Real estate appraiser training teaches you how to determine the value of property according to state and national guidelines in preparation for the appraiser licensing exam. We considered dozens of online appraisal classes and picked the six best—including the best overall—based on pricing, geographic availability, format, and platform ease of use.
Real Estate Appraiser Training Course | Best For |
|---|---|
(Best Overall) Prospective appraiser trainees and licensees wanting extensive geographic coverage and course offerings | |
Appraiser management companies, brokerages, and other companies that need group training | |
Professionals who need low-cost, but complete prelicensing course packages | |
Appraisal trainee test takers who primarily need an affordable exam prep platform | |
Aspiring and licensed appraisers who want to focus on post-licensing professional development resources | |
Licensed appraisers who need to meet online continuing education requirements |
Real estate appraiser classes will teach you how to provide an objective estimate of the value of a property for tax, mortgage, insurance, and other purposes. Take our quiz to find out which provider can give you the best training according to your professional needs.
Which Online Real Estate Appraisal Class Is Right for You?
How We Evaluated Real Estate Appraisal Classes
Professionals who want to get licensed as an appraiser trainee have to meet the same national and state-specific prelicensing requirements as those who want to go on to become a real estate agent. What’s more, appraiser trainees who want to upgrade to a licensed appraiser or certified appraiser need courses to meet additional education requirements. Given these needs, we evaluated appraiser training options based on price, course offerings, geographic availability, platform ease of use, and customer support.
To evaluate the best real estate appraiser training, we considered several criteria:
- Pricing
- Course availability
- Geographic availability
- Course format
- Ease of use
- Customer support
Based on our review of appraisal classes, we chose McKissock Learning as the best overall option. In addition to being one of the best accredited real estate schools, McKissock offers the most extensive geographic coverage, as well as a variety of courses that carry appraisers from prelicensing through continuing education.
McKissock Learning: Best Overall Real Estate Appraiser Training
What it is: McKissock Learning is an online education company offering appraisal classes and continuing education courses in all 50 states.
What makes it great for aspiring real estate appraisers: Not only is McKissock our top pick because of extensive geographic availability, but the platform features a variety of high-quality coursework, a user-friendly dashboard, and a valuable annual membership option, making it great for those seeking a robust course offering at a competitive price.
McKissock Pros | McKissock Cons |
|---|---|
Available in every state | Customer support is not always accessible |
Multiple package options | Lacks exam prep courses |
User-friendly platform |
McKissock Pricing
- 15-hour individual courses range from $209.95 to $299.95
- 30-hour courses cost $409.95
- Unlimited Learning package is $1,299
- Get Started package is $1,599.95
- Advanced Pro package is $2,199.95
- Additional state-specific package prices vary by state
- Unlimited Learning annual membership is $399 per year or $774 for two years
McKissock Features
- Courses available in every state
- Prelicensing, license upgrade courses, continuing education, and professional development
- Over 40 appraisal courses
- Rated the number one appraisal school in the nation
- Various course formats, including live classes, live webinars, and audio and video lectures
- Study checklists, reference guides, and other learning tools
- Quizzes that help assess understanding
- Instructor support available by email
- Appraisal blog includes tips, trends, and additional resources
What Students Say About McKissock
Students who take appraisal classes with McKissock find the platform is a time-saving option that is easy to fit into a busy schedule. What’s more, the courses are easy to navigate and feature high-quality instructors. In contrast, some users reported that the detail-oriented courses can take longer than indicated. For more details about what McKissock users think about the platform, visit our McKissock reviews page.
Screenshot of McKissock course dashboard
Mbition: Best for Group Learning
What it is: Mbition is an online real estate education platform that offers both individual and group education.
What makes it great for aspiring real estate appraisers: The school features a streamlined Learning Management System and specialization in group education. This makes it best for appraiser management companies, brokerages, and other businesses that want to provide licensing and continuing education courses to groups of employees.
