How to become a certified residential appraiser (and find a supervisor)

The path at a glance

1. Take 83 hours of trainee education.
2. Find a certified supervisor and get your state’s trainee credential (or choose PAREA later).
3. Log 1,500 hours of experience over at least 12 months.
4. Finish 200 total hours of education and meet the college requirement.
5. Pass the Certified Residential exam.

Step 1: Trainee education (83 hours)

All of it must be finished within 5 years before you apply. You must also take a supervisor/trainee course before you start; it does not count toward the 83 hours. No experience is needed to become a trainee.

Step 2: Find a supervisor

Under the AQB criteria, your supervisor must:

• Be state-certified (Certified Residential or Certified General) and in good standing for at least 3 years
• Have had no discipline affecting their eligibility to practice in the last 3 years
• Be competent for the property type and area where you train
• Take the supervisor/trainee course before supervising you
• Supervise no more than 3 trainees at once, unless your state runs an approved monitoring program

You can have more than one supervisor. You and each supervisor keep a joint experience log with the property type, report date, address, what you did, your hours, and the supervisor’s signature and certification number.

Where to look

• Supervisor Match profiles and trainee openings
• The ASC National Registry, to find and check certified appraisers in your area
• Local appraisal chapters, CE classes and your qualifying-education school

Tips for your first conversation

• Show you’ve done the 83 hours and the supervisor/trainee course already.
• Ask how they pay trainees: fee split, hourly or salary.
• Ask how many hours a month they can realistically give you.
• Ask whether they ride along on inspections at first (many states require it).

Step 3: Experience (1,500 hours, 12+ months)

Certified Residential requires 1,500 hours of qualifying experience in no fewer than 12 months. There is no time limit for finishing. As an alternative, an AQB-approved PAREA program can give simulated experience credit.

Step 4: Education (200 hours) and college

Certified Residential requires 200 hours in total. If you already hold a trainee credential, that means 117 more hours:

You also need one of these college options:

1. A bachelor’s degree in any field
2. An associate’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics or real estate
3. 30 semester hours of college courses: English composition, microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance, algebra or higher math, statistics, computer science, business or real estate law, plus two electives (3 hours each)
4. 30 semester hours of CLEP exams in the listed subjects
5. A mix of options 3 and 4 that covers every required topic

Licensed Residential appraisers with 5 years and a clean record have an alternative route that skips the college requirement.

Step 5: The exam

Once your state verifies your education and experience, you take the AQB-approved Certified Residential exam. You cannot self-verify your experience.

Sources

• The Appraisal Foundation, AQB Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria: https://appraisalfoundation.org/pages/criteria
• Criteria booklet effective January 1, 2026 (PDF copy hosted by the Alabama board): https://reab.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/20260325_RPAQC_Web_March-2026-1.pdf
• The Appraisal Foundation, How to become an appraiser: appraisalfoundation.org/pages/how-to-become-an-appraiser
• Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) National Registry: asc.gov/appraiser