• Welcome to AppraisersForum.com, the premier online community for the discussion of real estate appraisal. Register a free account to be able to post and unlock additional forums and features.

2026 ASC License Data Analysis

Bob Ipock said:
Part of that is CR appraisers moving up to CG.
Click to expand...
No doubt, but how many?

Overall certified residential/general count is down 5.8% against the 6.9% drop on the residential side, but it's not that simple. You would have to factor in new individual residential license counts against the residential decline, then try to speculate what % of decline was an upgrade to certified general. Considering certified general was stable at 0.1%, my WAG is very few certified residential upgraded to certified general in that time period. And I wouldn't hang my hat on a theory that the residential decline is upgrade driven.
 
Non Sequitur said:
No doubt, but how many?

Overall certified residential/general count is down 5.8% against the 6.9% drop on the residential side, but it's not that simple. You would have to factor in new individual residential license counts against the residential decline, then try to speculate what % of decline was an upgrade to certified general. Considering certified general was stable at 0.1%, my WAG is very few certified residential upgraded to certified general in that time period. And I wouldn't hang my hat on a theory that the residential decline is upgrade driven.
Click to expand...
I disagree. In NC, many residential folks upgraded to CG because they thought there was more money. Now you have a growing pool of CGs fighting for the same amount of work. We get a report and newsletter from the NCAB that shows the movement of license levels. But hey, I could be wrong.
 
I asked the NCAB to designate which trainees have a supervisor and which don't. Perhaps a simple Y or N after the license number. Anyway, they were not interested in doing so. I suspect many trainees never found a supervisor and come and go based on that.
 
cashcatz said:
I ran an appraiser license analysis of the 2026 ASC (appraisal subcommittee) data as a followup to 2025. Some pretty interesting numbers:

https://jobsinappraisal.link/2026-appraiser-licensing-data
Click to expand...

The reality is that almost no appraisers, especially American appraisers, know how to properly do the Sales Comparison Approach. Houses and residential real estate keep getting more complex, and valuation accuracy is insanely low for about 20-40% of residential property.

Residential appraisers complain about the fees, but over the years, their appraisals keep getting less and less accurate because the SCA cannot keep up with the market's increasing complexity (diversity), - not that it was ever that good. Notwithstanding that, the AMCs are absconding with most of the existing appraisal fees.

For commercial appraisal, there is less reliance on the SCA. Instead, the Income and Cost Approaches are used to estimate Market Value in most cases.

=== Let me emphasize, however ====

The Germans and other EU countries often have better appraisal infrastructure - in some ways. But overall, they don't seem more accurate. They claim +/-15% - +/-20% accuracy. The Germans, for example, tend to avoid inspection. So, in some ways they are better and in other ways not.

One thing I must say, however, is that they are more accurate in describing how inaccurate their valuations are.
 
Last edited:
Bob Ipock said:
I disagree. In NC, many residential folks upgraded to CG because they thought there was more money. Now you have a growing pool of CGs fighting for the same amount of work. We get a report and newsletter from the NCAB that shows the movement of license levels. But hey, I could be wrong.
Click to expand...
The context is individual [unique] appraiser license numbers from 2025 to 2026. Are you suggesting the year over year loss of 3,081 residential appraisers indicates upgrades to commercial? Or is it just a general statement that over the last several years “many” have upgraded? Either way, I don't doubt that some have upgraded, but in the context of thousands, the few who have upgraded are more of a rounding error than anything else. Look at the numbers again, individual [unique] commercial licenses are stable at 0.1% decline (a loss of 41), that doesn't support thousands of residential appraisers upgrading.

Beyond nitpicking the numbers, what I find eye opening is unique residential appraiser numbers have fallen to a point that, if the trend continues, there will be more certified general appraisers than certified residential appraisers next year. There isn't a PAREA or Practicum course that can reverse or stabilize that number. Just in case anyone at TAF, the AQB, ASB, etc. actually cares, the solution is simple: Help residential appraisers break the stranglehold AMCs have on the industry.
 
Last edited:
Non Sequitur said:
The context is individual [unique] appraiser license numbers from 2025 to 2026. Are you suggesting the year over year loss of 3,081 residential appraisers indicates upgrades to commercial? Or is it just a general statement that over the last several years “many” have upgraded? Either way, I don't doubt that some have upgraded, but in the context of thousands, the few who have upgraded are more of a rounding error than anything else. Look at the numbers again, individual [unique] commercial licenses are stable at 0.1% decline (a loss of 41), that doesn't support thousands of residential appraisers upgrading.

Beyond nitpicking the numbers, what I find eye opening is unique residential appraiser numbers have fallen to a point that, if the trend continues, there will be more certified general appraisers than certified residential appraisers next year. There isn't a PAREA or Practicum course that can reverse or stabilize that number. Just in case anyone at TAF, the AQB, ASB, etc. actually cares, the solution is simple: Help residential appraisers break the stranglehold AMCs have on the industry.
Click to expand...
My comments are related to the numbers from the NCAB and what some folks up there have said in the past. Not saying this year or last year saw big jumps in CGs. Over the last five years I believe it has been more common for CRs to move up if they can qualify. Every state is different and every county is different. In my county I only know of 2 CGs that don't also do residential work. I know of three that did not renew this past June 30th. In my county there is really not enough need for any more CGs. 250,000 people in the county made up of small towns. The largest town has 85,000 people. Every time residential work gets slow people on here and other places start up the plan to get their CG. Now the voices say "I am only going to do non-lending work". There is a finite need in that field as well. I admire all the appraisers who can figure out how to get a few more years out of this business by expanding. I firmly believe there is an oversupply of appraisers as times change, the demand for appraisals declines and the income stream (for most appraisers) has been stagnant or declining. I am fairly certain that a large percentage of trainees are coming into a relative's business. I hear a lot of talk from a lot of appraisers when teaching classes.
 
That’s only how many hold licenses. How many are full time, how many retired and still keeping the license and doing part time work, and how many are just holding the license and not working at all?

But it is interesting that CR has lost quite a number. I contend we will continue to see the numbers go down again in 2027; especially with the present changes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Find a Real Estate Appraiser - Enter Zip Code

Copyright © 2000-, AppraisersForum.com, All Rights Reserved
AppraisersForum.com is proudly hosted by the folks at AppraiserSites.com
Back
Top