(**) Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning our company, JCHQ Publishing will get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through the links, but at no additional cost to you.
So you want to become a real estate appraiser in Arizona? That’s great!
To do so, you need to start off in working as a Trainee Appraiser, then work your way up toward other licenses such as the Licensed Residential Appraiser, Certified Residential Appraiser, and the Certified General Appraiser.
To become a real estate appraiser in Arizona, an applicant must complete the 75-hour appraisal education, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), and an AQB approved Supervisory/Trainee course. Accumulate work hours under the supervision of a Certified Appraiser, pass the appraiser license examination, and register with the the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions, Real Estate Appraiser Division.
This is the regulatory agency which governs individuals and companies that appraise the value of real estate, and also appraisal management companies (AMCs), in accordance with federal guidelines.
As a real estate appraiser in Arizona, your role is to provide an objective market value of properties for your clients. Your assessment could be used by a home buyer or seller, a mortgage lender who wants to understand the value of the collateralize assets, an individual who needs it for tax assessment or even lease negotiation.
No matter who is in needs of your appraisal services, your main focus is to provide an independent, unbiased estimate of value of a real property.
If you’re wondering what a real estate appraiser does and if it might be a good career for you, keep reading. I’ll explain all the steps to obtain a real estate appraiser license. Plus everything you need to know about this profession (i.e. pre-licensing course, exam format, income updates). So whether you’re just starting out in your career or you’re looking for a new challenge, read on!
But before we start, I want to give a brief disclaimer. This post is not intended as legal advice or state/federal real estate appraisal training. It is for general information only. Always follow your State Laws and best practices.
How to Become a Trainee Appraiser in Arizona?
To start your career as an appraiser, your first step is to become a Trainee Appraiser.
At this stage, you will be trained and supervised by a certified appraiser. An experienced supervisor could guide you into the right direction in this career. The supervisory appraiser should provide you with practical appraisal methods, how to conduct research on a property, how to extract important information from the data. Of course, how to determine an unbiased estimation of the property’s market value.
Your daily routine could include doing property research, working on appraisal reports, or inspecting real estate together with the supervisor.
To get out the most from this trainee stage, it is recommended you to walk through each and every step in the appraisal process, observe carefully on how your supervisor inspect and evaluate real estate, and always raise your questions.
Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirement
- You must be at least 18 years old
- Have a valid Social Security Number
- No prior related experience is needed
Step 2: Complete the appraisal education
You need to complete the 75 hours of qualifying appraisal-related education, and AQB Supervisor/Trainee Course. The appraisal courses must be administered by an education provider that the Board approves.
Study tip: Whenever possible, I prefer to take online courses. You can study at your own pace at the convenient of your home, library, or wherever there is internet access. Here’s an article review of an online school that I like.
Step 3: Register with the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions
Now you have completed the education prerequisites, your next step is to register with Real Estate Appraiser Division.
If the Licensing Department in your state has the online submission available, then I would strongly encourage you to use that option. Not only this is the quickest and most convenient way, but less paper mailing is also good for the environment.
Step 4: Work under the supervision of a Certified Appraiser
In Arizona, all supervising appraisers must submit a Notification of Engagement form to the Department of Financial Institutions to indicate who is Trainee Appraiser they are mentoring.
Your assignment could also involve appraising commercial property, but only given your supervisor is a Certified General Appraiser.
You might wonder how to find a mentor. You could start connecting with Certified Appraisers through different industry associations, forums or even on LinkedIn. The more appraisers you connect to, the more likely you could find a qualified supervisor.
Try to find Certified Appraisers who are already supervising a Trainee Appraiser. You could give them a call to see if they are willing to take on another Trainee Appraiser. However, a supervisory appraiser cannot mentor more than 3 trainees at the same time.
Once you start working alongside with a supervisor, you need to keep track of your working hours with the board-approved experience log. This document is important for the purpose of upgrading your appraiser license in the future.
