A licensed appraiser will generally produce a more accurate, thorough and better-documented appraisal than an unlicensed person. However, they expect you to pay for their time, expertise and liability exposure.

Most real estate agents and brokers are not licensed appraisers, but they can often provide accurate estimates of value for little or no cost. If you’re thinking of selling your house, most real estate agents will conduct a free comparative market analysis or CMA. Of course, they’re hoping you’ll list your house with them if you decide to sell. Be sure you ask them to estimate the most probable selling price and marketing time as well as their suggested listing price. Be wary of inflated appraisals designed to get you to list your property with a particular agent. This is an unethical real estate practice.

Some real estate agents and brokers provide valuations for estate purposes at little or no cost. Again, they’re hoping you’ll work with them if and when you decide to sell.
How Do I Find an Appraiser?
The best way to find a licensed appraiser in California is to go to the Office of Real Estate Appraisers web site (www.orea.ca.gov). Select “find an appraiser” and search by city and zip code. You can also check the local yellow pages under “appraisers” and “real estate appraisers.”

There are a number of private appraiser directories on the Internet, but they only include those appraisers who have paid to be included. The OREA site includes all licensed appraisers and lets you know what level of license the appraiser has, if their license is current and if the appraiser has been subject to any disciplinary action.