Click on any question below to be taken to our response.

• Why should I join N.A.P.A.?
• Who can join?
• What if I have no experience as an appraiser?
• Do I need a college degree to be a professional appraiser?
• Do I need a license to be a professional appraiser?
• How can N.A.P.A. help me become a professional appraiser?
• What are the costs involved in becoming a N.A.P.A. member?
• What would my earning potential as a professional appraiser be like?
• What kinds of employment opportunities will I find in the appraisal industry?
• What does my initial membership package include?

• Where can I go if I don't see my question listed here?

Membership with N.A.P.A. can be an invaluable tool for any professional appraiser-- both experienced and beginning.  As member of N.A.P.A. you will enjoy these benefits:

• You will obtain immediate recognition as a MEMBER of a professional appraisal association and you'll have the opportunity to grow professionally by completing one or more professional home-study courses;.  

• You will be able to network with professional peers;

• You will be listed in our internationally viewed web site, complete with  a link to your web site; 

• You will have access to our members-only resources for promoting and aiding with your business.  Most importantly, you will have a base of professionals to whom you can turn for support at any time in your business;  

• You will have access to our officers and directors through our national toll free 800 line for assistance in solving most appraisal problems;

• You will receive the tools and training necessary to complete an appraisal task competently;

• You will gain professional status with a membership certificate suitable for hanging, an embossing seal, lapel pin, and a window decal;

• You will gain added prestige and professionalism to your resume;

• You will have the opportunity to take our home-study courses, designed to give you the professional standards of practice needed, the various market applications, and to enable you to produce professional reports;

We are certain that your membership will more than pay for itself in support, resources and opportunities to network and promote your business!

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Who can join NAPA?

Membership in the National Association of Professional Appraisers is open to anyone who either wants to learn or who has experience in the fields commonly requiring the services of an appraiser. These fields include antiques, art, decorative art, jewelry, collectibles, real property, machinery, equipment, or intangible property such as trademarks, patents or business enterprise.

If you are retailing, dealing or have a general interest in antiques, art, jewelry, or collectibles, and you want to add or improve appraisal as part of your business, you can join NAPA today.   If you're an auctioneer and give written or oral valuations as part of your business, you should be aware of changing rules, and you should join NAPA today.

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What if I have no professional experience as an appraiser?  Can I still join?

Yes! The National Association of Professional Appraisers provides training and guidance to become a professional. Although experience in a field allied to appraisal is important, we offer a number of professional home-study courses which teach you the skills, standards, methods and techniques you will need to prepare consistent, quality appraisals.

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Do I need a college degree to be a professional appraiser?

No.  In fact, very few people attend a university in order to enter the field of appraisals.  Most appraisers evolved from another trade or profession, such as real estate brokering, accounting, antiques, art dealership, jewelry, machinery dealerships, etc.   Today, one becomes an appraiser by deciding to be one, taking courses in appraisal theory, becoming thoroughly familiar with acceptable national professional standards, doing research, and learning the ins and outs of report writing.  

Our in-depth home-study courses teach with text the professional and rules that will enable you to produce appraisals and appraisal reports in accordance with recognized national standards.

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Do I need a license in order to be a professional appraiser?

No.  Actually, at present there is no license requirement for the appraisal of businesses, machinery, antiques, jewelry, or art.  However, there are acceptable national standards of appraisal practice that are followed by those who prepare appraisals for government agencies, courts and other serious matters.    

Our three in-depth home study courses go over these professional standards in detail so that you may produce appraisal reports with them closely in mind.

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How can NAPA help me become a professional appraiser?

NAPA focuses entirely on providing a solid base of knowledgeable support and networking opportunities to the professional appraiser.   You may know the business of antiques, or art, stamps, jewelry, books, real estate, collectibles, or other types of property, but you may not know the standards of practice, legal requirements, IRS Rules, or methods and techniques used by professional appraisers. 

NAPA provides you with easy, accessible, and inexpensive ways of achieving professional knowledge and status. Our officers and directors bring decades of experience in the appraisal field to their duties, and you can always reach us at our toll free 800 number for support on any of your projects.   Our current officers and directors have decades of experience in the appraisal profession and you can call our toll free 800 number and obtain help with almost any appraisal problem.

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What are the costs involved in becoming a NAPA member?

Include an initial application processing fee of $100 for Regular Membership or $150 for Senior Membership. 

Our optional but in-depth home-study courses vary in fees.  Click on the link to learn more about them. 

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What would my earning potential as a professional appraiser be?

A professional appraiser's income is based on billable time in the same manner as an attorney, certified public accountant, and some medical professionals. An appraiser, ethically, cannot take a contingent fee or a percentage fee. Earnings depend on the amount of billable time, whether there are operating expenses such as office rent, yellow pages advertising, phones, etc.

Earning capacity also depends on the type of appraisal practice. Antique and art appraisers who provide appraisals for insurance coverage earn significantly less than those who provide litigation support and whose reports are backed by expert witness testimony. There are real property appraisers involving litigation issues. The mortgage appraiser may earn as little as a couple of hundred dollars a week, whereas the litigation appraiser may earn thousands. The greatest earning capacity is among professional appraisers who are competent and qualified to appraise real property, personal property, and intangible property.

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What kind of employment opportunities will I find in the appraisal field?

You may be called upon to appraise property for many situations, including guardianships,  conservatorships, decedent estate, divorce, shareholder disputes, damages resulting from negligence, collateral, IRS charitable donations, gift taxes, and more.

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What does the initial membership package include? 

• a framed membership certificate;.  
• an elegant lapel pin;
• a N.A.P.A. window decal for your business;
• a professional appraisers' embossing seal for Senior Professional Appraisers;
• While available, you will receive complimentary copies of three N.A.P.A. books;

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Where can I go if I don't see my question listed here?

There are many ways in which you can contact NAPA and receive an immediate or next-to-immediate response.  

• Write to us at:

• Email us at:  support@professionalappraisers.org 
• Fax us at:  617-720-0274
• Within the Greater Boston area, call us at:  617-720-0332
• Outside Greater Boston, you can call us toll-free at : 1-800-698-9833

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