What is private appraisal work?

Private appraisal work is a real property appraisal assignment where the client is not a mortgage lender or AMC — usually an executor, attorney, homeowner, trustee, accountant, or seller — and the intended use is something other than a lending decision, such as estate and date-of-death values, divorce, tax appeal, pre-listing pricing, or PMI removal support.

What is a date-of-death appraisal?

A date-of-death appraisal estimates the market value of a property as of the date the owner died. It is a retrospective appraisal used for estate tax filings, establishing heirs' cost basis, dividing property among beneficiaries, or probate requirements. The estate's advisors may sometimes elect an alternate valuation date instead.

Does USPAP apply to private appraisals?

Yes. USPAP and state licensing rules apply to private assignments just as they do to lender work. The appraiser defines the client, intended use, intended users, effective date, and scope of work with the client, usually in a written engagement letter.

Can a homeowner order their own appraisal for PMI removal?

Sometimes, but the loan servicer and investor set the requirements, and many servicers order or approve the appraisal themselves. Homeowners should get the servicer's written requirements before engaging an appraiser, or the report may not be accepted.

What effective date is used in a divorce appraisal?

It depends on the jurisdiction and the matter. It may be current, the date of filing, the date of separation, or another date set by counsel or the court. The appraiser should get the date from the attorney and state it clearly in the report.

Do private appraisals use UAD 3.6?

UAD 3.6 and the GSEs' redesigned appraisal report apply to lender files delivered for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. Estate, divorce, tax appeal, and pre-listing assignments are generally outside that lender track; the scope and report format follow the private intended use.

How do attorneys and executors find appraisers for private work?

Usually through a referral followed by a search, or by searching directly on Google Maps, appraiser websites, and increasingly AI assistants. They look for the assignment type they need, coverage of the property's county, credentials, and a fast, clear response.

How should appraisers price private work?

Price the assignment, not the form: retrospective dates, litigation exposure, property complexity, and possible testimony are real cost drivers. Private clients tend to judge clarity of scope, turn time, and responsiveness alongside the fee. Testimony and consulting are commonly billed separately.

Private Appraisal Work Guide: Estate, Divorce, Tax Appeal, Pre-Listing & PMI

Short definition: Private appraisal work is any real property appraisal assignment where the client is not a mortgage lender or an appraisal management company (AMC) — typically an executor, attorney, homeowner, trustee, accountant, or seller. The appraiser is engaged and paid directly, and the intended use is something other than a mortgage lending decision: estate and date-of-death values, divorce, tax appeal, pre-listing pricing, PMI removal support, trust and gifting, and litigation.

For most residential appraisers, the lender pipeline was the whole business for years. Orders arrived through portals, fees were set by someone else, and volume rose and fell with interest rates. Private work is the other book: assignments that come from life events — a death, a divorce, a tax bill, a sale decision — rather than from refinance cycles. This guide is the hub for everything we publish on doing, pricing, and marketing that work. It is written for licensed appraisers, and it should also be useful to attorneys and executors trying to understand what to ask for.

What counts as private appraisal work

The cleanest test is to ask two questions at engagement: who is the client, and what is the intended use? If the client is a person or firm hiring you directly — not a lender and not an AMC acting for one — and the value will be used for something other than underwriting a mortgage, you are doing private work.

That distinction matters for practical reasons, not just labels:

You set the scope with the client. There is no lender engagement letter or GSE form requirement deciding what the report looks like. USPAP still applies in full; the reporting format and scope follow the intended use.
You set the fee. There is no AMC fee schedule in between you and the person paying.
You own the relationship. An attorney who is happy with a date-of-death report sends the next estate, and the one after that.
Demand is less rate-driven. People die, divorce, sell, and appeal assessments whether rates are 3% or 7%.

Private work is not easier work. Effective dates may be years in the past, reports may be scrutinized by opposing counsel or a taxing authority, and clients are often first-timers who need the process explained. The appraisers who do well treat it as a distinct practice area, not as overflow.

The main private assignment types

Each assignment type has its own client, its own effective-date logic, and its own way of being searched for. Get the vocabulary right and you are easier to hire.

Estate, probate, and date-of-death appraisals

An executor, administrator, or estate attorney needs the market value of real property as of the decedent's date of death (or an alternate valuation date when the estate's advisors elect one). Uses include estate tax filings, establishing heirs' cost basis, equitable division among beneficiaries, and probate court requirements. These are usually retrospective assignments: the effective date is in the past, and comparable selection and market-condition analysis must reflect what was known and happening as of that date. The client often does not know the terminology — they search "date of death appraisal," "estate appraisal," or "probate appraisal near me." Confirm the effective date, intended users (estate, heirs, tax advisors, court), and whether an interior inspection is still possible if the property has since changed.

