Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate

Appraise real estate, exclusively, and estimate its fair value. May assess taxes in accordance with prescribed schedules.

The occupation "Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate" carries a moderate automation risk of 57.5%, which closely aligns with the base risk of 58.3%. This suggests that while technological advancements, particularly in data analytics and artificial intelligence, can handle many aspects of property evaluation, a significant proportion of this occupation still relies on skills and judgment that are less amenable to automation. Central to this risk is that many of the core tasks that appraisers and assessors perform, such as synthesizing data on comparable properties, depreciation, and replacement costs to compute final property values, are increasingly within the capabilities of modern software. Automated tools can also efficiently generate detailed written valuation reports and conduct standardized inspections of new construction or property improvements with support from technologies like drones or 3D imaging. Nonetheless, not all facets of the role can be fully mechanized. The most resistant tasks depend heavily on complex human judgment, contextual understanding, and nuanced decision making. For example, determining the taxability of properties requires integrating multiple data sources, on-site observations, and awareness of ever-evolving regulations—demands that make straightforward automation difficult. Similarly, analyzing trends in sales prices and market conditions entails interpreting incomplete, ambiguous, or conflicting information, while approving applications for property tax exemptions or deductions often requires discretion and a holistic view of both the property's characteristics and the owner's circumstances. These are areas where AI still struggles to match the flexibility and critical thinking skills of experienced human assessors. A key factor contributing to the occupation’s partial resistance to automation lies in bottleneck skills like originality, albeit at relatively low levels (2.6% and 2.9%). While much of the data aggregation and report generation can be standardized, high-quality appraisal also benefits from creative reasoning, especially when faced with unique or atypical properties or markets. Human appraisers can adapt to novel scenarios, devise bespoke valuation methodologies, and make value judgments that fall outside prescriptive algorithms. As a result, while automation will likely increase efficiency and reduce routine workload, the continued need for original thinking, nuanced analysis, and personal interaction will prevent complete replacement of this occupation by machines.