Massachusetts Appraisal License Requirements
The information contained below is designed to provide a summary of the minimum education, experience, and examination requirements established by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Appraisers. The information provided below can be found on the Board’s website. However, we recommend you contact the Board for more detailed information and for any changes which may have occurred.
Massachusetts Appraisal Licensure Levels:
- Real Estate Appraiser Trainee
- Licensed Real Estate Appraiser
- Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser
- Certified General Real Estate Appraiser
Massachusetts Appraisal Licensure Requirements:
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Must have a high school diploma or its equivalent
- Must meet the educational requirement for the applying level of licensure
- Must meet the experience requirement for the applying level of licensure
- For Certified Residential level: A minimum of an Associates Degree OR 21 college semester hours in specific subject matters is also required
- For Certified General level: A minimum of a Bachelors Degree OR 30 college semester hours in specific subject matters is also required
- Satisfactory completion of the state examination (Trainees are not required to take a state exam)
- Submit application, required documents, and associated fees
Massachusetts Appraisal Education Requirements:
- 75 hours for the Appraiser Trainee which consist of the following courses: Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours), 15 Hour National USPAP Course or its equivalent (15 hours)
- 150 hours for the Licensed Real Estate Appraiser which include the same hour requirement as the Trainee level AND: Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use (15 hours), Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach (15 hours), Residential Report Writing and Case Studies (15 Hours), Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approach (30 hours)
- 200 Hours for the Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser which consist of the same 150 hours of Licensed Residential Appraiser education AND: Statistics, Modeling and Finance (15 hours), Advanced Residential Application and Case Studies (15 hours), Appraisal Subject Matter Electives (20 hours)
- 300 hours for the Certified General Real Estate Appraiser which includes the same 200 hours for the Certified Residential Appraiser education AND: Income Property Appraisal (60 hours), General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies (10 hours), General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use (15 hours)
Experience Requirements:
- Appraiser Trainee – No experience requirement
- Licensed Real Estate Appraiser – 2000 hours in no less than 24 months
- Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser – 2500 hours in not less than 24 months
- Certified General Real Estate Appraiser – 3000 hours in not less than 30 months with at least 1500 hours of experience in nonresidential appraisals
Massachusetts Appraisal Continuing Education Requirements:
- All real estate appraiser licenses are valid for two years and expire every other year on the licensee’s birthdates.
- Effective November 9, 2012, a licensee holding a two (2) year appraiser license shall complete twenty-eight (28) hours of Board approved continuing education. A licensee holding a three (3) year appraiser license or a license that runs for more than two (2) years and 185 days shall be required to complete an additional fourteen (14) hours of continuing education for a total of forty-two (42) hours.
- All licensees shall complete a 7-hour USPAP Update course with each edition of USPAP.
- For Certified Residential licensees, not more than seven (7) hours of courses designated as elective may be credited toward renewal. For Certified General licensees, at least fourteen (14) hours in courses shall be designated as non-residential.