Also, keep in mind that you and the supervising appraiser are required to sign on every page of the experience log.
Here’s a snippet of what a Certified General Appraiser recommends when looking for a supervisor
“Along with the PROFESSIONAL resume you send by snail mail and email, enclose a document that thoroughly describes your house (or someone else’s house). I am talking about a thorough description.
In appraisal, we start with the big picture and work our way down to the details. So start with the community you live in and tell your prospective mentor about the community…”
Timothy S. Evans, SRA, Certified General Appraiser at Monroe Valuation, Inc
Still unsure how to find a supervisor? No problem, here’s another post for you: “How to Find a Supervisory Appraiser? (Tips from CG Appraiser and Trainee).” In there, you will find full details of Timothy’s recommendation and 11 incredibly helpful ideas in finding a supervisory appraiser.
How to Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser in Arizona?
As a Licensed Residential Appraiser in Arizona, you can appraise:
- Non-complex 1 to 4 residential units having a value of less than $1 million
- Complex 1 to 4 residential units having a value of less than $250,000
When working as a fee-based appraiser, you could be writing appraisal reports for clients such as individuals, lenders, banks, or appraisal management companies (AMC). Your job duties could include doing research online, going on the field to inspect properties, and writing the appraisal reports.
Being a self-employed professional could give you more flexibility in scheduling your work hours and ways to conduct the business. However, just like any other business, there are expenses and setup you’ll need to take care. Here’s a post on how to start an appraisal business.
On the other hand, you could also be hired by an appraiser company or financial institution as their in-house appraiser, where you could enjoy the stable income and employee’s benefits.
This license could be worth considering for those who have not fulfilled the necessary work experience or college-level education to become a certified appraiser but wish to advance their career from the Appraiser Trainee.
Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirement:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- Have a valid Social Security Number
- Hold an Associate Degree or higher. Or complete 30 semester credit hours covering specific subject topics.
Step 2: Complete the required work hours
You must have at least 1000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience, where they need to be acquired for over a 6 months period. Here is a sample of the experience log.
Step 3: Fulfill the education requirement
You’ll need to complete 150 hours of qualifying appraisal education from an approved course provider. You should have taken some of the courses when becoming a Trainee Appraiser, so that you are only required to fulfill the additional course works.
Here are some of the courses you may need to take:
- 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
I will also include a chart with the required courses later in this post.
Interested in becoming a real estate appraiser? Here is an Education Resources Page which could be helpful to you in getting the appraiser license.
Step 4: Register with the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions
Once you have fulfilled the education and working experience requirement, you should submit the application to the the Real Estate Appraiser Program along with other required documents.
The Licensing Board in some states may require you to apply within a specific period after you complete the pre-licensing education. Therefore, don’t wait till it expires!
Step 5: Pass the Licensed Residential Appraiser Exam
Now it’s the time to write the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examinations. The purpose is to test your appraisal knowledge, especially the subjects that are covered in the pre-licensing courses.
To increase your chance in passing the exam on the first time, make sure to check out our exam hacks. In there, not only you will find the content of the exam, but also 10 effective tips on how to prepare for it.
How to Become a Certified Residential Appraiser in Arizona?
As a Certified Residential Appraiser, you can assess for:
- residential properties with 1 to 4 residential units regardless of the transaction value or complexity.
- non-residential 1-4 units property given that the transaction value is no more than $250,000
Just like a Licensed Residential Appraiser, you could a self-employed appraiser running your own practice, servicing clients such as individuals, lenders, banks, or appraisal management companies (AMC).
Alternatively, you could work for an appraiser firm or financial institution to become their in-house appraiser, where you could enjoy the stable income and company’s benefits.
However, there is no restriction on the transaction value of residential properties you could assess. The scope of your practice and business opportunity would be a lot wider than being a Licensed Residential Appraiser. In fact, many reputable lenders and financial institutions in Arizona only accept assessment work from Certified Appraiser.