Mbition Pros | Mbition Cons |
|---|---|
Only provider to offer courses for groups | Lacks exam prep courses |
Available in all states | Lacks live class option |
Affordable options |
Mbition Pricing
- 75-hour trainee packages cost $899
- 150-hour trainee plus licensed packages cost $1,199
- Individual courses cost between $289 and $349
- 15-hour professional development courses cost $199
- Continuing education courses cost $99 for seven hours and $189 for 14 hours
Mbition Features
- Appraisal courses offered in every state
- Includes prelicensing, license updates, and continuing education
- Courses offered through Mbition’s Learning Management System (LMS)
- Interactive tutorials, printed materials, and instructor feedback
- Timed quizzes are required to help you master concepts
- Free webinars
What Students Say About Mbition
In general, Mbition has excellent online reviews from its users. Specifically, students find the Learning Management System extremely convenient and easy to use. The courses are also extremely flexible and convenient, even for busy professionals. However, some users thought the platform was expensive for an individual user. You can learn more about its parent company’s other training options by visiting our OnCourse Learning reviews page.
Screenshot of Mbition dashboard
Hondros College: Best for Low-cost, Complete Training Packages
What it is: Hondros College offers nationwide online real estate appraiser training in 40 states.
What makes it great for aspiring real estate appraisers: Complete coursework packages from Hondros are less expensive than other provider packages and significantly cheaper than buying all required appraisal courses individually. Even at a lower price point, Hondros offers high-quality training and is a great option for real estate professionals on a budget.
Hondros Pros | Hondros Cons |
|---|---|
Affordable package options | Individual courses are not the least expensive choice |
User-friendly interface | Very few online reviews |
No interactive components |
Hondros Pricing
- Course packages range from $595 to $1,399
- 15-hour Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course is $299
- 30-hour Basic Appraisal Principles and Procedures are $399 each
- 15-hour individual courses cost $199
- Exam prep courses cost between $149 and $249
Hondros Features
- Available in 40 states
- Includes prelicensing, exam prep, and continuing education
- National exam prep course available
- All appraisal courses offered online
- Online bookstore offers additional resources
- Customer support available by phone, email, and live chat
What Students Say About Hondros
Hondros College has a 4.0 rating on Niche. The vast majority of students reported that the courses are extremely helpful and that the instructors are informative and accessible. Students also appreciate the online format of the lectures, which makes it easy to fit the required courses into busy schedules.
Screenshot of Hondros user dashboard
(Source: Hondros College Course Demo)
VanEd: Best for Affordable Exam Prep
What it is: VanEd is an online real estate education provider that offers a variety of appraisal classes.
What makes it great for aspiring real estate appraisers: VanEd is able to provide prelicensing courses through its partnership with Mbition. However, what sets it apart is its affordable exam prep course, which at $79 makes it a bargain compared to other schools. For this reason, we recommend it for those who are primarily seeking additional help to prepare for the exam and don’t need an all-in-one solution.
VanEd Pros | VanEd Cons |
|---|---|
Most affordable option for exam prep and professional development | Additional courses are not available in most states |
Exam prep course includes many useful study tools | Prelicensing courses are only available through partnership with Mbition—not an all-in-one course provider |
Only provider that offers a free trial |
VanEd Pricing
- USPAP 15-hour course costs $950
- Exam prep course is $79
- Frequent discounts offered
- Five-day free trial
VanEd Features
- Continuing education (CE) courses are offered in most states
- Prelicensing courses are offered through partnership with Mbition
- All courses are offered online through lectures and e-books
- National exam prep course includes 900 practice questions, vocabulary review, interactive tools, practice exams, and flashcards
- Customer support is available by phone, email, live chat, and social media
What Students Say About VanEd
VanEd users find that the platform is extremely easy to navigate and effectively prepares professionals for the appraisal exam. Test takers also report that course instructors and customer service are accommodating and offer professional guidance. However, some users felt that the live seminars were not helpful and that technical difficulties plagued their experience with the website.
