How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in California

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References Approved

So, you want to be an appraiser? Great! Now what do you do? Stepping into the appraisal industry, as most trainees will attest to, is not the easiest task. Nevertheless, one could argue that becoming a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a police officer, etc., is a daunting task as well. Nearly every profession has educational requirements; some have physical requirements, and most have “training” requirements.

For appraisers, trainee experience can be gained by affiliating yourself with a certified residential or general appraiser as an apprentice or as a trainee and working under that appraiser's direct supervision. Being a real estate appraiser can be a very rewarding job; follow the steps below and you'll be well on your way!

Steps

1
In order to become a licensed real estate appraiser you must be at least 18 years of age.^{[1]
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Complete the required pre-license education. The Required Core Curriculum to become a California Trainee Appraiser totals 150 hours. Following are the required courses:^{[2]
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- Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours)
- Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours)
- 15-hour National USPAP Course or Equivalent (15 hours)
- Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use (15 hours)
- Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach (15 hours)
- Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches (30 hours)
- Residential Report Writing and Case Studies (15 hours)
- All Qualifying Education courses will require that you pass a live proctored final examination. You will be given three attempts to pass the proctored exam; if you fail all three you must retake that course. The above course work also cannot be taken more than five years prior to the initial application date.
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3
Apply for an initial license. Applicants must submit the following:
- A completed Initial Application (REA 3001);
- A completed Basic Education Attachment (REA 3002) to document basic education needed to qualify for the appropriate license level, along with copies of transcripts or course completion certificates;
- A completed Consent to Service of Process (REA 3006), if the applicant's business, mailing or residence address is outside of California;
- A completed Statement of Citizenship, Alienage, and Immigration Status for State Public Benefits (REA 3030), along with proof of legal presence in the United States;
- All appropriate fees as required.
4
Once an initial application is approved, the California Office of Real Estate Appraisers (OREA) will issue an Admission to Examination letter and a "Request for Live Scan Service" fingerprinting form.
5
Get your initial license. After passing the exam, applicants then submit the Application for Issuance of License (REA 3008), a copy of the completed "Request for Live Scan Service" fingerprinting form (after being fingerprinted), and the balance of the license fee. Examination results are only valid for one year. Applications for Issuance of License must be received by OREA within one year from the date the exam was successfully completed.
6
Gain initial experience. You must gain a minimum of 2000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience, and have spent at least 12 months working to gain that experience in order to apply for a Residential License.^{[3]
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Get proper experience. To earn acceptable hours of experience, a Trainee appraiser must work under the direct technical supervision of a Certified Residential or Certified General appraiser in good standing with OREA. The supervisor must be licensed at the appropriate level for the type of property being appraised. "Technical supervision" does not mean that the Trainee is required to be an employee of the supervising appraiser, but must receive direct supervision in the duties performed as an appraiser. In addition, a Trainee may work for more than one supervisor. The Trainee must either:
- Sign the appraisal report as the appraiser; or be recognized in the certification statement with a description of the specific tasks performed while assisting with the appraisal.
- Supervising appraisers must have no more than three Trainee appraisers under their supervision at any one time.
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At this point you can apply for a Residential License. To apply to upgrade a license, applicants must submit the following:^{[4]
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- A completed Upgrade Application (REA 3023);
- A completed Basic Education Attachment (REA 3002) to document basic education needed to qualify for the appropriate license level, along with copies of transcripts or course completion certificates;
- A completed Log of Appraisal Experience (REA 3004) documenting the number of hours, months and experience. The log must also contain certifications on page 2 of the form.
- A completed Experience Log Summary (REA 3003), which summarizes information from the Log of Appraisal Experience (not required for the Trainee level);
- A completed Consent to Service of Process (REA 3006), if the applicant's business, mailing or residence address is outside of California;
- A completed Statement of Citizenship, Alienage, and Immigration Status for State Public Benefits (REA 3030), along with proof of legal presence in the United States;
- All appropriate fees as required.^{[5]
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Once the application is approved and all fees have been paid, OREA will issue a Residential License with the same expiration date as the Trainee License.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I need a Bachelor of Arts degree to become a real estate appraiser?

Community Answer

No, you do not.
Question

Do I need a degree to become an appraiser?

Community Answer

Applicants for registered/trainee appraiser are not required to possess a college degree or to complete any prior experience. However, there are restrictions on registered/trainee appraiser, as they may not prepare appraisals unless supervised by another appraiser holding no less than a certified level credential.
Question

How do I pick the best online courses to become a real estate appraiser?

Community Answer

Online research will uncover paid fake reviews and unreliable data. Contact a few appraisers in your target area, preferably working for your target employer, and ask them how they got trained. Seek out someone who is neutral and has no reason to prevaricate, like a disgruntled employee or student. Consider a Craigslist ad asking for input as well.

Warnings

State regulations are always subject to change. Be sure to confirm that the steps set forth by the California Office of Real Estate Appraisers have not changed.

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