And then there is this; from another thread;
Back in California, the new statute, which bears the fingerprints of the state’s powerful Realtors lobby, coddles sellers for what appear to be practical reasons.
In the Golden State, sales commissions on both sides of the transaction are typically paid from the seller’s proceeds at closing; hence, both the buyer’s broker and the seller’s broker need the sale to close to get paid. They don’t want heretical value opinions blowing up their commissions, even if the buyer benefits as a result.
The new fraud-enabling statute clearly places a sword of Democles over appraisers’ heads. The only acceptable outcome, should the appraiser not wish to draw special attention from the state’s licensing bureau, is one in which all properties appraise at or above their contract price. “Low” property opinions have somehow become the bête noir of self-styled appraisal reformers, but appraisal fraud historically occurs with inflated “high” appraisals. The new law also fast-tracks real estate brokers to become licensed appraisers.
The California law also hides behind a specious social-justice argument. It names protected classes, but the umbrella of protected classes is so broad that it includes literally everyone in the state.