Problems with Having RE Agent license and Being An Appraiser

[Kevin Fletcher]

Hello. For control of my deals and investing purposes I was planning to get my RE agent license. Also I was thinking that another way to make a little money and hone my skills at valuating properties would be to become a licensed appraiser. I'm looking for input on if this makes sense? Is it bad to have both for any reason? I obviously couldn't do appraisals on my own purchases, but I though it would be a productive way to get another angle on the market. Thoughts?

[Phillip Dwyer]

@Bill Gulley brings up a lot of good points. Reputation is something to build and guard closely.

As far as pay in concerned, this will vary upon several factors including the type of work you get into as Bill mentioned. It will also depend upon what you bring to the table in terms of experience, trainability, and how much time you plan to dedicate. It's difficult breaking into the field on the non-institutional side, because training is very time consuming and risky for the owner/appraiser. The sooner you can become less risky for the owner/appraiser, the sooner you will earn more. Once you become a certified appraiser, your earning potential grows exponentially. This will take at least 2 years though.