Who may appraise in Florida
Appraisers in Florida are regulated under Part II of Chapter 475, separate from the brokerage law in Part I. The Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board (475.611(1)(j)) oversees them, not FREC. A real estate license and an appraiser credential are two different things, and the exam tests whether you know where one stops and the other starts.
Who may issue an appraisal report
Under 475.612(1), nobody may use the title "certified real estate appraiser," "licensed real estate appraiser," or "registered trainee real estate appraiser," or issue an appraisal report, unless the Department of Business and Professional Regulation has certified, licensed, or registered them. The key line: only a certified or licensed appraiser may issue an appraisal report and receive direct compensation for the valuation services behind it.
An "appraisal report" is broad. It covers any written or oral communication of an appraisal or value conclusion about identified real property, regardless of title (475.611(1)(e)). Calling it something else does not get around the rule.
| Credential | What it allows (475.611(1)) |
|---|---|
| Certified general appraiser | Appraisal reports for any type of real property |
| Certified residential appraiser | Residential property of one to four units, without regard to transaction value or complexity |
| Licensed appraiser | One to four residential units; no new licenses issued in this category after July 1, 2003 |
| Registered trainee appraiser | Appraisal services only under the direct supervision of a certified appraiser |
A trainee may accept assignments only from a primary or secondary supervisory appraiser, and may be paid for appraisal services only by an authorized certified appraiser (475.611(1)(v); 475.612(1)).
What a sales associate may do
Two subsections protect everyday brokerage work:
- 475.612(3): A broker or sales associate who, in the ordinary course of business, performs a comparative market analysis, gives a price opinion, or gives an opinion of value is outside the appraiser rules. But that opinion may not be referred to or construed as an appraisal.
- 475.612(2): A broker, broker associate, or sales associate who is not an appraiser may still provide valuation services for compensation, so long as they do not represent themselves as certified, licensed, or registered appraisers.
So a sales associate can be paid for a broker price opinion. What the associate can't do is call it an appraisal or suggest they hold an appraiser credential.
Rule of thumb: licensees give opinions of value; only certified or licensed appraisers issue appraisals.
USPAP
The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) are the national standards for real estate appraisal and other appraisal services. They are written and revised as needed by the Appraisal Standards Board of The Appraisal Foundation. Florida's statute defines USPAP as the most recent standards that board has approved and adopted (475.611(1)(bb)).
For the sales associate exam, know USPAP at the concept level: it is the professional rulebook appraisers follow, it comes from The Appraisal Foundation, not from FREC or a lender, and its framework is the source of the appraisal process steps covered in the next lesson. Federal law also requires appraisals in federally related transactions to be written and reviewed for USPAP compliance (12 U.S.C. 3339).