So what is like to be a residential appraiser in Arizona? We looked into some job postings and found one that might give you a better insight.
It was from a Real Estate Valuation company in Phoenix. They were looking or a full-time residential appraiser to work in the Phoenix, Arizona Metro Area.
Some of the job duties include:
- Provide great quality appraisals
- Inspect properties
- Work with a Trainee Appraiser, where he/she will work as a support role throughout the appraisal process
They required you to have:
- At least three years of residential real estate appraisal experience
- Must be Certified Appraiser (Licensed will not be considered)
- Ability to travel locally for real estate inspections
This position offered a stable and competitive salary. E & O coverage, license renewal, and continuing education tuition would be paid for. There would be medical benefits, holiday pay as well.
Having said that, so let’s go through the steps for you to become a Certified Residential Appraiser.
Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirement
- You must be at least 18 years old
- Have a valid Social Security Number
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher
You need to complete a minimum of 1,500 hours of acceptable appraisal experience in not less than a 12 months period.
Step 3: Complete the appraisal education
You’ll need to complete 200 hours of qualifying appraisal education from an approved course provider.
Since you should have taken some of the courses when becoming an Appraiser Trainee or Licensed Residential Appraiser, you are only required to complete the extra classes.
Here are some of the courses you need to complete:
- Statistics, Modeling and Finance – 15 hours
- Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies – 15 hours
- Appraisal Subject Matter Electives – 20 hours
Step 4: Register with the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions
Once you have fulfilled the education and working experience requirement, it’s time to submit the license application. Most State Boards allow you to apply through their website. Some would even charge a lower registration fee by doing online. You should definitely check out this option.
Since the Department needs to protect the public interest by ensuring that an applicant is a trustworthy person, you will go through a criminal background check by submitting a Fingerprint Clearance Card.
Step 5: Pass the Certified Residential Appraiser Exam
The required passing score is 75 out of 110. Doing multiple sets of practice questions is an excellent way to prepare for the exam and also boost your confidence.
I included some details which could be helpful to your studying on our education resources page. Be sure to check it out.
Here’s a Snippet of What Jamie Owen Thinks About Being a Real Estate Appraiser!
“The more you learn, the more you will enjoy being an appraiser.”
“I think that humility and honesty are the most important attributes. Humility is important because if we think we know it all, we are going to be in trouble. Being appraiser requires not being thin-skinned and defensive. Others have their opinions and we have ours. Both may be supportable in one way or another.
Being humble helps us to respect the views of others and not be offended if others have a different view. Humility also helps with business relationships, as well as accepting guidance and reminders when we need them, from peers and others.”
– Jamie Owen, Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser at Aspen Appraisal Services
Here’s an exclusive interview with Jamie. He shared with us his journey and valuable experience in the appraisal industry. You’ll also learn what it is like to be a real estate appraiser nowadays.
How to Become a Certified General Appraiser in Arizona?
So you want to explore appraising for commercial real estate? Then becoming a Certified General Appraiser would be the way to go!
This designation is the highest credential you could get in the appraisal industry. You could assess all types of real estate regardless of the transaction value or complexity. There is no limitation on the scope of your appraisal work.
Although you still could evaluate for residential properties, you could also be appraise a portfolio of commercial real estates for institutional investors.
Since your clients depend on your appraisal reports in making an informed investment decision, you must be extremely careful and responsible when handling your work. Extensive research and site inspections are often required. It is your responsibility to provide your clients with an objective appraised value as accurate as possible.
Due to the requirement of low margin of error in your work products, the amount of work experience and education required to become a Certified General Appraiser is the most challenging among all the levels of licensing.
Tip for Success: Rather than being just another appraiser, consider specializing in a specific niche. (i.e: expert witness, farm appraisal, re-location appraisal). Here’s an article which covers 7 profitable appraisal niches.
