Nebraska state law does not require licenses for everyone on an assessor’s team, even though they visit properties. Eight members of the Douglas County Assessor’s office do not have real estate or appraisal licenses, according to a report from WOWT-TV Channel 6 in Omaha, Neb.
The assessor’s office has come under fire in recent weeks after raising property values in some parts of Omaha.
“The eight unlicensed people are called ‘real estate listers,’ ” County Assessor/Register of Deeds Official Diane Battiato told the TV station. “They do not assign value to properties. Instead, they take photos, measure properties, and collect data to pass along to the actual appraisers, all of whom have a license or certificate.”
However, that explanation doesn’t satisfy at least one resident, who complained to the TV station, wondering whether the real estate listers were providing bad data to the appraisers. Her home valuation has gone up by $15,000.