Real Estate Appraisers

Last updated January 01, 2015

Have you ever wondered how much a Beverly Hills mansion is really worth? What about a ski lodge in the Rocky Mountains? Or an office building on Main Street? Real estate appraisers figure out the value of property so that buyers and sellers can move forward with their deals. Their work is also an important part of local government, since property taxes are based on their findings.

Real estate appraisers decide how much buildings and land are worth. They do this by inspecting the property, comparing it to similar properties, and studying where it is located.

Did You Know?

All fifty states require real estate appraisers to be licensed.

Are You Ready To...?

  • Inspect and compare property
  • Gather statistics and information
  • Create blueprints and spreadsheets
  • Understand the finances of property
  • Communicate with people daily

It Helps To Be...

A fan of math and a good communicator. You’ll spend much of your time meeting with clients and writing reports.

Make High School Count

  • Pay attention in math and try your hand at more difficult courses like statistics and economics. Real estate appraisers have to be good with numbers.
  • Take advantage of English, history, speech, and drama classes to polish your spoken and written communication skills. As a real estate appraiser, you’ll be communicating with buyers and sellers all the time.
  • Master the computer. Become familiar with word processing and spreadsheets. You’ll need to create reports every day.

Did You Know?

Once you’ve become a real estate appraiser, you can expand your career to other specialties, such as jewelry appraisal.