Appraisers Propose New Fair Housing Requirements
Appraiser Qualifications Board chair: Appraisal bias “a threat to the public’s trust in the appraisal profession.” Proposed changes would mandate fair-housing education.
WASHINGTON – The Appraiser Qualifications Board this week released a First Exposure Draft of proposed changes to the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria.
If adopted, the proposed changes would make fair-housing education courses a required component of appraisers’ qualifying and continuing education.
“Appraisal bias is a threat to the public’s trust in the appraisal profession,” says Appraiser Qualifications Board Chair Brad Swinney. “As the independent body charged with maintaining the minimum qualification criteria for real property appraisers in the United States, it is critical that we make certain meaningful criteria are in place to ensure appraisers have the proper training to protect the public trust.”
Swinney calls the proposed fair housing requirement for all appraisers “at the beginning and throughout their career,” and “important step in rooting out bias and discrimination in the profession.”
The First Exposure Draft is available for public comment through March 13, 2023. The Appraiser Qualifications Board says it will carefully review all public comments and use that input to inform their next steps.
The Appraisal Foundation also scheduled a Zoom webinar which the public can join. It takes place on March 1, 2023, at 2 p.m. Anyone interested can register online.
Public comments about the proposed change may also be registered online until March 13.
© 2023 Florida Realtors®