Divorce and equitable distribution appraisals

Family-law attorneys, mediators, and sometimes both spouses jointly need a credible value for the marital residence or other real estate. The relevant valuation date depends on the jurisdiction and the matter — it might be current, the date of filing, the date of separation, or another date counsel specifies — so let the attorney instruct and document it. These files carry more scrutiny: the report may be read by opposing counsel and an opposing appraiser, and you may be asked to testify. Clear engagement terms (who the client is, who pays, who may rely on the report, and whether testimony is a separate fee) prevent most problems.

Property tax appeal appraisals

Owners challenging an assessment need a value as of the jurisdiction's valuation date, which is often not the current date and not the date of the bill. Deadlines are set locally and are short, so turn time and calendar awareness win these files. Know your counties' grievance and appeal windows, whether the board accepts a full appraisal report, and whether you are willing to appear at a hearing.

Pre-listing and pricing appraisals

Sellers — and sometimes their agents — want an independent opinion of value before they set a list price, especially for unusual properties or after a long period of ownership. The intended use is pricing guidance for the owner, not a lending decision, and the report should say so. These clients compare you against free online estimates and agent pricing opinions, so explain what an appraisal adds: a licensed, unbiased analysis of the actual property against actual comparable sales.

PMI removal appraisals

Homeowners who believe their home has appreciated may ask about an appraisal to support removing private mortgage insurance. Be careful here: the servicer and the loan's investor set the requirements, and many servicers order or approve the appraisal themselves. A report ordered directly by the homeowner may not be accepted. The right first step is telling the homeowner to get the servicer's written requirements before you are engaged. Appraisers who explain this clearly earn trust — and avoid a refund conversation.

Trust, gifting, planning, and other private uses

CPAs, estate planners, and trustees need values for gifting, trust funding, partnership buyouts, and basis documentation. Attorneys need values for partition actions, insurance disputes, and other litigation. Investors and private lenders outside the GSE channel order appraisals with their own requirements. These are relationship-driven niches; one accountant or planner can be a steady source once they know you exist.

USPAP and scope of work for private clients

Private does not mean informal. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice apply to these assignments just as they do to lender work, and your state licensing rules apply on top. A few areas come up again and again with private clients:

Identify the client and intended users in writing. In estate and divorce work, many people may see the report. Seeing it is not the same as being an intended user. Name them deliberately.
Intended use drives scope. A tax appeal value, a date-of-death value, and a pre-listing value can all be "market value," but the research, effective date, and reporting needs differ. Write the scope of work to the use.
Retrospective effective dates. Make the effective date and date of report distinct and obvious, and analyze the market as of the effective date — not with hindsight of later sales trends.
Reporting option. An Appraisal Report is usually the safer choice when the report will be relied on by courts, taxing authorities, or opposing parties. A Restricted Appraisal Report limits use to the client, and the client needs to understand that limitation.
Extraordinary assumptions and hypothetical conditions. Common when you cannot inspect the property as it was on a past date. Disclose them clearly and explain how they could affect the result.
Forms. Many private assignments can use familiar residential forms or a narrative format, but the lender-form certifications and wording may not fit a non-lending use. Edit the scope, intended use, and intended user language so they match the actual assignment.

None of this is new to an experienced appraiser. What changes is that the client will not supply it for you. On a lender file, the engagement defines the job. On a private file, you define it, and a clear engagement letter is the most important document you produce.

Fees and engagement for private work

We do not publish fee numbers, and you should be skeptical of anyone who does: markets, complexity, and liability vary too much. What we can say is how private clients judge a fee.

They compare clarity, not just price. An executor who gets a same-day reply explaining scope, turn time, and the fee in one paragraph is usually comfortable paying more than an AMC fee schedule.
Price the assignment, not the form. Retrospective dates, litigation exposure, unusual properties, and expected testimony are real cost drivers. Quote them.
Separate testimony and consulting. Depositions, hearings, and consulting with counsel are usually billed separately from the report. Say so up front.
Collect the way private clients expect. Retainers or payment at engagement are normal for private work. Make it easy with a simple invoice or payment link.

