Job outlook for residential appraisers in the United States

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Residential Appraisers to find work opportunities?

Jefferson Sherman: Opportunities for current and aspiring appraisers exist around the country. The real estate industry is undergoing tremendous change, not least around innovations and the changing nature of real estate work, driven by technology. Get out your crystal balls and look out 5 to 10 years - what will the real estate industry look like, and what adaptations will universities/associations be making to meet that change? We know that someday technology will make residential and commercial real estate unrecognizable to those who practice in the industry today. Creativity, complexity, curiosity and empathy will be key watch words. Increasing levels of automation and technological sophistication will change real estate jobs dramatically. Perhaps, most revolutionary, will be the need to use complex data, often of a sort that has not been readily available or applicable in real estate. Appraisers may have to change the way they think and understand the way that data is collected, managed, and analyzed. And most of all, how it can be applied. New realms of possibility will open up once real estate professionals have a handle on the best way to work with data - and the technology and people that can analyze it for them. Reliability is something most lenders and clients will question, in terms of the numbers a machine will deliver as it relates to the value of the property being appraised. An important aspect of technology changes is that machines can't replace all tasks. There always will be the need for human communication regarding explaining the underlying algorithm. Many appraisers already use some form of automated valuation model in their work, and for difficult properties these will enhance their approach. Big data can open doors to additional opportunities for valuation professionals.