So what kind of jobs are available in the commercial real estate appraisal field in Arizona? Here’s a job posting we just saw:
It was a nationwide independent valuation and consulting firm. They were looking for a Senior Analyst Commercial Real Estate Appraiser to work in their Phoenix office.
Some of the job duties include:
- Analysis of complex commercial real estate
- Producing appraisal reports, market studies
- Project revenue and operating expenses for properties
- Verifying and analyzing sales data and lease transactions
They required you to have:
- At least three years of commercial real estate appraisal experience
- Must hold the Certified General Appraiser license
- Ability to travel regionally for real estate inspections
This position offered competitive compensation and benefits.
The first step is to become a Certified General Appraiser, so let’s go through the steps to get you this credential.
Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirement
- You must be at least 18 years old
- Have a valid Social Security Number
- Bachelor’s Degree in any field of study; or higher
Step 2: Complete the required appraisal-related work hours
You must have at least 3000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience where they need to be obtained for over a 18 months period. At least 1500 hours of working experience needs to be from non-residential appraisal work.
Step 3: Take the appraisal courses
You’ll need to complete 300 hours of qualifying appraisal education from an approved course provider.
You should have completed some of the courses in your previous license(s). Therefore, you are only required to complete the extra classes.
Some of the extra appraisal courses may include: (but not limited to)
- General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest & Best Use – 30 hours
- General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach – 30 hours
- General Appraiser Sales Comparison Approach – 30 hours
- General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies – 30 hours
- General Appraiser Income Approach – 60 hours
Step 4: Submit Application to the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions
Once you have completed all the education and working experience prerequisites, you should fill out the license application.
Later in this post, I’ll go over the documents and fees needed for the registration process.
Step 5: Pass the Certified General Appraiser Exam
The final step is to pass the Certified General Appraiser Exam. Most test centers would require you to bring at least two valid IDs to verify your identity. Don’t forget to bring them along. Else you won’t be able to write the exam.
Here are the required courses for each real estate appraiser license in Arizona
| Trainee Appraiser (Credit Hours) | Licensed Residential Appraiser (Credit Hours) | Certified Residential Appraiser (Credit Hours) | Certified General Appraiser (Credit Hours) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National USPAP Course or Equivalent | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Basic Appraisal Principles | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Basic Appraisal Procedures | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Residential Market Analysis and Highest & Best Use | 15 | 15 | ||
| Residential Appraisal Site Valuation and Cost Approach | 15 | 15 | ||
| Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches | 30 | 30 | ||
| Residential Report Writing and Case Studies | 15 | 15 | ||
| Statistics, Modeling and Finance | 15 | 15 | ||
| Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies | 15 | |||
| Appraisal Subject Matter Electives | 20 | 30 | ||
| General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest & Best Use | 30 | |||
| General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach | 30 | |||
| General Appraiser Sales Comparison Approach | 30 | |||
| General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies | 30 | |||
| General Appraiser Income Approach | 60 | |||
| Total | 75 hours | 150 hours | 200 hours | 300 hours |
Keep in mind no more than 75% of the courses can be taken online.
In addition to the above course work, Trainee Appraisers are required to complete the AQB Supervisor/Trainee course, which must be taken place in a classroom setting.
Here’s how you register with Arizona Department of Financial Institutions
Once you have fulfilled all the prerequisites, you could submit the “Application for Real Property Appraiser & Trainee Appraiser” through the Arizona e-Licensing portal.
In additional to the form, you must provide the following:
- Registration fee
- $300 for Trainee Appraiser;
- $400 for Licensed Residential Appraiser, Certified Appraisers
- Supporting legal documents
- Evidence which shows you have completed the required hours of Board-approved appraisal courses. (i.e., Official transcripts, course completion certificates).
- Proof that you have fulfilled the specific requirement of post-secondary education for your license (i.e.: Diploma, official transcripts, certificates.)
