What does an Appraisal Manager do?

An appraisal manager oversees real estate business operations and manages all assessments and valuations of properties in a company or government entity’s portfolio of holdings. A person working in this field may also be responsible for administrative duties like hiring, evaluating, and terminating employees within the appraiser’s division. Appraisal manager duties also include drafting behavior protocols for employees and establishing productivity benchmarks that employees must meet. The appraisal manager must also submit budget reports for his or her department and ensure that the department’s spending does not exceed the funds allotted. Finally, a candidate for the position of appraisal manager must meet certain education requirements and have relevant work experience.

The appraisal manager job requires assessments of commercial and residential real estate properties. Real estate appraisals require the appraiser to estimate the value of properties based on the building’s style and surrounding area, often including school district information and the condition of things like roofs and foundations. Appraisal manager jobs may be for individuals seeking to buy or sell a home or for state and local governments evaluating a home’s price strictly for tax purposes.

Administratively, an appraisal manager oversees a staff of appraisers and assessors. This requires an appraisal manager to review the credentials of potential hires, conduct annual reviews of the performance of existing employees, and if necessary, these managers may recommend the firing of certain employees to the human resources department. Appraisal managers also create a set of rules for employees to follow related to dress code, harassment and other issues related to personal conduct.

Appraisal managers usually have some experience in accounting. This is due to the fact that the appraisal manager job description also requires a manager to review his or her department’s expenditures and submit a budget to the finance department, if the manager is part of a large business entity. Sole proprietors, on the other hand, will need to be able to manage their own expenses.

Most positions for an appraisal manager require a four-year degree; some governments also require appraisers to be certified by governing boards or organizations. Managerial positions typically require five years experience as an appraiser. This position also necessitates the ability to effectively communicate, since appraisal managers often provide oral and written reports to clients or supervisors. The ability to set and meet goals and lead a staff of people also bolsters a candidate’s hiring chances. Finally, appraisal managers should be able to read government statutes and laws related to real estate in order to ensure that the properties they are evaluating are in compliance; real estate that is not in accordance to state or local laws often warrants a lower valuation and the intervention of government officials to make sure that the property conforms to the proscribed laws.