I just returned from a quick one-day trip to the east coast to attend the McKissock Advisory Board meeting. (For those not familiar with the McKissock name, it is a nationally-recognized appraisal school.) The McKissock Advisory Board is a select group of experienced residential and commercial appraisers representing each region of the country and each discipline within the industry. The goal of the quarterly Advisory Board meetings is to help McKissock’s leadership stay connected to issues relevant to appraisers, thereby shaping curriculum and strategic planning.
This was my first time with the group and it provided an opportunity to make the acquaintance of several of McKissock’s dedicated management staff as well as some highly-respected appraisers. I also met the well-known Chicago appraiser, Paul Rowe, who I and many of my blog subscribers have gotten to know online, but may never have had the pleasure meet in person. By happenstance, I even met one commercial appraiser who lives in the same Portland suburb as me. It is funny to travel across the country to make the acquaintance of a neighbor.
One major topic discussed by the Advisory Board is ideas for upcoming educational offerings. Can you think of any online or classroom subject that you would like to see made available by McKissock?
Another item addressed at the meeting are ways to make online or live local classes more fulfilling. Do you have any ideas for improvement of appraisal classes that you’ve taken to make those offerings more engaging?
I believe that McKissock is a great organization that is absolutely dedicated to a quality appraisal (pun intended) educational experience. They have some exciting plans for the future and are open to honest feedback. I hope my subscribers take the time to offer their thoughts on McKissock education, even if those thoughts are negative.
Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation? Let me know in the comments below.
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I’m often asked, “How does someone become a real estate appraiser?” Well, the answer is, it is much more difficult than it used to be. In Oregon, the Appraiser Certification and Licensure Board (ACLB) supervises appraiser licensing and enforcement. In Oregon, and in most other states, the three levels of real estate appraiser are:
The Licensed Residential Appraiser - which has restrictions on the value and complexity of homes that can be appraised. Consequently, it can be difficult to find work at this level.
The Certified Residential Appraiser - which should be the goal for all home appraisers. This certification allows appraisals of all complex and noncomplex residential real estate up to four units (e.g. single family, duplex, triplex, and four-plex), and up to any value.
The Certified General Appraiser - which allows appraisal of all types of real estate (e.g. commercial, retail, office, industrial, apartments, farms, etc.). An appraiser with this certification level usually specializes in one or two areas of real estate.
To become a Certified Residential Appraiser in Oregon, and in most other states, one must have a Bachelor’s Degree, must pass 200 hours of qualifying appraiser-specific education with exams, accumulate 2,500 hours of experience over a minimum of two years as a Registered Appraiser Assistant, and pass a four-hour comprehensive exam. The most difficult part of the certification process is the 2,500 experience hours.
Finding a supervisor for those experience hours can be difficult because most appraisers will not take an assistant. Many appraisers will not take an assistant, because if the assistant makes a mistake, and the supervising appraiser does not catch the mistake, then the supervising appraiser will be fully liable in terms of lost clients or disciplinary action. Additionally, the training process for a supervising appraiser can be quite time consuming, the appraisal supervisor will be audited by the state, and there is little perceived benefit to the supervising appraiser. Other appraisers say that they will not train an assistant, because they do not want to train their future competition. For the assistant, the pay is often low and the hours are long.
I have supervised three appraiser assistants and my experiences have been different than what many appraisers describe. I find that my appraisal reports are enhanced when I have two sets of eyes on the analysis. My assistants have always been intelligent individuals who bring different experiences and perspective to the appraisal process and to my business.
As a result, appraisal assistants are not the only ones who learn in the process. When working with appraiser assistants, I feel like I am training future partners, not future competition. The management of an appraiser assistant can be difficult and frustrating at times, but I find it rewarding.
I currently have an assistant who has all of his experience hours and who is preparing to take his exam. In a future blog post, I will interview him about his experiences in becoming a Certified Residential Appraiser. If you have any questions for him, let us know in the comments below.