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    appraisers in the profession

    Appraisal and Valuation Professionals

    Residential and Commercial Appraising

    Valuation professionals are qualified to provide appraisals based on property type. Explore the distinctions below.
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    Residential Appraising

    Residential appraisers provide an unbiased estimate of a home or residential unit’s value.

    There are two tracks for residential appraisers: You can become a licensed residential real property appraiser or a certified residential real property appraiser.

    We've broken it all down so you can further explore the pathway to become a residential real estate appraiser.

    Learn More About Residential Appraising
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    Commercial Appraising

    Commercial appraisers provide an unbiased estimate of a property’s value.

    Commercial appraisers can appraise all types of real property, including residential units, retail spaces, industrial or agricultural property and more.

    Commercial appraisers are also required to attain the general real property certification.

    Learn More About Commercial Appraising
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    The Appraisal Profession By The Numbers

    Did you know? As of December 2022, there were at estimated 70,000 licensed or certified real estate appraisers in the U.S.?

    Our 2023 U.S. Valuation Profession Fact Sheet gives you the numbers at a glance.

    Statistics were derived from the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) National Registry 2019-2022 in combination with an AI survey conducted in 2022 that contacted randomly selected real estate valuation professionals.

    Download the Fact Sheet

    Explore How to Become an Appraiser

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Here are some quick answers to general questions about what appraisals are and who can provide them.

    An appraiser provides objective, impartial and unbiased opinions about the value of real property, assisting those who own, manage, sell, invest in and/or lend money on the security of real estate.

    In addition to residential and/or commercial appraisals, a valuation professional can provide or assist with the following:

    • Estate planning and estate settlements
    • Tax assessment review and advice
    • Advice in eminent domain and condemnation property transactions
    • Dispute resolution, including divorce, estate settlements, property partition suits, foreclosures
    • Zoning issues
    • Feasibility studies
    • Expert witness testimony
    • Market rent and trend studies
    • Cost/benefit or investment analysis, e.g., financial return on remodeling
    • Land utilization studies
    • Supply and demand studies

    The Appraisal Institute is a global professional association of real estate appraisers. For more than 90 years, our mission has been to empower valuation professionals through community, credentialing, education, body of knowledge and ethical standards.

    Appraisal Institute Professionals benefit from professional education and advocacy programs, industry tools and career resources, timely publications and research and more, and may hold the prestigious MAI, SRPA, SRA, AI-GRS and AI-RRS designations.

    At minimum, all states require appraisers to be state licensed or certified to provide appraisals to federally regulated lenders. Valuation professionals can become licensed or certified residential real property appraisers, or certified general real property appraisers who appraise all property types.

    Appraisers who become Designated Members of the Appraisal Institute have gone beyond the minimum requirements for licensing and certification. They have fulfilled rigorous educational and experience requirements and must adhere to strict standards and a code of professional ethics.