The PAREA Program: Costly Promises, Empty Support
The PAREA program markets itself as a shiny, mentor-free express lane to becoming a real estate appraiser, but its steep price tag and lofty promises often lead to a dead end. For many, it’s less a pathway to success and more a costly detour. Eriv V, one frustrated hopeful, recently shared a raw, unfiltered account of his disillusionment with PAREA, exposing a system that falls short on support and delivers more headaches than help. Below, his candid review is quoted word for word, offering a stark warning for those eyeing a career in appraisal.
⭐ 1-Star Review
PAREA Appraisal Program Review – A Disappointing Experience for Students Who Need Support
I had high hopes when I enrolled in the PAREA program. I was genuinely excited about starting a career in real estate appraisal and was willing to invest over $4,000 of my own money to get the education and credentials I needed. Unfortunately, my experience with the program has been extremely frustrating and disheartening.
From the start, the program presented itself as a guided pathway through the appraisal process. However, what I encountered was mostly self-taught learning, dense materials, and very little interactive instruction. When I repeatedly asked for help, I was told that due to time constraints, one-on-one support wasn’t possible—which is exactly what I needed in order to learn the software, understand how to complete the appraisal forms correctly, and build confidence in the process.
There was no consistent mentorship, no step-by-step walk-throughs of how to complete assignments, and no real-time guidance. For someone who learns best through interaction and hands-on instruction, this program was not only ineffective—it was emotionally and financially draining. I put everything I had into trying to make this work, but ultimately, I had to withdraw from the program out of frustration and lack of support.
This may work for those with prior experience or those who thrive in a completely independent learning environment, but for new entrants like myself who need real instruction and mentorship, PAREA is not the right fit.
I’m sharing my experience not to complain, but to help others make an informed decision before investing their time and money. If you’re expecting a structured class with personal guidance through the appraisal process, this is not it.
- FOIA, AI, & the Appraiser’s Defense: A Blueprint for Fighting Back - June 13, 2025
- WA Appraisers Stung by Fee Hikes and Veto - June 6, 2025
- UAD 3.6: The Appraisal Industry’s Shiny New Straightjacket - May 30, 2025
PAREA was marketed as a modern solution to the appraiser shortage—an accessible, mentor-free fast track into the profession. But let’s call it what it really is: an expensive, poorly structured program that leaves most students stranded without the support they were promised.
Eriv V’s review nails it. Over $4,000 for what? Self-guided learning, dense material, no interactive instruction, and no real mentorship. If you’re not already experienced or extremely self-sufficient, you’re basically on your own. When students ask for help, they’re told support isn’t available due to time constraints. That’s unacceptable for a program with this kind of price tag.
And to make matters worse, PAREA still isn’t accepted in a majority of states. So even if you make it through the frustration, you may find out your certificate doesn’t qualify you for licensure where you live. That’s not a career path—that’s a dead end.
PAREA is failing to meet the needs of new entrants. It doesn’t reduce barriers; it creates new ones. It doesn’t solve the mentorship problem; it just removes mentorship entirely. Until it offers real guidance, reasonable pricing, and full state-level recognition, it’s going to continue falling short—for students, for the profession, and for the future of appraising.
And the mentorship is still needed after the program. Parea grads have no on site or in office knowledge, training or experience. There is so much in appraising that books and computer modules cannot teach. Sadly, I am not surprised by Eriv V’s experience, I have heard similar from other Parea participants. Glad someone finally spoke the truth.
Appraisal Institute..need I say more?
Typical to online instruction promoted by an increasingly consolidated and limited base of companies whom have reached into the appraisal industry. Most of the independent continuing education outlets created by appraisers for appraisers have been consolidated, bought out, co opted and limited by amc industry interests, or went under due to continued attrition of licensed appraiser head count. So what’s left is the maximized profit model with limited student benefit. A completely different model than one on one apprenticeship training under a dedicated employer supervisor. The idea a new appraiser could competently participate without a mentor has always been out of reach for most practical purposes, no collegiate or special program development will change that.
Welcome to real estate appraisal. Unless one pays for high cost in person education the alternative is a repetitive recycling of existing content, republished over and over again with slight changes in order for that provider to gain a fresh round of state based education approval. Create the content once, give it a minor update every few years, sell it over and over again. Much of the cost of class implementation lies in the providers requirement to constantly submit and re submit class content for approval, paying repetitive fees and filing redundant paperwork at each individual state for said course offering.
