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2025 ASC Data Analysis: State of the Appraisal Profession

· 3 min read
Chase Pursley
Chase Pursley
Founder of Appraisal Inbox

Current State of the Appraisal Profession in 2025​

Recent data from the ASC Federal Registry, as analyzed in a comprehensive report by JobsInAppraisal.com, reveals significant insights into our profession's composition. The registry now records 66,715 active appraisers across the United States, collectively holding over 91,000 licenses. These numbers tell an important story about the current state and future direction of the appraisal industry.

Experience Distribution Analysis​

The experience profile of today's appraisers shows a notable pattern:

  • 35.2% of appraisers have less than 5 years of experience
  • 27.8% have more than 20 years of experience
  • 21.4% fall within the 5-15 year experience range

This distribution indicates both positive recruitment of new professionals and a strong foundation of experienced practitioners. However, the significant gap in mid-career appraisers—those with 5-15 years of experience—reflects diminished entry into the profession following the 2008 housing crisis. This demographic gap presents potential succession challenges as senior appraisers approach retirement age.

Geographic Distribution Patterns​

Analysis of appraiser density across regions reveals substantial variations:

  • Virginia demonstrates the highest concentration at 35.4 appraisers per 100,000 residents
  • New York shows the lowest density among major states at 16.7 appraisers per 100,000 residents
  • Population served per appraiser ranges from approximately 2,800 to 6,000 residents depending on location, with a national average of about 4,950 residents per appraiser

These regional disparities reflect both market saturation in certain areas and potential opportunities in underserved regions. With improving technology infrastructure and streamlined licensing reciprocity between states, appraisers have increasingly practical options to expand their service areas into markets with lower appraiser density.

Multi-state practice remains uncommon among appraisers. Only 16.4% currently hold licenses in multiple states, with fewer than 1% maintaining licenses in more than 10 states.

Appraisers who do operate across multiple jurisdictions typically:

  • Affiliate with established national valuation firms
  • Specialize in commercial property valuation
  • Service institutional clients with interstate portfolio requirements
  • Often work near borders of multiple states or are in smaller states

This represents a differentiation opportunity for appraisers seeking to expand their market presence and professional reach.

Strategic Implications for Appraisal Professionals​

The data suggests three key strategic priorities for appraisers:

  1. Operational efficiency is essential, particularly in markets with high population-to-appraiser ratios where demand necessitates optimized workflows.
  2. Strategic technology adoption serves both newer appraisers expecting contemporary tools and experienced professionals requiring solutions that complement established methodologies.
  3. Business scalability becomes increasingly important as the ability to manage higher order volumes—potentially across multiple jurisdictions—correlates with increased earning potential.

As the ASC data analysis indicates, these priorities become even more critical when considering the regional variations in appraiser availability and the ongoing demographic shifts within the profession.

Appraisal Inbox: Supporting Both Staff and Fee Appraisers​

Regardless of your position in the experience spectrum, properly implemented technology can help address the challenges revealed by these demographic shifts.

For appraiser teams: Appraisal Inbox enhances team coordination and organizational efficiency through collaborative features like Team Messaging and Team Calendar. These tools facilitate effective workload distribution and assignment tracking across expanded territories. Our Commission Tracking feature also helps staff appraisers monitor performance metrics and compensation, creating transparency and alignment with organizational goals.

For independent appraisers: Our platform reduces administrative burden through Order Forward, which automatically processes incoming order emails, and Portal Push for seamless AMC order integration. Customizable Appraisal Tasklists ensure methodological consistency across assignments. These efficiencies enable fee appraisers to handle higher volume without sacrificing quality or requiring additional administrative support, particularly valuable for those expanding into multiple jurisdictions.