Real Estate Appraisers NAICS 531320

        Real Estate Appraisers

Unlock access to the full platform with more than 900 industry reports and local economic insights.

Get Free Trial

Get access to this Industry Profile including 18+ chapters and more than 50 pages of industry research.

Purchase Report

Industry Summary

The 12,800 real estate appraisers in the US estimate the fair market value of land and buildings, typically before properties are sold, mortgaged, taxed, insured, or developed. Large firms may offer related services, such as information or closing services. Independent appraisers may serve as expert witnesses.

Vulnerability to Trends in Housing Market

A key driver of financial performance in the real estate appraisal industry is the US housing market, which is sensitive to changes in economic conditions.

Competition from Alternative Valuation Models

Alternative valuation models (AVM), which are computerized models used by mortgage originators and secondary market issuers to determine property value, pose a significant threat to real estate appraisers.


Recent Developments

May 16, 2025 - Home Builders Boost Incentives to Lure Wary Buyers
  • US home builders are dangling more incentives to close deals amid a tepid spring home-buying season that is halfway over, according to The Wall Street Journal. Builders typically notch 40% of their annual sales during the spring, but mortgage rates that are stuck around 7% and a lack of affordability have reduced demand. Builders have increased incentives to bring buyers off the sidelines, including mortgage-rate buydowns, design upgrades, and price cuts. In the first two weeks of April, incentives offered by builders equaled 7.2% of the purchase price, up from 6.1% in January, according to data from John Burns Research & Consulting. Incentives are eating into builder profits during a season that usually sees few discounts, and prices tend to rise.
  • The price gap between new and existing homes is narrowing, according to National Association of Home Builders analysis of US Census Bureau data. In the first quarter of 2025, the median price for a new home was $416,900, only $14,600 more than the median existing home price. In Q1, the median price for a new home declined 2.32% year-over-year; the median price for an existing home rose 3.38% over the same period. The average price difference between new and existing homes over the last five years is $26,700, and over 10 years it’s $66,000. The price gap between new and existing homes has been closing as tight inventories of existing homes have pushed up prices. At the same time, builders have reduced lot and home sizes and offered incentives to attract buyers.
  • US apartment sales increased 7% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, reaching $30 billion, according to MSCI Real Assets and reporting by Multifamily Dive. The rise marked the fourth consecutive quarter of increased apartment sales. Single-property sales saw the most significant growth, rising 39% over Q1 2024 to $25.7 billion. While sales of individual apartment assets have returned to pre-pandemic levels, portfolio and entity-level sales remain below historical norms. Portfolio apartment deals increased 18% in the first quarter of 2025 to $4.4 billion, while there were no entity-level deals in Q1. MSCI noted that while US trade policy news cycles have had a whipsawing effect on public equity and bond markets, the multifamily market rarely reacts to shocks in a single quarter.
  • The advantage in the US housing market may be shifting from sellers to buyers, according to The Wall Street Journal. Bidding wars are less common as competition over homes on the market has waned, which is giving potential buyers more leverage. On average, existing homes are selling for 2% below the asking price, according to Redfin. The reduction in seller pricing power is partly due to more homes coming onto the market. According to Redfin, new listings were up 5% in January compared to a year earlier. Houses are also staying on the market longer, creating an advantage for buyers. In January, the typical home sale had been on the market for two months, marking the most extended period since February 2020, according to Redfin.

Industry Revenue

Real Estate Appraisers


Industry Structure

Industry size & Structure

The average real estate appraiser employs 2 workers and generates about $650,000 annually.

    • The real estate appraisal industry consists of about 13,000 firms that employ 36,000 workers and generate $8.3 billion annually.
    • The industry is fragmented; the top 50 companies account for 40% of industry revenue.
    • About 39% of establishments generate between $100,000 and $249,999 annually; 23% generate less than $100,000 annually; and 20% generate between $250,000 and $499,999 annually.
    • Large appraisal management companies (AMC) include CoreLogic, Solidifi, and TSI Appraisal.
    • Nearly 42% of appraisers are employees within a firm and 46% are sole proprietors without employees, according to the Appraisal Institute.

                          Industry Forecast

                          Industry Forecast
                          Real Estate Appraisers Industry Growth
                          Source: Vertical IQ and Inforum

                          Vertical IQ Industry Report

                          For anyone actively digging deeper into a specific industry.

                          50+ pages of timely industry insights

                          18+ chapters

                          PDF delivered to your inbox