The experience is typical, which is why many applicants even via the trainee process do not make it to final licensing. If one is not exceptionally adept at self study in an independent all or nothing everything on you environment without a safety net, independent appraisal is unlikely to be a good fit. There is no guarantee a licensed appraiser will provide adequate education either. Systemic training deficiencies carry on down the line, perpetuated by an exploitative amc model which rewards the appraisers whom provide the least effort at the lowest cost, unreasonable fhfa and gse tolerance for outsourced automated often deficient servicer preference and disproportionate assignment volumes. ‘Appraisal modernization.’
Perfect description of the extortion racket we, maybe, survive under. I remember when most guys really wanted to learn and become as educated and experienced as possible so that they could do a good job. Now, it seems that the entire goal of appraising is follow the rules and hit the number and prepare to get yelled at or don’t hit the number and get yelled at. “No, no, we’re not putting pressure on you, but that other appraiser from two years ago appraised it higher than you did or that broker has comps that you didn’t use or that builder says that you don’t know what you’re doing because he needs a couple of new pickups, a Rolex and some extra gold chains.”
I cannot imagine what has happened to the 3,000 hours of mentorship, on-the-job training, etc. I always considered it an important part of the education to have a mentor whom you “shadowed” for a time, then who “shadowed” you for a time – to see if you were understanding the aspects of appraising, and guided you through doing the work on your own, and then you go on your own. At that time, you call if you need clarification, etc. This profession has gone down so badly – it’s no wonder we are not treated like professionals anymore. I guess we can thank the GSEs, etc., for putting the nail in the coffin for even allowing PAREA. If we weren’t constantly underpaid, treated like expendable garbage, and allowed to do our jobs in a professional manner, there would be no shortage of appraisers. So many good appraisers have left the business, or been forced out due to low fees and no work.
PAREA = Failure
Appraisal Institute = Failure
DEI = Failure
Hybrid/Desktop = Failure
Rather then reinventing the wheel, improve on what we have.
Sometimes the old ways, are simply the best ways.
Embracing every program developed to help new appraisers is the old method called an apprenticeship. Under senior appraisers, on-hands research,guided by the senior appraisers, each step in the list of subject characteristics (inspection, photos, measuring and doing field work at planning and zoning and personal inspections, verification) can be learned by experience. No need for PAREA.
While modernization is being sold by the Appraisal Institute, we are all competitors not showing fraternity in our expensive club. They are pushing untested and beta Artificial Intelligence instead. When te goal of getting more members designated, if you are not a board member, or selling something to other appraisers, there is only one way to gain entry into the club. Find a good mentor and learn this profession from a high-end litigation/forensic valuer, not a bank or GSE client.
My entry was before licensing. I was busy for the first 35 years of my career. I will be a mentor to a serious candidate, anywhere you practice!
I give a lot of time for this and I am inviting candidates to call me and select me for your advisor. I will advise you based on your passion and desire to be the best appraiser in your location. I love this work, so don’t let the absence of this flopped program and demand a refund from any of the PAREA that failed you..
Hello Debra, I’m serious. sporjo@aol.com
Hi all,
I’’m going to seek representation for a class action lawsuit against AI PAREA. As an educator, nothing in this program teaches using the adult learning model and robs students of time and money.
Please contact me if you’d like to join the lawsuit. Myers.joe@gmail.com
Been in the business for 47 years. Nothing wrong with the old days. It worked.
Damn straight
I totally agree, and only 24 years. It all went to H….ll after HVCC, IMO
This is ENTIRELY the WRONG time to be trying to get into the appraisal business. The mortgage business climate sucks, the amount of appraisal mortgage work sucks, the appraisal institute sucks, amc’s suck for sucking off 50+% of the appraisal fee. The PAREA program was instituted at the entirely wrong time frame nb order to be successful. It was doomed from the start. Sorry but this is just reality!
Good comments! The leaders are exposed for their double-talk.
Hello Debra, I’m serious. sporjo@aol.com
You should contact local appraisal groups, surf and post on the Reddit r/appraisal threads, or post on Appraisers Forum, they have a specific find a mentor section last I checked. And you’ll definitely want to set up a new and fresh email address. Some people make it in round about by getting jobs at county assessors offices and training under licensed appraisers there. Please provide us a few links for what classes you took, and what educational outlet offered this to you.
all state and appraisal classes completed.
Still think it’s a very bad career choice right now unless you can have a game plan to avoid amc work completely and absolutely.
They’re trying to get in. We’re trying to get out.
In 1983-1984 I followed my mentor around like a puppy. There is simply no substitute for in-the-field, one-on-one training from someone who knows what they are doing. I heard “no, do it again” so many times I lost count. 42 years later, the lessons Ross Boumann SRA taught me are still relevant. Thank you sir.
