How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in North Carolina

To become a real estate appraiser in North Carolina, you must first apply to be authorized by the North Carolina Appraisal Board as a Registered Trainee.

Real estate appraisers inspect and take measurements of real property (land, homes, apartments, office buildings, etc.) in order to arrive at an accurate value of the property.

In any real estate transaction that needs a loan, a real estate appraisal will be required by the bank or lender. This includes purchase as well as refinancing transactions.

Consequently, there are many career opportunities for real estate appraisers in active real estate markets.

Real estate appraisers can be self-employed and work for themselves or they can work for mortgage firms, banks, lenders and government agencies.

Here's what you need to know to become a real estate appraiser in North Carolina:

1) Real Estate Appraiser Licensing Requirements in North Carolina

2) Real Estate Appraiser Job Duties

3) Income Potential

4) North Carolina Real Estate Appraisal Schools

How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in North Carolina

1) Real Estate Appraiser Licensing Requirements in North Carolina

In North Carolina, real estate appraisers MUST be licensed by the North Carolina Appraisal Board.

To become a Registered Trainee, you must:

complete 90 hours of approved education including at least 15 hours of Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP)
complete and file an application along with a $150 application fee.
be granted to take the exam
Take and pass the exam

After receiving a minimum of 2000 hours of appraisal experience in no less than 2 years, a Registered Trainee may apply to become a Licensed Residential Appraiser.

There are 3 levels of real estate appraiser licensing in North Carolina:

Licensed Residential Appraiser
Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser
Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

License Levels Education Requirements Experience Requirements Exam Scope of Practice

Licensed
Residential Appraiser
A minimum of 90 hours of required appraisal education , including 15 hours on USPAP. Minimum 2,000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience over at least 2 years. Must pass the AQB approved residential examination. May appraise non-complex 1-to-4 unit residential property up to a transaction value of $1 million, and commercial properties up to $250,000.

Certified Residential Appraiser A minimum of 120 hours of approved appraisal education, with at least 15 hours on USPAP. Minimum 2,500 hours of acceptable appraisal experience over at least 2 years. Must pass the AQB approved certified residential examination. May appraise all 1-to-4 unit residential property.

Certified General Appraiser A minimum of 180 hours of approved appraisal education and 15 hours on USPAP. Minimum 3,000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience, over at least 2.5 years. Must pass the AQB approved certified general examination. May appraise all types of real estate.

NOTE: Education, Experience, Testing, and Continuing Education are subject to change based upon criteria established by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) of The Appraisal Foundation.

2) Duties of Real Estate Appraisers

A real estate appraiser's job is to estimate the value of real property. Real property consists of land, buildings, and even natural resources such as water, oil, or minerals.

The estimate of value is known as an appraisal. A real estate appraisal is made when real property is bought, sold, assessed, taxed, condemned, insured, or mortgaged.

A real estate appraiser's job duties also include:

obtaining land values from county sources and sales information about nearby properties to help establish property value
examining the income records and operating costs of income properties
estimating building replacement costs using building valuation manuals and professional cost estimators.
examining the type and location of nearby services such as shopping centers, schools, parks, and other neighborhood features in order to evaluate their impact on property values.
verifying legal descriptions of property with county records, measuring the property and comparing the measurements with the legal descriptions.
photographing interiors and exteriors of properties to help estimate property value, substantiate findings and complete appraisal reports
preparing written reports that estimate the property value, outline methods used in estimations and meet appraisal standards

3) Income Potential in North Carolina

According to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, the 2003 median salary of Real Estate Appraisers in North Carolina was approximately $36,400/year.

Salaries ranged from under $21,000/year to over $71,000/year.

4) Real Estate Appraisal Schools in North Carolina

If you are interested in becoming a real estate appraiser in North Carolina, you will need to take classes that are approved by the North Carolina Appraisal Board.

Please call the Board at (919) 420-7920 prior to signing up for classes.

Name of Provider

Real Estate Appraisal Schools for North Carolina

Alamance Community College

Haw River

336-578-2002

Albemarle Appraisal and Realty Academy

Elizabeth City

252-335-5030

Allen Tate School of Real Estate - A Dan Mohr School

Charlotte

704-362-2296

American School of Real Estate Appraisal

Cherryville

704/435-1111

AppraisalSchools by M. Curtis West

Zebulon

919-217-8040

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Asheville

828-254-8719

Bob Ipock & Associates, Inc.

Gastonia

704-867-1985

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington

910-343-0481

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte

704-330-6493 or 330-6692

Craven Community College

New Bern

252-638-7289

Dan Mohr Real Estate School

Greensboro/Winston-Salem

800-639-9813

Durham Technical Community College

Durham

919-686-3350

Edgecombe Community College

Rocky Mount

252-446-0436 Extension 322

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville

910-678-8230

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem

336-723-0371

Guilford Technical Community College

Jamestown

336-454-1126

Institute of Government

Chapel Hill

919-966-4372

Johnston Community College

Smithfield

919-209-2015

Lenoir Community College

Kinston

252-527-6223

Martin Community College/Bertie Campus

Windsor

252/794-4861

McKissock Appraisal School

Warren, PA

814-723-6979

Mel Black/NCREEI

Cherryville, NC

704-435-0753

Mingle School of Real Estate

Charlotte

704-372-2984

Mitchell Community College

Statesville

704-878-3200

Pitt Community College

Greenville

252-321-4447

Realetech

Wilmington

910-352-9693

Sandhills Community College

Pinehurst

910-695-3769

Southeastern Community College

Whiteville

910-642-7141

Southwestern Community College

Bryson City

828-488-6413

Surry Community College

Dobson

336-386-8121

Triangle Appraisal and Real Estate School

Wilson

252-291-1200 or 919-971-1887

Tri-County Community College

Murphy

828-837-6810

Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh

919-772-0551

Watts, Moultrie

Cary

919-851-2100

Williams Appraisers Education Center

Raleigh

919-424-1900

Back to North Carolina Real Estate Agent

License Levels	Education Requirements	Experience Requirements	Exam	Scope of Practice
Licensed Residential Appraiser	A minimum of 90 hours of required appraisal education , including 15 hours on USPAP.	Minimum 2,000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience over at least 2 years.	Must pass the AQB approved residential examination.	May appraise non-complex 1-to-4 unit residential property up to a transaction value of $1 million, and commercial properties up to $250,000.
Certified Residential Appraiser	A minimum of 120 hours of approved appraisal education, with at least 15 hours on USPAP.	Minimum 2,500 hours of acceptable appraisal experience over at least 2 years.	Must pass the AQB approved certified residential examination.	May appraise all 1-to-4 unit residential property.
Certified General Appraiser	A minimum of 180 hours of approved appraisal education and 15 hours on USPAP.	Minimum 3,000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience, over at least 2.5 years.	Must pass the AQB approved certified general examination.	May appraise all types of real estate.