- Stated Approved Appraiser Experience Log (Only if you are applying to become Licensed/Certified Appraiser)
You could find out more details here, or contact them at (602) 771-2800.
What is the Format of the Arizona Real Estate Appraisal Exam?
Once the State Board accepts your application, they will send you a notice with instruction to schedule the exam. Pearson Vue will administer the exam, where you can take it on a computer at their examination center.
- Licensed Residential Appraiser Exam is a 4 hours exam,
- Certified Residential Appraiser Exam is a 4 hours exam;
- Certified General Appraiser Exam is a 6 hours exam
The licensed and certified exams consist of 125 questions. Only 110 questions will be scored, the other 15 are pretest questions. The required passing score is 75. You will immediately know your score once you finish writing the test.
Be sure to check out these 10 practical tips on how to pass the real estate appraiser exam!
FAQ on the Real Estate Appraiser Career in Arizona
How much does it cost to become a real estate appraiser in Arizona?
It costs between $1,390 to $1,750 to become a real estate appraiser in Arizona, Here’s the breakdown:
- Pre-licensing education: $950 to $1,210
- Application fee:
- $300 for Trainee Appraiser
- $400 for Licensed Residential Appraiser, Certified Appraisers
- Exam fee: $140
In addition to the above, there will be other expenses such as continuing education courses, E&O insurance, and business supplies such as a laptop, cell phone, and measuring device.
Some companies may pay or reimburse you if you work as their employee. But if you are running your own practice, these are the cost you need to account for yourself.
Do you need a degree to be an appraiser in Arizona?
You need a Bachelor’s Degree to be a Certified Residential Appraiser or Certified General Appraiser in Arizona. As for becoming a Licensed Residential Appraiser, you must hold an Associate Degree or complete 30 semester credit hours covering specific subject topics.
How much do real estate appraisers make in Arizona?
Your earning ability as a real estate appraiser is subjected to many variables such as your experience, licensing level, the type of properties you specialize in appraising, the company size, its location, and most importantly, the amount of effort you are willing to put into this career. Therefore, the income differential among real estate appraisers in Arizona could be large.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2021), property appraisers and assessors in Arizona make an average yearly income of $46,900. The income range typically ranges between $30,550 and $60,130. Top earning Arizona appraisers make over $124,970.
The average cost of a home appraisal is $310 – $395 in Arizona. However, the cost may vary depending on the complexity of the property, the time and skills it takes to complete the assignment. Commercial property appraisals could cost between $2,000 to $10,000.
Here’s a complete income guide on real estate appraisers in Arizona. In there, I will uncover the income updates, the percentage of appraisers that are making a good living, and whether being a commercial or residential appraisers has any effect on the income. So be sure to check it out!
How to renew the Arizona real estate appraiser license?
All Licensed and Certified Appraisers in Arizona are required to renew their license every two year.
In addition to the renewal application, below are the requirements to renew your appraiser license:
- Finish 28 hours continuing education every 24 months, of which must include 7 hours of National USPAP Update course.
- A maximum of 75% of the continuing education (which is 21 credit hours) can be taken online, while no more than 8 hours of credit can be obtained in any 24 hours period.
- The National USPAP Update or Equivalent must be completed in a classroom.
- Pay the renewal fee. ($425 for Licensed/Certified Appraisers and $80 to the National Registry)
On other hand, a Trainee Appraiser only needs to renew the license once every three years, but there will be a 42 hours of continuing education requirement. The renewal fee will be $300.
You could find out more about the renewal details in the links below:
To prevent interruption to your appraisal practice, you should renew it and complete all continuing education requirement before the license expiry date. Also, a $25 late fee would apply if you renew your license after it is expired.
Career tip: Since you’ll need to take the CE courses, don’t waste your money by taking random classes. Choose the one that could really sharpen your appraisal skills, where you could apply what you learn into the field. Here is an article review of the 10 CE courses that I like.