Welcome to the appraisal field, Eriv! Get used to being exploited and lied to. Better yet, run away as fast as you can. You’d be better off getting a skill such as being an electrician, a plumber, an HVAC guy, etc. I ran across a young guy a few years ago who’d gone to diesel mechanic school and his first job paid him $48 an hour! I’m getting out of it and hardly even bid on jobs any longer. The jobs I do bid, I typically have to spend and quarter to half a day trying to figure out if I want to even tackle it. Half the time, the address is wrong or the contact is wrong or the legal is wrong or the phone contact number is wrong and or none of the above is provided. On proposed or under-construction houses they don’t provide the builder, the specs, the cost figures, nothing. And, yeah, I can figure it out, but doing that is just for fun being that I’m not being paid for it. But, if you enjoy a life trying to outrun the money, best of luck to you.
One of my trainees left to go into construction – made more money, and actually got vacation, sick and health benefits. There are several trades that pay better, so if you are young enough to do the work – I whole heartedly recommend making another choice.
Someone showed up in one of my FB groups asking for mentorship. They stated they went through the AI PAREA program but didn’t feel they knew how to appraise. They offered to pay an appraiser to mentor them. Some people offered them help. They also told them to follow the groups and search the groups for answers.
Appraiser shortage? Yes there is. A shortage of appraisers who are willing to work for peanuts in order to obtain more work. Sorry to see that you invested in a costly false hope.
Please excuse my grammar! Ranting!!!
Is anyone going to mention the corrupt AMC’s using the program to create a slave class of appraisers locked to the desk filing inaccurate appraisals, fearful to cut a purchase out of fear of losing their job… While we’re talking about it, lets not forget about Opteon. Having a supervisor not even located in the state signing off on appraisals.
My solution, get rid of AMC’s and go back to appraisers building a rapport with lenders’ credit departments so that they are seasoned. Having lenders feeling confident in their appraiser requires them to have years under their belt and not hiring freshly licensed appraisers. This would give some assurance to bring on trainees that once they are licensed they are not going to run with your clients.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AQBComments
Today is the last day to take the AQB survey on ‘alternative pathways to credentialing.’
These people don’t know what they’re doing. Of all the things to focus on right now, they’re rewriting the rules again.
Jay, take the survey and please do write about the need to cancel the amc dominance. I certainly did.
Well, here’s a little tidbit that’s relevant to this thread. Today, the CA Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers released the most recent numbers for current active licenses in our state. 7711 total, including all types. That is 64 fewer licenses than last month. Last. Month. At this rate, we will lose about 10% of all active licenses in CA by July 2026. The landslide has begun.
Thank you Frank. Someone should put forth a study complete with graph and visual charts, illustrating the license count attrition on a national basis. Data filtered to represent individual persons, not total licenses, as in many parts especially the east coast, an individual appraiser may hold many different state licenses which represent a singular total coverage area. Not coincidentally the attrition will be seen to spike shortly after the passing of the avm final rule and final roll out of the new uad form. Historically we’re likely to see incremental plateus and spikes in licensee attrition which coincide generally with every major policy change by the gse’s. Such as hybrid forms, rising demins, property data collectors, new rules dictating demands for statistical chargs in appraisal to justify use of or no use of time adjustments, etc, etc.
I had taken the AQB Concept Paper Assessing Additional Experience Options survey and posted this excerpt of one response in another thread. Do you have a link to read the published appraisers comments to this survey? I’d bet my comments are not posted. These peoples mis management of the industry and capitulation to ‘stake holder interests’ such as the amc industry, pulled tens of thousands of peoples careers right out from under them. Not coincidentally at each increment appraisers have notably less presence in mortgage lending, mortgage fraud spikes. Wouldn’t it be something if an overlay chart indicating appraiser licensee attrition coincided with the rise of apparent mortgage fraud? Nobody cares though, this is the exact reason appraisers have been pushed out in the first place. It’s institutional GSE policy, apparently.
______________
Question 10;
What portion of the total required experience hours (e.g., a percentage or specific number of hours) do you think should be allowed to count as ‘Foundational Knowledge’ experience, and why? Please explain your reasoning, considering how this balance might affect competency, public trust, and accessibility to the appraisal profession.
The entire effort is a waste of time, why didn’t the AQB appeal to working appraisers for real world solutions instead? What an incredible waste of time energy resources and man hours. For the time everyone keeps spending on the PAREA program, you could have trained a hundred appraisers by now, whom could have trained three hundred more, and then nine hundred more, etc etc.
