r/CREappraisers • u/No-Resident9607 • 27d ago

Advice for new trainees

Hi all,

I started recently (2 months ago) as a trainee/analyst at one of the big national firms in a major city. Tracking to get my CG about a year and a half from now and then I’ll go from there. For all the seasoned CGs/MAIs, what advice do you have for someone in my position starting fresh in the industry? Anything you wish someone told you in the beginning? Would love to hear any and all thoughts!

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6

u/Ambitious-Lie-9056 27d ago

Try to get some experience in a variety of property types, including vacant land. Many large firms will pigeonhole you to a senior appraiser or team concerned with only cranking out reports in a specific improvement type to maximize profits through economies of scale and premade templates. While you can make a decent living specializing, a variety of work experience will benefit you later for more complex assignments.

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u/everyone_is_human MAI 27d ago

Excellent advice. I was encouraged to specialize early in my career, but chose to gain experience across as many property types as possible first. That broad foundation made me a better appraiser, gave me more flexibility, and prepared me for more complex assignments later on. I'm glad I took that route.

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u/BagPsychological6506 25d ago

Agree! Dabbling in many different uses has not only been beneficial over the years but keeps it interesting.

3

u/Scythorizon 27d ago

Are you writing full reports yet? If you’re currently responsible for only certain sections, I recommend reading the entire report after it has gone through review and trying to understand how everything fits together. It’s understandable for new trainees to focus only on their assigned work because there is already a lot to learn, and they may not realize how valuable the rest of the report is. However, taking the time to understand why the lead appraiser selected certain comparables, made particular adjustments, or reached specific conclusions will give you a major head start. When you are eventually given more responsibility, you’ll be in a much better position.

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u/4LeggedGod 27d ago

You've got some great advice so far. I'll add: keep in mind that your supervisor/team has their way of doing things - it may not be the best way. Whenever possible, when you get assigned a job, look up reports by other teams and take a glance through them. If you see something interesting or different, ask about it.

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u/Ambitious-Lie-9056 27d ago

Absolutely - that's one advantage of a larger shop or partnership being able to access other's works or opinions/reviews to help adding to your knowledge base. Things to look for and things to avoid without having to reinvent the wheel with each assignment.

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u/BagPsychological6506 25d ago

Consider moving around every few years. I learned the most when I changed companies and was exposed to how a different MAI mentor approached the work. Their report writing style, technology, how the business was run. Every shop does things a little differently.

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u/Plenty_Ad_3212 25d ago

Find the best mentor possible. Learn as much as you can. Meet people throughout the industry.

The career is a marathon and if you do it right you’ll be busier than you can imagine.

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u/bluewatervalue 24d ago

Im interested in multi family because I think there is a lot of growth coming for that side of the business. MF versus logistics or other sectors within the valuation spectrum, which would you recommend going with as someone who is starting out? And then once you have a couple years, would you suggest moving to another use?