Chief Appraiser Says
Reading the actual guideline text below — never a general AI guess
What "Appraiser Bias" Means
Here's what these guidelines are actually saying: We're talking about appraisers letting their personal beliefs about race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics influence how they value a property—whether consciously or unconsciously. The rules recognize that bias can be explicit (deliberate), implicit (unconscious), or institutional (baked into industry practices), and they acknowledge that this has historically created real disparities in appraisals depending on who owns or lives in a property or what neighborhood it's in. To protect against bias claims, appraisers must document the objective reasons behind every valuation decision they make, and California requires appraisers to complete at least two hours of training covering historical discrimination in the industry, how bias affects their own judgment, and practical strategies to counteract it. The appraiser's formal report includes a signed statement that they completed the assignment without bias regarding the parties, the property, or the area's demographics, and that they didn't base any value conclusions on race, color, religion, sex, age, or similar factors.
Straight from Fair Housing Law & Appraisal Bias, California Appraiser Licensing Law, and the FNMA Uniform Appraisal Dataset — nothing added.
Here's what these guidelines are actually saying: We're talking about appraisers letting their personal beliefs about race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics influence how they value a property—whether consciously or unconsciously. The rules recognize that bias can be explicit (deliberate), implicit (unconscious), or institutional (baked into industry practices), and they acknowledge that this has historically created real disparities in appraisals depending on who owns or lives in a property or what neighborhood it's in. To protect against bias claims, appraisers must document the objective reasons behind every valuation decision they make, and California requires appraisers to complete at least two hours of training covering historical discrimination in the industry, how bias affects their own judgment, and practical strategies to counteract it. The appraiser's formal report includes a signed statement that they completed the assignment without bias regarding the parties, the property, or the area's demographics, and that they didn't base any value conclusions on race, color, religion, sex, age, or similar factors.
Straight from Fair Housing Law & Appraisal Bias, California Appraiser Licensing Law, and the FNMA Uniform Appraisal Dataset — nothing added.
Watch: Training Video for This Question
Video Library →
AI Search
General web information, outside Chief Appraiser’s vetted library — verify against the authoritative source before relying on it professionally
Searching the wider web…
© Copyright Notice: © Fannie Mae. UAD 3.6 / URAR reference materials shown for research and reference only. Full documents available at fanniemae.com/uad. Reproduction restricted per Fannie Mae copyright policy.
© Copyright Notice: © 2026 Fannie Mae. Excerpts shown for research and reference only. Full document available at selling-guide.fanniemae.com. Reproduction restricted to Fannie Mae-approved lenders.
Relevant News
Recent public coverage related to this topic — cited, not reproduced
The AQB’s Required 7-Hour Valuation Bias Class
Forced on You by a Woke Mob? Or Will You Learn Something? This article is featured in the 2026 edition of the Appraisal Buzz Magazine. Some other features in our magazine include funny Buzztoon comics, breaking industry trends, as well as crazy stories from appraisers and readers like you! See all this and more in [...]
Read full story at Appraisal Buzz →
California's Fair Appraisal Act establishes anti-bias requirements
California passed the Fair Appraisal Act requiring bias statements in contracts, establishing that appraisers cannot base valuations on protected characteristics, and mandating state data collection on bias-related complaints.
Read full story at House Financial Services Committee testimony →
0.206
2026 and later continuing education, verified against the specific state renewal cycle. If a complaint or reconsideration of value request alleges bias, document the objective…
Fair Housing Law & Appraisal Bias (Fair Housing Act, ECOA, USPAP AO-39/40) · Fair_Housing_and_Appraisal_Bias_Requirements.txt · Page 14
· View at official source (The Appraisal Foundation — USPAP) →
2026 and later continuing education, verified against the specific state renewal cycle. If a complaint or reconsideration of value request alleges bias, document the objective basis for every judgment made, since this is the primary defense against a bias allegation. Why this matters to real estate agents, not just appraisers: an agent preparing a seller for a listing, or representing a buyer through financing, may be asked directly whether an appraiser can consider a neighborhood's racial or ethnic makeup, or may need to explain a reconsideration of value process to a client who suspects bias affected their appraisal. Agents are not the ones who file a reconsideration of value request, the borrower or lender initiates that, but understanding which process
0.223
by AQB. (B) At least two hours in elimination of bias training, as bias is defined in section 3500. Instruction on the elimination of bias shall include, at a minimum, the…
California Appraiser Licensing Law (BREA — BP Code/CCR Title 10) · CCR_Title10_Chapter6.5_BREA_Regulations.txt · Page 37
by AQB. (B) At least two hours in elimination of bias training, as bias is defined in section 3500. Instruction on the elimination of bias shall include, at a minimum, the following: (i) An overview of historical and current discriminatory practices in the real estate appraiser industry. (ii) Examples of how implicit, explicit, and institutional bias affects perceptions, analyses, and decisions of appraisers, leading to disparities in performing appraisals along lines of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other personal characteristics or criteria listed in Section 11424 of the Business and Professions Code. (iii) Exploration of causes of bias and solutions and strategies to increase understanding and counteract how biases may contribute to disparities by
0.100
report, or relationship with the present or prospective owners or occupants of the subject property, or other parties involved in this transaction. 2. I performed this assignment…
UAD 3.6 / URAR (FNMA) · Appendix C-1 URAR with Report Field IDs v1.3.pdf · Page 41
· View at official source (fanniemae.com/uad) →
report, or relationship with the present or prospective owners or occupants of the subject property, or other parties involved in this transaction. 2. I performed this assignment without bias with respect to the parties involved in this transaction, the property that is the subject of this report, or the demographics of the area where the property is located. 3. I am aware of and have complied with all applicable laws and regulations including antidiscrimination laws, rules, and requirements that apply to the appraiser and to the assignment. 4. I did not base any part of my appraisal on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), age (other than as applicable for legally age-restricted