But that will never happen because the market conditions for every day working appraisers are not acceptable to support training. You people do not seem to grasp the fundamentals and very basics of free market capitalism. Something has to be profitable for the business interests to seek service in the sector. The ‘stake holder interests’ tripe has allowed for near complete exploitation of of over half of the appraisal industry. It’s why there is accelerating attrition of licensees instead of licensee head count gain.
You can’t form a long term workable solution without addressing the root cause of the problem. Appraisal management companies. An incredible reduction in appraisal demand due to the stake holder interests whom want independent checks and balances gone, so they can run the entire country into a debt trap and play housing like the stock market.
Because the appraisal trade groups are derelict in their duty to advocate for the licensed appraisers whom actually have to deal with the real world working duties. You guys and gals live in some ivory tower where you’re not subject to real world appraisal market forces.
Newsflash there is no public trust in the real estate profession hardly at all anymore. Because of all the wokeness and DEI nonsense. The trust is broken. The public hates appraisers. The appraisal trade group has done nothing to help and only made the problem exponentially worse. So instead of recognizing your own failures, you’re trying to create artificially trained appraisers like they will somehow imaginarily not be subjected to the same market forces which is currently forcing out thousands or more appraisers a year and they’re not being replaced.
The same market forces that have been decimating most gse appraisers opportunity and working structure since around 2010. Every day working appraisers often do not earn enough to afford to hire or train an apprentice because nobody in the appraisal trade groups works to expand our service reach and service demand, but rather constantly does everything in their power to diminish the independent appraiser position for the largest client set in the world; the GSE’s. You know; ‘stake holders’.
Then on top of that, per the ARCC, the amc’s have siphoned off at least 12 billion dollars worth of fees which would otherwise have gone to appraisers. Probably substantially more as that’s their best estimate and nobody has the courage to do what’s right and audit the complete amc industry or have a show down with their junk fee raking racketeering restriction of trade and applied anti trust program which has been aimed solely at working appraisers this entire time. They don’t want a piece of the pie, the amc’s want it all.
Which is why the amc’s also support the avm final rule, parea for more pliable less independent workers, and have consciously driven the majority of the best and brightest appraisers out of the gse servicing section. How many trainees do you think twelve billion dollars would buy? Do you think just possibly if the appraisal industry would not have been stalled out for the last two decades, that we might just possibly have a more diverse working base which better reflected the local populace where appraisers serve?
If there is anyone to blame for the lack of diversity or lack of new people and demand to be an appraiser or the ability for appraisers to hire and train, look no further than the mirror. Appraisal trade groups caused this failure by their inability to be independent, their constant reactive positioning to ‘stake holder interests’, and utter disregard for the protection and viability needed for independent 1099 sole proprietor small business appraisers to exist in this current lopsided improperly balanced constantly decreasing demand for our services climate.
Maybe we should push a basic economics 101 class as well. In fact, yes, fit that in. Please find a qualified person from outside the appraisers trade group network to teach this. Take the class yourself first. Thank you.
At the end of the day, the issue is compensation. It is exceedingly hard for me to understand how my fellow appraisers can accept the pittance these companies are offering. Maybe I’m just too old.
Boycotting the amc companies has an even steeper price in terms of finances. With an inverse value benefit for having been legitimate and not buying into the deception that working with unethical companies can be accomplished in an ethical manner. For me it’s about ethic and consumer protection. Otherwise what’s the point of even having a required appraiser program involved in GSE lending? I’ve always thought that my purpose was to keep the programs stable, to not allow commissioned based interests to exploit the system, defraud lenders and consumer borrowers alike in the process.
Says a lot about the current state of the programs. All this talk about a ‘government backstop’ if they’re privatized. Guess what, that’s been in place for some time already.
The most fundamental of question; Would lenders still disregard the risk and be willing to abandon the appraisal program’s integration in lending, if they took this risk themselves with no government and taxpayer safety net?
The MBS purchasing program provides the financial incentive for over investment in housing, the subsequent recurring housing bubble cycles. That’s what drives the profitability which causes the disregard for ethically ran engagement and programs. Just check all the underwriting boxes, pretend everything is compliant and above board.
The general public, and most politicians, have no idea how important the appraisal program was in terms of preventing fraud. The appraisers mere presence in person prevented untold volumes of fraud from taking root in the first place. Our value to the program was not our ability to be super efficient or turn volume as the tech companies and amc’s would pretend, have lower fees and faster turn times.
The independent appraisers primary value in the GSE lending system was our ethical positioning which prevented fraud in the first place. Not coincidentally, the majority of the appraiser community refuses to engage with amc’s as a result of the disregard for this basic premise.
AQB & ASC played the tune perfectly with the per appraiser on amc panel individual yearly head count fee. That provided the justification for a limited appraiser service base which could be formed around the most compliant least independent appraisers whom were willing to play along with the amc programs.
