earner of today invests his money in real estate.” -Andrew Carnegie
