Tests for Brokers

David W. Myers’ June 18 article, “Bill to License Appraisers Set for Vote” covered quite well many of the problems and issues involved with licensing of real estate appraisers and the involvement of the California Assn. of Realtors through its bill, AB 527.

I oppose the blanket “grandfathering” of brokers as appraisers. To me, the conflicts of interest inherent in this are both obvious and overwhelming. I support the California Coalition of Appraisers’ position that brokers can be licensed or certified if they pass the course requirements, pass the exams and pay the appropriate fees that all other professional appraisers will have to meet also.

Your article stated brokers will not be allowed to advertise themselves as appraisers. This is not correct. Under AB 527 brokers certainly can advertise themselves as appraisers. They cannot advertise as “Licensed Appraiser” or “Certified Appraiser” unless they have passed the exams, etc. for those classifications.

I found an interesting juxtaposition in that same Real Estate Section where a CAR spokesperson says that appraisers have not cornered the market on ethics and that realtors are restrained from wrongdoing by their code of ethics. In the Real Estate Q & A column by Robert Bruss a few pages away, the very first letter begins “When are you going to expose the realtors? My wife and I found out their so-called Code of Ethics is a joke.”

I have been an appraiser for over 10 years and I agree appraisers have no corner on ethics. I have also been a real estate broker for over 10 years, and I know that neither realtors nor CAR have any corner on them either.

JOHN M. REGAN

Los Angeles