 Licensing & Renewals > Real Estate Appraisal
In order to provide real estate appraisal services in Alberta, individuals require a licence from the Real Estate Council of Alberta unless they have an exemption under the Real Estate Act and/or regulations.
A real estate appraiser refers to someone who is licensed as a candidate or an appraiser. Candidates are brand new to the appraisal industry, where as appraisers have met additional education and experience requirements.
Acting as a candidate or real estate appraiser means a person who, for consideration or other compensation:
- Estimates the defined value of an identified interest in real estate;
- Signs a real estate appraisal report that makes an estimate of a defined value of an identified interest in real estate prepared by another person, and accepts responsibility for that report;
- Provides real estate appraisal consulting services; or,
- A person who holds him or herself out as providing any of the above services.
However, individuals are not required to obtain a real estate appraisal licence from RECA if they:
- are an employee of the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, or a municipality in Alberta, while acting in the regular course of employment;
- act as a real estate appraiser solely for the internal purposes of their employer and their activities are not intended for use by third parties;
- hold an authorization as a real estate broker and estimate value for the purposes of a trade in real estate;
- appraise a business that has no premises or other interests in land;
- are an accredited municipal assessor of Alberta or a candidate member, when involved in the practice of assessment as defined in the Municipal Assessor Regulation; or,
- are otherwise exempted by the regulations.
Why become a real estate appraiser?
Real estate appraisers provide consultative valuation services and professional opinions on the value of property. These professionals work in a variety of business situations, including:
- Private practice
- All levels of government
- Lending institutions
- Real estate companies
- Development companies
- National corporations
Appraisers may be called upon to provide a professional opinion on:
- Current property value
- Future value of property being built
- Value for mortgage, lending or investment purposes
- Value for tax assessments, capital gains and other taxes
- Verification of damage from fire, rain, hail and other disasters
- Value of property being expropriated or involved in litigation
Individuals considering a career in real estate appraisal must meet a number of eligibility requirements in order to obtain a licence from RECA.
For more information about real estate appraisal licensing, please see:
First Time Licensed in Alberta
Licence Renewal
Change in Designation
Starting an Appraisal Business
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