1. Know who qualifies
Under the AQB Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria effective January 1, 2026, a supervisory appraiser must:
- Be state-certified (Certified Residential or Certified General) and in good standing for at least 3 years
- Have had no disciplinary action in any state in the last 3 years that affected their eligibility to practice (administrative issues such as a late renewal don’t count)
- Be competent for the property type and geographic area where you train
- Complete the supervisor/trainee course before supervising you
- Supervise no more than 3 trainees at once, unless the state has an approved program allowing more
Your state can add to this. Pennsylvania, for example, asks for more years of experience. See your state page or the trainee requirements comparison.
2. Check your state’s official supervisor list
A few state boards publish lists of appraisers who are approved or willing to supervise. We link to them; we don’t copy them.
- Alabama: Board-approved mentor/supervisor search
- Arizona: List of Designated Supervisors & Trainee Appraisers (DIFI)
- Connecticut: Provisional appraiser sponsor program (opt-in sponsors)
- Iowa: List of Potential Supervisors
- Kansas: List of certified appraisers willing to supervise (on request)
- Nebraska: Supervisory Appraiser Contact List
- New York: List of Approved Supervisory Appraisers (Department of State)
- South Dakota: Log of registered supervisory appraisers
- Utah: Find a Trainee Supervisor directory (opt-in)
- Wyoming: Appraiser Supervisor Database (opt-in, on request)
Other states don’t publish a list. There, use the state’s license lookup (linked on each state page) or the ASC National Registry.
3. Search the ASC National Registry
The Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry lists every state-certified and licensed appraiser. You can search by state, city and credential type, and see each license’s status and any listed disciplinary action. Look for Certified Residential or Certified General appraisers near you.
4. Meet appraisers in person
- Local chapters of appraisal associations and state coalitions
- Continuing-education classes, where certified appraisers take their required hours
- Your qualifying-education school, which may know who is hiring trainees
5. Make it easy to say yes
- Finish your trainee education (83 hours under the 2026 criteria) and the supervisor/trainee course first.
- Keep your note short: who you are, where you live, what property types interest you and when you can start.
- Ask how they pay trainees (fee split, hourly or salary) and how many hours a month they can give you.
- Be patient and polite. Supervisors take on real liability: they sign the reports and accept responsibility for them.
Read what a supervisory appraiser must do to understand what you’re asking for.
Frequently asked questions
Who can be my supervisory appraiser?
Under the national AQB criteria (effective January 1, 2026), a state-certified appraiser (Certified Residential or Certified General) who has been certified and in good standing for at least 3 years, has had no practice-related discipline affecting their eligibility in the last 3 years, is competent for the property type and area, and has taken the supervisor/trainee course. Some states add more, so check your state page.
Can I have more than one supervisor?
Yes. The AQB criteria let a trainee have more than one supervisor. You keep a separate experience log with each one.
How many trainees can one supervisor take?
No more than 3 at a time under the AQB criteria, unless the state runs a program with progress monitoring and supervisor qualifications that allows more.
Does my supervisor have to be licensed in my state?
The AQB criteria say a supervisor does not need to have held the credential in the trainee’s state for any minimum time, Each state sets its own rules on which credential the supervisor must hold, so confirm with your state board.
What if I can’t find a supervisor?
Many states accept PAREA, an AQB-approved program that gives simulated experience credit instead of field supervision. See PAREA vs. a supervisor.
Sources
- The Appraisal Foundation, AQB Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria: https://appraisalfoundation.org/pages/criteria
- Criteria booklet effective January 1, 2026, “Supervisory Appraiser Requirements,” pp. 17–18 (PDF copy hosted by the Alabama board): PDF
- Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) National Registry: https://www.asc.gov/appraiser
- State board supervisor lists: the links above, checked October 29, 2026