Appraiser Committee in Favor of Licensing

As members of the real estate appraisal profession we are vitally concerned about the reputation of that profession. As you so well pointed out in your article (Feb. 2), the appraisal profession is largely unregulated.

As members of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers we must comply with a strict code of ethics and standards of professional practice. Most appraisers belong to no professional organization and do not have to comply with any standards or ethics code.

Licensing of real estate appraisers in California would insure minimum education and experience requirements. It would create a regulatory board that could effectively control the conduct of the licensee. This board could remove from the profession incompetent appraisers and could require poorly trained or poorly educated appraisers to achieve minimum standards.

All appraisers owe it to themselves and their chosen profession to put the utmost pressure on their elected officials to achieve licensing for real estate appraisers in California now .

VICKIE L. GILL

JOHN N. HOOPES

Gill and Hoopes are co-chairmen of the Committee in Favor of Licensing of the Long Beach-South Bay chapter of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers.