Buyer guide

How to choose an appraiser or valuation firm

For homeowners, investors and lenders. Independence rules, your right to the report, credential checks, and what firm-level data can show.

Published 2026-10-21. All guides · Appraisal and valuation hub

Our perspective

Who hires the appraiser shapes what you can choose. For a home loan, the lender typically orders the appraisal, and federal rules protect the appraiser’s independent judgment from pressure; your role is to get and review the report. (CFPB, Regulation Z § 1026.42, valuation independence; CFPB, “Do I have the right to receive a copy of my home appraisal?”) For commercial assets, estates or disputes, you choose the firm, and the questions shift to credentials, property-type experience and conflicts. At firm level, only some valuation businesses are reported as a line of their own; our appraisal score rewards a clearly reported valuation line because it tells you more about that business.

Checklist

Verify the appraiser’s credential on the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry. (Appraisal Subcommittee, National Registry of appraisers)
Match the credential to the property; ask whether the appraiser’s license or certification level covers your property type and value.
For a first-lien home loan, expect a free copy of every appraisal promptly after completion and no later than three days before closing. (CFPB, “Do I have the right to receive a copy of my home appraisal?”)
If the appraisal comes in low, get the report, check the comparables and facts, and ask your lender how it handles a request for reconsideration. (CFPB, “My appraisal is less than the sale price. What does that mean for me?”)
For commercial work, ask for the scope, the standard the report follows, delivery date and fee in an engagement letter.
Ask about conflicts: has the firm valued this property, or worked for a party to the deal, recently?

Questions to ask

What is your credential, and in which states?
How many assignments like this one (property type and market) have you completed in the last two years?
What data sources and approaches will you use, and why?
What is the fee, the timeline, and the intended use and users of the report?
Do you have any relationship with the parties to this transaction?

Red flags worth clarifying

None of these proves a problem on its own. Each is a reason to ask for an explanation in writing before you sign.

Anyone suggesting a target value before the work is done; Regulation Z prohibits attempts to cause a home’s value to be based on anything other than the appraiser’s independent judgment through coercion, inducement or instruction. (CFPB, Regulation Z § 1026.42, valuation independence)
A credential you cannot find on the National Registry.
Not receiving your appraisal copy for a first-lien home loan.
An engagement letter with no stated scope or intended use.
Undisclosed prior work for a party to the deal.

What the public record can and can’t tell you

Can show

Valuation revenue and growth where a parent company reports the line separately (10-K)
Individual appraiser credentials (National Registry, state boards)

Can’t show

The quality of an individual report
Valuation results of private firms
How a firm’s valuations compare with later sale prices

How our scores work here

Firms here get a public-record score: a number out of 10 with its breakdown, built only from audited filings, regulator and court records, and rankings researched by third parties. Criteria and weights: Valuation revenue (35%); Valuation growth (35%); Clarity of the reported line (30%). Today 3 of the 8 firms we profile in this section can be scored; the others show “Not yet scored”, which means the public record does not cover every criterion. It says nothing about service quality. We attach no label, tier or recommendation to a score, and a lower number is not a judgment of how a firm treats clients. Use it to see what is documented, then do the checks below.

Explore

Appraisal and valuation hub · Independent appraisers · Brokerage valuation arms · Appraisal management · CBRE Valuation & Advisory · JLL Value and Risk Advisory · Cushman & Wakefield Valuation · Newmark Valuation · Integra Realty Resources · BBG · CBRE vs JLL valuation · IRR vs BBG · Mortgage lender and title guide

Questions

Can I pick the appraiser for my mortgage?

Usually the lender orders the appraisal. Federal rules require the valuation to reflect the appraiser’s independent judgment, and you are entitled to a free copy for a first-lien home loan.

How do I check an appraiser’s credential?

Search the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry, which lists state-credentialed appraisers, or your state appraisal board.

What if the appraisal is lower than the price?

The CFPB suggests getting a copy and notes you can often use the lower value to negotiate the price. Ask your lender how it handles a request for reconsideration.

What does the appraisal score measure?

Valuation revenue, its growth and how clearly the line is reported in the parent’s filing. A number out of 10, not a recommendation.

Regulatory and legal points summarize the linked primary sources as read on 2026-10-21. Rules vary by state and change over time; this guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Sources

CFPB, Regulation Z § 1026.42, valuation independence · accessed 2026-10-20
CFPB, “Do I have the right to receive a copy of my home appraisal?” · accessed 2026-10-20
CFPB, “My appraisal is less than the sale price. What does that mean for me?” · accessed 2026-10-20
Appraisal Subcommittee, National Registry of appraisers · accessed 2026-10-20

Last verified 2026-10-21. Figures were re-read from the linked sources that day.

View changelog

2026-10-21 Guide published.