State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

To become a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, an applicant must file an upgrade application with the Commission and meet the minimum requirements set forth by the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) of the Appraisal Foundation.

A State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser can appraise all types of real estate properties with no transaction value limits.

Requirements

Licensing Requirements

• Eligibility Verification Attestation and Identification

Education Requirements

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university. A college diploma or transcripts must be attached to the upgrade application.

In addition to the bachelor’s degree, 300 hours of approved qualifying appraisal education courses, with successful passage of course final exams in the categories and credit hours below. Certificates of the completed courses must be attached to the upgrade application.

- Basic Appraisal Principles – 30 hours in not less than 15-hour increments
- Basic Appraisal Procedures – 30 hours in not less than 15-hour increments
- General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use – 30 hours in not less than 15-hour increments
- Statistics, Modeling, and Finance – 15 hours
- General Appraiser Sales Comparison Approach – 30 hours in not less than 15-hour increments
- General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach – 30 hours in not less than 15-hour increments
- General Appraiser Income Approach – 60 hours in not less than 15-hour increments
- General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies – 30 hours in not less than 15-hour increments
- Electives – 22 hours. Electives must contain an exam. See the Approved Course List here. 
- Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations Course – 8 hours
- The Appraisal Foundation's National USPAP Course or its equivalent – 15 hours

Experience Requirements

• 3,000 hours in no fewer than eighteen (18) months, of which one thousand five hundred (1,500) hours must be in non-residential appraisal work. An experience log in a PDF format documenting acceptable appraisal experience must be submitted with the upgrade application. Experience must be in conformance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
• Experience obtained before trainee registration will not be accepted. When measuring the beginning and ending of the experience period under AQB criteria (currently 18 months for certified general), the Commission will review each appraiser’s experience log and note the dates of the first and last acceptable appraisal activities performed by the applicant. Then, the Commission will calculate the time period spanned between those appraisal activities. The supervisor and trainee have shared responsibility to ensure the appraisal experience log for the Trainee Appraiser is accurate, current, and complies with the requirements of the Laws and Rules of Tennessee.
   

Application & Fees

Complete the upgrade application online at core.tn.gov. The fee is $405.
 

Next Steps

Examination: The exam is scheduled after receipt of the upgrade application.

The tests will be administered by an approved provider under contract with the Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser Commission. An electronic examination provides test/fail reports to candidates immediately upon completion of the examination. The examinations are given at established test center locations.  An applicant will be allowed four opportunities to pass the examination.  The applicant must successfully pass the examination within twelve (12) months of their exam approval date.  Any applicant who has taken and failed four examinations shall be required to submit a new application.

A registered trainee must obtain licensure or certification within twenty-four (24) months of the examination date, or they will lose credit for the examination.

If all other requirements are not met prior to the expiration of a trainee's registration and the registered trainee fails to renew, then he or she loses credit for passing the examination.

Interview: Appraisals will be requested from the applicant after receipt of a complete application. An interview will be scheduled with the Commission to discuss those appraisal reports.
 

Reciprocity

An applicant from a reciprocal state may complete the reciprocal application online at core.tn.gov. The fee associated with this application is $405.

Applicants must be AQB compliant and in “good standing” in a state/jurisdiction. Contact your state/jurisdiction for a Letter of Good Standing – this must accompany your online application. After receipt of the complete application and fees, the application takes approximately five (5) business days to process.