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PAREA vs. a supervisor

There are two ways to earn the experience you need for a residential appraiser credential: work under a certified supervisor, or finish an AQB-approved PAREA program. Here’s how they compare.

Side by side

Traditional supervisionPAREA
How you earn experienceReal appraisal assignments, logged with a certified supervisorSimulated assignments with mentor review; at least 3 USPAP-compliant reports per level
Who guides youA certified appraiser, 3+ years in good standing, who signs your reportsProgram mentors, certified appraisers in good standing for at least 3 years
Minimum timeLicensed Residential: at least 6 months. Certified Residential: at least 12 monthsFinishing a program also counts toward the time rules: the Licensed Residential program can satisfy the 6-month minimum (and up to 6 of the 12 months for Certified Residential); the Certified Residential program can satisfy the 12-month minimum. No partial credit until you finish.
Credit toward Certified ResidentialAll 1,500 hoursUp to 100% with the Certified Residential program; up to 67% with the Licensed Residential program
Credit toward Certified GeneralAll 3,000 hours, including 1,500 non-residentialUp to 50% at most, and no non-residential hours
Where it’s acceptedEvery stateFully available in 44 jurisdictions on the Appraisal Foundation’s map of 2025-08-15; not yet in Alaska, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada or Wyoming; partial in Kansas

Choose supervision if…

Choose PAREA if…

You can also do both: keep looking for a supervisor while you study. Read PAREA explained for entry requirements, or how to find a supervisory appraiser.

Build a trainee profile Browse supervisors

Sources