How private clients find appraisers

Lender work arrives through a portal. Private work arrives because someone searched, or because someone recommended you and then searched to check. Either way, your public presence does the qualifying before the phone rings. The core pieces:

Google Business Profile. For local "appraiser near me" and "estate appraisal [town]" searches, the map results usually come first. Primary category, service area, services named by assignment type, and consistent NAP (name, address, phone) are the foundation. See setting up Google Business Profile the right way and categories, service area, and NAP.
Reviews from private clients. Recent, genuine reviews that mention the kind of work you did help the next executor decide. Ask once, after delivery, without gating or incentives, and keep it Fair Housing–safe. See Google reviews for private work.
Regular, useful posts. Informational updates about the towns you cover — not filler, not neighborhood characterizations — keep a profile active and relevant. See informational town posts.
A clear local website. One page per assignment type you truly offer, the counties you cover, and how to request a quote. See when a local site actually helps.
AI search visibility. Executors and paralegals increasingly ask AI assistants for recommendations. Plain definitions, honest FAQs, and consistent facts across your site and listings make you easier to cite accurately. See AI and search visibility for appraisers and our AI & Search primer.

Attorney, executor, and professional referrals

Much private work starts with a professional, not a homeowner: probate and estate attorneys, family-law attorneys, trust officers, CPAs, mediators, and real estate agents handling estate sales. They are not choosing on price. They want to know that you do the assignment type they need, in the county where the property is, and that you will answer today. Relationships still matter, but the follow-up search has to confirm what they heard. See how appraisers get estate and divorce attorney referrals.

If you are an attorney or executor reading this: ask the appraiser to confirm the effective date, the intended use and intended users, whether the property will be inspected, turn time, whether testimony is available and how it is billed, and that they are licensed or certified in the property's state.

Private work alongside lender work

Building a private book does not mean abandoning lenders. Most appraisers who grow private work keep lender clients and stay current on lender requirements — including the GSEs' UAD 3.6 and redesigned report rollout for lender files. Private assignments are generally outside that lender track, which is part of why they are a useful hedge. See UAD 3.6 vs the private book and our UAD 3.6 overview, and always confirm current GSE guidance for lender work.

The practical shift is in time allocation. A few hours a month on your Google profile, reviews, and service pages compounds. The appraisers who start before they need the work are the ones who are visible when the next rate cycle thins the lender pipeline.

Frequently asked questions

What is private appraisal work?
Private appraisal work is a real property appraisal assignment where the client is not a mortgage lender or AMC — usually an executor, attorney, homeowner, trustee, accountant, or seller — and the intended use is something other than a lending decision, such as estate and date-of-death values, divorce, tax appeal, pre-listing pricing, or PMI removal support.
What is a date-of-death appraisal?
A date-of-death appraisal estimates the market value of a property as of the date the owner died. It is a retrospective appraisal used for estate tax filings, establishing heirs' cost basis, dividing property among beneficiaries, or probate requirements. The estate's advisors may sometimes elect an alternate valuation date instead.
Does USPAP apply to private appraisals?
Yes. USPAP and state licensing rules apply to private assignments just as they do to lender work. The appraiser defines the client, intended use, intended users, effective date, and scope of work with the client, usually in a written engagement letter.
Can a homeowner order their own appraisal for PMI removal?
Sometimes, but the loan servicer and investor set the requirements, and many servicers order or approve the appraisal themselves. Homeowners should get the servicer's written requirements before engaging an appraiser, or the report may not be accepted.
What effective date is used in a divorce appraisal?
It depends on the jurisdiction and the matter. It may be current, the date of filing, the date of separation, or another date set by counsel or the court. The appraiser should get the date from the attorney and state it clearly in the report.
Do private appraisals use UAD 3.6?
UAD 3.6 and the GSEs' redesigned appraisal report apply to lender files delivered for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. Estate, divorce, tax appeal, and pre-listing assignments are generally outside that lender track; the scope and report format follow the private intended use.
How do attorneys and executors find appraisers for private work?
Usually through a referral followed by a search, or by searching directly on Google Maps, appraiser websites, and increasingly AI assistants. They look for the assignment type they need, coverage of the property's county, credentials, and a fast, clear response.
How should appraisers price private work?
Price the assignment, not the form: retrospective dates, litigation exposure, property complexity, and possible testimony are real cost drivers. Private clients tend to judge clarity of scope, turn time, and responsiveness alongside the fee. Testimony and consulting are commonly billed separately.

Guide library

Every article in the guide, grouped by topic. New articles are added on our regular Tuesday and Thursday publishing schedule.

Getting found: Google Business Profile, reviews, and website

Referrals and assignment types

Lender work and the private hedge

UAD 3.6 vs the private book

Coming next: fees and positioning, date-of-death marketing, responding to private inquiries the same day, and assignment-specific guides. See the blog for the latest.

This guide is general professional education for appraisers, not legal, tax, or compliance advice. Confirm requirements with USPAP, your state appraisal board, and the client's counsel or advisors.

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The Private Appraisal Work Guide