Screenshot of VanEd user dashboard
Appraisal Institute: Best for Professional Development
What it is: Appraisal Institute (AI) is a professional organization that provides resources, like job search tools, to real estate industry professionals.
What makes it great for aspiring real estate appraisers: AI offers qualifying and license upgrade courses and continuing education credits to members and non-members. Membership benefits and a variety of topic-specific courses make Appraisal Institute a great option for appraisers who want to grow their career via professional resources.
Appraisal Institute Pros | Appraisal Institute Cons |
|---|---|
Video-based courses | Not as focused on online education as other options |
In-person course options | Courses not available in every state |
Membership option is ideal for appraisers to develop their career | No exam prep courses |
Appraisal Institute Pricing
- Prelicensing courses range from $360 to $499
- Seven-hour update course is $250
- Professional development courses cost $200
- AI membership costs between $50 and $460
- AI members receive a discount on all individual courses and packages
Appraisal Institute Features
- Variety of prelicensing, continuing education, and professional development courses
- Many courses are offered in every state
- Courses available online, on demand, and in classrooms
- Online courses follow a video-based format with quizzes to assess progress
What Students Say About Appraisal Institute
Online reviews are limited for Appraisal Institute’s appraisal education courses. However, students on Indeed raved about their experience and stated that AI is “the gold standard” in real estate appraiser training.
Screenshot of Appraisal Institute course search function
Appraiser eLearning: Best for Continuing Education
What it is: Appraiser eLearning is an online course provider that exclusively offers continuing education courses for licensed appraisers, including unique classes not available from other providers.
What makes it great for aspiring real estate appraisers: The platform is only available in 29 states, but its affordable continuing education courses make it great for appraisers in those states with ongoing license renewal requirements.
Appraiser eLearning Pros | Appraiser eLearning Cons |
|---|---|
Variety of CE course topics | Least geographically available school |
Affordable CE courses | Lacks exam prep or prelicensing |
Engaging video lessons |
Appraiser eLearning Pricing
- Seven-hour courses cost $119.95
- Three-hour courses cost $69.95
- 14-hour bundles cost $229.95
Appraiser eLearning Features
- CE courses offered in 29 states
- Seven individual courses
- Specialization packages like Home Measurement and Sales Comparison
- Courses include video lectures, case studies, and written materials
- Customer support available by phone or email
What Students Say About Appraiser eLearning
There aren’t many user reviews for Appraiser eLearning available online. However, the reviews provided on the Appraiser eLearning website reveal that students find the course videos extremely informative and easy to understand. What’s more, those previously registered for Appraiser eLearning courses report that the case studies do an excellent job of providing context for real-world appraisal problems.
Screenshot of Appraiser eLearning dashboard
State-specific Appraisal Training & Requirements
In addition to nationwide real estate appraiser training providers, there are local appraisal training platforms that offer coursework to meet state-specific requirements. If you prefer to take a live, local course, check with your state’s licensing board to choose an approved course provider. To help you choose appraisal classes, we evaluated course options in four of the largest states.
Click on your state’s name for more details on the appraiser license requirements:
State | State-specific Appraiser Training Providers With In-person Courses |
|---|---|
Bottom Line
To become an appraiser trainee and, eventually, a licensed real estate appraiser, it’s necessary to take several online or in-person appraisal classes. The best schools are affordable; provide a wide range of courses for prelicensing, exam prep, and continuing education; and make it easy for real estate professionals to navigate.
Overall, McKissock Learning is the best option for real estate appraiser training courses. Not only is the platform available across the entire U.S., the school has a wide variety of courses and tens of thousands of positive reviews. Click here for more information on how McKissock can help you get an appraiser’s license.
Mohd Basheeruddin
Training is essential part of learning in real estate and thanks for sharing this information with us.