Appraisers, as it has been well-documented, are constantly changing and adapting to new guidelines and regulations that are placed upon their shoulders. Trainees face similar change, as well as challenges, as they try to get a foot in the door of appraising.

Damon Hall, a trainee from Aloft Appraisal, took part in Fannie Mae’s ADI (Appraiser Diversity Initiative) program. Hall, whose supervisor is David Manchester, sat down with us to recount his journey into the world of appraising, while pointing out what drew him to the field.

“My appraisal journey was quite an adventure. While in college, I was planning to major between finance or accounting following in the footsteps of a few relatives who worked in these sectors,” Hall told Valuation Review. “I first discovered appraisal towards the end of freshman year of college after watching an episode of 60 Minutes talking about the impacts of predatory lending and all the other atrocious practices that contributed to the economic crisis of 2008.  As much as I wanted to enter the field, I could not figure out how to get my feet into the market, so I started my career in accounting at the beginning of 2012.

“After working a few years in the accounting field, I realized that I wanted to transition into a new career. I set a personal goal to pivot into a new profession before my tenth year in accounting,” Hall added.  “I started to search for careers where I could easily transfer my accounting and other skillsets by creating a list of careers that were of interest.  I realized that none of the careers I had compiled on my list aligned with what I really wanted to do, so I shifted my focus. I’ve always had a fascination with home valuations and market trends and realized that appraisal was a fit.  I started inquiries in mid-2018 with various parties on how to enter to the market.”

Initially, Hall’s attempt to enter the appraisal sector was filled with constant rejection or silence that was discouraging. He reassessed and started researching various forums on how to break into the field of appraising and finally came across great information on YouTube, of all places. 

He started compiling notes on how to enter the sector based on the information he was seeing from various parties. 

“Fast forward to September 2021, I connected with an employer on how to become a trainee,” he said.  “I received a contingent offer and an ADI scholarship the same month.  By February 2022, I was a licensed trainee and working at Aloft Appraisal as an appraisal trainee in Seattle.”

  Hall worked nearly a decade in accounting and had a range of supervisors. 

“In accounting, you are self-reliant with training yourself and becoming competent.  My current role as a trainee has been one of my best training experiences in my career,” he said. “My direct supervisor really tries to make sure that I am continuously progressing on the path of becoming a strong certified appraiser.  Aloft continues to prioritize continuing education by focusing us on new industry standards and providing us with access to a Learning & Development Team with plenty of resources.”

We asked Hall what, if anything, has surprised him about what is expected of appraisers? Is it

what he thought it would be?

“I thoroughly researched what was expected as an appraiser and have not been too surprised in my experience,” he told us. “I would say the most interesting thing is private clients as they can come from all walks of life. The most surprising experience in appraisal is clients trying to influence value.  Real estate is like accounting, numbers don’t lie! I research a property and let the market drive my opinion of value.” 

“Aloft represents a new generation of appraisal firms that are embracing trainees, diversity and technology like never before,” Aloft Chief Appraiser Hansel Dobbs said. “Aloft’s trainees have been great to work with from day one and bring a level of energy to Aloft that lets us know our profession has a bright future.”

Aloft Appraisal CEO Travis Soukup spoke about making solid investments into one’s future.

“At Aloft, we care deeply about investing in our people,” Soukup said. “By pairing experienced appraisers with a diverse team of trainees and equipping them with the best tools, tech and training, we’re developing the next-generation appraiser while also delivering an industry-leading appraisal experience.”

The learning curve, though, is always a teacher, as well.

“What’s done is done,” Aloft Appraisal Head of Growth Jillian White said. “The ramifications of the supervisor/trainee model are on full display. The only thing to do now is learn from the past and make different choices in the future.”