Acquiring a formal certification or accreditation is critical in the valuation profession and typically requires a few years of hands-on experience and the successful completion of several educational courses to gain the initial recognized title. Once acquired, there is usually a renewal process every 3-5 years depending on the organization providing the designations, whereby a minimum of 20 annual continuing education hours are needed to maintain and extend it beyond the initial period.
Staying current on topics such as ethics, report writing requirements, industry/market developments, tax laws, and economic fluctuations is important so that appraisers can continually be aware of developments in these areas in order to provide ongoing credible valuation work.
There are a few different ways valuation professionals can accomplish these continuing education requirements. The most common is attending courses and seminars provided by their primary recognized associations, such as the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), the Appraisal Institute, or the Appraisal Association of America.
Prior to the development of online course offerings, appraisers could only attend courses in person, which was more time-consuming and costly. Virtual classes are generally less expensive and allow individuals more flexibility in terms of scheduling. Some of these associations also have local chapters that meet throughout the year and create learning opportunities on a more personalized level.
Another option is to attend conferences, trade shows, and seminars provided by third-party organizations that specialize in areas such as finance, tax, accounting, economics, and specific business industries that the appraisers might focus on. Over the last few years, many of these events are now offered both in person and virtually.
The appraiser is required to track, log and report their hours to the sponsor organizations who will formally provide the recertification or reaccreditation once completed. These steps are crucial to the long-term credibility and continuing validation of both the individual appraisers and the valuation industry as a whole.
When you are seeking the services of an appraiser to value your business, ask them if they have maintained their continuing education requirements that pertain to their specific designation and their affiliated organization.