While a select few insider appraisers reaped yearly incomes previously not thought possible in this industry, the rest left the consumer protection gse service realm, struggled for opportunity, or simply left the industry, waited for their licenses to expire or held out hoping for long awaited industry correction driven by the appraisal trade groups. I’d speculate the recent information that amc executives have been pulling the strings of the TAF this entire time was the final revelation which caused appraisers to finally allow the license to expire.
Frank I know you know. They know we know they’re lying. They continue to lie anyways. Most of the commentary here is for posterity. In the off chance policy makers will one day take a serious look into what was the root causes of the unraveling of housing market and gse program stability. Or maybe we should update this statement to read; the reason for an apparently never ending housing market affordability crisis.
The education stinks. Use this Use that really in some areas it will not work because of the lack of data. Then there is bias. Where do you draw your lines. Appraisal classes should be based on learning form actual events. Broken down with each student working with the same real data set and working through it like an assignment. Thats the only way you can learn. throw them into a rural appraisal. I worked in NY in built up areas and now I worked in Pennsylvania (24 years). Most of my learning came in PA. Because urban appraisals can be cookie cutters. I thought I knew my job well then. With each job came a different of issues to answer to. I saw many make mistakes to get the reports back in 48 hours. Each time i took careful notes. Only to realize issues kept coming up. I saw an appraisal on a ranch style home. It was not a ranch it was manufactured home with a similar size stick built attached. I was in the basement and I. looked up and ask the owner, you did not tell me its manufactured. I told him you still need a VIN number and tags. he said the last appraiser called it modular construction. He did not know that another appraiser was sanctioned for something else. I did what I to and when the property was sold some years later, I was vindicated, it sold sever thousand over my appraised value. We are part of the problem. We do not stick together. I tried joining the Appraisal Insitute. That was a joke. MY best experience was going to one of their minor league baseball games. I receive a baseball replica of the Phillies winning the world series. those meetings I went to were for commercial appraisers. I was just a little shit residential appraiser. so, I quit going to the meetings and did not renew the following year. The problem you too many hands in the club process with no unification. otherwise, we would have been able to strike. Yes, strike a nationwide strike to get everyone’s attention. Too late Fannie and Freddie have their collateral underwriter. Funny, that I say that. In 2020 I placed a time adjustment in my report and the bank In San Francisco called me and said why. I told my research says it. caller real estate offices and the data itself. Well, their answer was to send me a collateral underwriter report. I told I was not entitled to it, but I looked at it. One crappy report. I did not change anything, three weeks later they sent me another assignment. I refused it. Want to do something strike. Let them try digital, without us. We need to tell them what they need. The unbiased truth.
The education stinks. Use this Use that really in some areas it will not work because of the lack of data. Then there is bias. Where do you draw your lines. Appraisal classes should be based on learning form actual events. Broken down with each student working with the same real data set and working through it like an assignment. Thats the only way you can learn. throw them into a rural appraisal. I worked in NY in built up areas and now I worked in Pennsylvania (24 years). Most of my learning came in PA. Because urban appraisals can be cookie cutters. I thought I knew my job well then. With each job came a different of issues to answer to. I saw many make mistakes to get the reports back in 48 hours. Each time i took careful notes. Only to realize issues kept coming up. I saw an appraisal on a ranch style home. It was not a ranch it was manufactured home with a similar size stick built attached. I was in the basement and I. looked up and ask the owner, you did not tell me its manufactured. I told him you still need a VIN number and tags. he said the last appraiser called it modular construction. He did not know that another appraiser was sanctioned for something else. I did what I to and when the property was sold some years later, I was vindicated, it sold sever thousand over my appraised value. We are part of the problem. We do not stick together. I tried joining the Appraisal Insitute. That was a joke. MY best experience was going to one of their minor league baseball games. I receive a baseball replica of the Phillies winning the world series. those meetings I went to were for commercial appraisers. I was just a little shit residential appraiser. so, I quit going to the meetings and did not renew the following year. The problem you too many hands in the club process with no unification. otherwise, we would have been able to strike. Yes, strike a nationwide strike to get everyone’s attention. Too late Fannie and Freddie have their collateral underwriter. Funny, that I say that. In 2020 I placed a time adjustment in my report and the bank In San Francisco called me and said why. I told my research says it. caller real estate offices and the data itself. Well, their answer was to send me a collateral underwriter report. I told I was not entitled to it, but I looked at it. One crappy report. I did not change anything, three weeks later they sent me another assignment. I refused it. Want to do something strike. Let them try digital, without us. We need to tell them what they need. The unbiased truth.