Is there a Demand for Real Estate Appraisers in Arizona?
When I reviewed the figures (as of June 2022) displayed on the Appraisal Subcommittee website, there are a total of 2255 appraisers in Arizona. The breakdown is as follow:
- # of Certified General Appraisers 823
- # of Certified Residential Appraisers 1252
- # of Licensed Residential Appraisers 180
Arizona is the home to over seven million people, where the population is heavily concentrated around Phoenix and Tucson. Whenever someone needs to get a valuation of a property (i.e., buying/selling, applying for a mortgage or refinance, divorce/estate settlement.), there would be demand for real estate appraisers.
Helpful Career Tips for Aspiring Appraisers in Arizona
Tip#1: Build your network with other real estate professionals in Arizona
Networking with other appraisers in Arizona is a good way to gain a better understanding about the appraisal industry. You could do so by joining industry affiliations, online forums or even LinkedIn groups. For instance,
- The Coalition of Arizona Appraisers (CoAA)
- Southern Arizona Chapter of the Appraisal Institute
- The Phoenix Chapter of the Appraisal Institute
Begin with a friendly conversation. Let them know that you are starting your career as an appraiser, ask them if they have any tips or advice for newbies to the industry.
In addition, you should connect with other professionals in the real estate field. Mortgage agents, lenders, and realtors can all provide you with valuable insight, which could be very helpful to your career building in the long haul.
Tip#2: Complete the pre-licensing courses asap
You could read as much about the appraisal career as you want, but your journey would not begin unless you start taking action.
Taking the real estate appraiser classes would be your first step. Not only you could gain valuable knowledge and practical skills, but you will also have a better understanding about what is like to be an appraiser.
Besides, most states would require you to complete all the trainee education before your working experience could count toward the licensing requirement.
Tip#3: Consider the becoming a commercial real estate appraiser
Just like many other states, the business to appraise for residential properties could be quite competitive. Well, as you could imagine, there is a considerable overlap of targeted customers for the first three levels of licensing.
To differentiate your skills and broaden your scope of practice, you could consider pursuing the Commercial General Appraiser license or even the MAI designation as your long-term goal.
Here are more incredible resources to learn about the Arizona real estate appraisal career!
This article is part of the “Arizona Real Estate Appraiser Career Series.” If you want to know more about being a real estate appraiser in Arizona, the following articles would be helpful to you:
- How Much do Real Estate Appraisers Make in Arizona? (trainee| residential| commercial)
- Is Being a Real Estate Appraiser a Good Career? (Feedback from Industry Professionals)
- A Complete Review of a Real Estate Appraisal School that Over 400,000 Students Love
If you are reading up to this point, I bet you must be interested in the real estate appraiser profession. Your first step is to complete the pre-licensing courses. You should select one that has an excellent reputation and long-term track record of satisfying students. McKissock is exactly that! You may click here to check it out yourself. (**)
(**) Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. Our company, JCHQ Publishing will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please understand that we include them based on our experience or the research on these companies or products, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something through the links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Disclaimer: The information in this post is for general information only, and not intend to provide any advice. They are subjected to change any notice, and not guaranteed to be error-free. For full and exact details, please contact The Arizona Department of Financial Institutions, Real Estate Appraiser Division.
Reference:
- Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions – Real Estate Appraiser (source)
- The Appraisal Foundation- National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examinations (Source)
- sokanu.com – How much does a Real Estate Appraiser make in Arizona? (Source)
- salary.com- Salary for Appraiser (Commercial Real Estate) in Arizona (Source)
- salary.com- Salary for Appraiser (Residential Real Estate) in Arizona (Source)
- Arizona Real Estate Appraisers Program Candidate Handbook (source)
- Appraisal Subcommittee- Active Appraiser Credentials Summary Report (Source)
- HomeAdvisor – How Much Does A Home Appraisal Cost? (source)
