Why an Association of Online Appraisers? Existing associations of professional property appraisers have traditionally provided educational opportunities and organizational support for the traditional professional personal property appraiser. With the advent of the Internet, however, comes new technology and new methods of conducting personal property appraisals. The traditional societies focus only on the traditional, offline appraisals - thus the need for a new association, the AOA, that provides standards and guidance in preparing not only traditional personal property appraisals but also appraisals online. Read Introduction to Online Appraising.

Only a relatively small number of appraisers belong to the traditional professional appraisal societies. Many appraisers have no societal affiliation at all. With the anticipated growth in popularity of online appraisal services, a significant number of aligned as well as non-aligned appraisers will be participating in providing online appraisal services. The AOA provides traditional as well as Internet appraisers (whether or not they belong to a traditional appraisal society) with a cost-effective method and opportunity to become proficient in the profession of personal property appraising.

Online appraisals are provided to the client either (1) by the appraiser directly, or (2) by way of an appraisal management company that uses professional appraisers on an independent contractor basis as sources of value information. The public would be best served if those appraisers and appraisal management companies who participate in online valuations adhere to recognized standards of ethics and professional conduct such as those offered by the AOA.

The personal property appraisal industry is rethinking its long-established traditional standards of practice in light of the emerging Internet technology. These phenomena underscore a growing conviction that the need for practical discourse within the appraisal profession has never been more timely. The audience for that discourse must include the general public, appraisal user groups, appraiser societies, governmental appraisal policy makers and individual appraisal professionals.

From such convictions, the Association of Online Appraisers was born. The AOA is taking the leading role in providing the basic knowledge, standards of practice and a Code of Ethics to ensure that the public is served in the most professional manner possible by the online appraiser. 

The AOA welcomes as members individual appraisal practitioners, appraisal management companies, educators, and organizations that share the AOA's aims.

The AOA: 

• Provides education and designation opportunities for the professional appraiser,
• Helps set the agenda and identify the emerging issues concerning appraisal practices,
• Promotes public dialogue on those issues, and 
• Establishes systems by which the public can be best served by the appraiser.

Read Introduction to Online Appraising.

Contact Information

Association of Online Appraisers, Inc.
P.O. Box 2049
Frederick, MD 21702-1049

Voice: 301-228-2279
FAX: 301-695-6491
info@AOAonline.org