If you found yourself singing to the title of this blog, then you understand why I titled it the way I did. If not, then you might be a bit younger than me.
The path to becoming a certified appraiser involves a Supervisory Appraiser being a mentor that educates and oversees an individual who is an Appraiser Trainee for a period of time to ensure that they become a qualified Certified Residential Appraiser. If you need more specific information regarding the specific requirements, check with your state licensing boards for those qualifications.
As an established residential appraisal office for almost 13 years, I have taken on the responsibility to mentor the next generation of real estate appraisers several times. It is often difficult to find a mentor that is willing to take on a trainee, however, I find deep fulfillment passing along my passion and knowledge to someone who has a sincere desire to become a certified appraiser. Some of those candidates are successful appraisers today.
Recently, I have been seeking to add to my team someone who has a sincere desire to become a residential certified appraiser. Over the past two years, I have hired 2 individuals at separate times with no lasting success. Both were released from employment within a short period of time for various reasons of which I will not get into for privacy purposes. Lets just say they didn’t cut the mustard.
What is it that made those who I have let go not be qualified to continue and what is it that made those who are successful today get to where they are? What is it that I really, really want?
Be proactive- There are prerequisite educational classes that need to be taken which include proctored exams before you can obtain your trainee license. Having your education and exams completed will only make you more appealing to a supervisor. The trainee license is necessary to allow you to work for a supervisor and start accruing field hours towards your certification. Knowing that you are not expecting the supervisor to front the money for your classes because they are completed will make you a more viable candidate for this position.
Be teachable- Understand that there is a lot you don’t know. Even if you have some real estate experience, the discipline of appraising is very unique to the real estate industry. A trainee has to log on-the-job-training field hours with a supervisor for a very good reason- you need to learn by doing and there are so many aspects that it takes years to accumulate the knowledge you need.
Think long term- This is not a sprint, its a marathon. Once you obtain your certification you will still have a lot of learning to do. Plan on it taking a good 5 years before you feel fully confident enough to face most scenarios (after 20 years I still consult more seasoned appraisers for those rare complicated cases). Also, the trainee compensation will typically be a much smaller percentage than your potential as a certified appraiser but it is temporary.
Put your mentors needs above your own- When you find a quality mentor, maintain an understanding that they are, in essence, doing you a favor. As of the writing of this blog, you cannot become a certified appraiser without them. They are giving you the opportunity to have a long term fulfilling career and give you an income while doing it. It is an apprenticeship type position and while you are definitely adding value to the supervisor at some point along the way, that value needs to be apparent to them so that it is a mutually fulfilling symbiotic give and take relationship.
There are some things in life that are worth putting in extra effort in the short term for the long term benefit. Becoming an appraiser is one of those opportunities. To make yourself more appealing to the potential supervisor appraisers that you seek out for a possible mentorship, keep these principles in mind and you might find that you will have an easier time making it happen. I know that if someone came to me with their classes complete, with a teachable spirit, willing to make real concessions for the benefit of receiving not only my knowledge but a paycheck, and be willing to do whatever it takes to plug into my office as a valuable member of the team, it would be difficult for me to tell them no.