To become an insurance appraiser, the easiest path is through various jobs that will enlighten you on the industry. While a four-year bachelor's degree is business management or accounting would be an excellent starting point, you will still have to gain vast amounts of knowledge in regards to the price of service and labor in whatever field you choose. Many regions will also require licensing for anyone who wants to become an insurance appraiser as well, so it makes sense to check your local requirements beforehand. Insurance appraisers also have to possess verbal and written skills, plus they also have to be good at multitasking.
While it seems like filling out a couple of forms and reporting some damage would be easy, it takes a lot of work to become an insurance appraiser. Clients will often submit insurance appraisals that are well over the actual cost of repair, so as an insurance appraiser, you will have to be good at researching claims and working alongside other businesses. This is why many people who wish to become an insurance appraiser end up completing a business course before applying, but there are also plenty of appraisers out there with just a high school diploma. Since there is a lot of outright fraud within this industry as well, many become an insurance appraiser because they enjoy acting like detectives to unearth criminal behavior.
In order for an insurance company to show interest in you as an appraiser, you'll also have to have some experience within the industry. If you want to be a real estate appraiser, for example, then you will have to essentially have the same knowledge that a good contractor would have. This position would deal with everything from building codes to faulty electrical wiring to termite damage, and you'd have to know about all of it.
It is also important to remember that many areas of the world require their insurance agents to be certified before they can begin working. This means that you will have to pass an exam to show that you know the industry well and this certainly is not an easy license to obtain. Some companies will hire college graduates on a provisional status before they pass the exam, so be sure to check out these factors before you commit to this path in life.
