How to Choose a Personal Property Appraiser

When checklist work prevents rework

Checklist pages are meant to improve the intake file. Better photos and notes help the appraiser decide scope, risk, and whether a formal report is justified.

1. Write a brief that every candidate receives

A painting, watch, antique or inherited collection can raise different questions depending on the decision. Copy these fields into a private note. This guide concerns personal property; a real-estate mortgage valuation is a different assignment.

• Object category and approximate item count: ____
• Decision or intended use: ____; person or organization that will rely on the report: ____
• Required valuation date: ____; delivery deadline and reason: ____
• Evidence available: photographs, dimensions, marks, condition, purchase records and provenance: ____
• Recipient requirements already confirmed in writing: ____; questions still unresolved: ____
• Inspection location or remote-only constraint: ____; budget and access constraints: ____

2. Ask for evidence of specialty and assignment fit

Use the same questions for each candidate. A nearby listing, a badge, or a persuasive biography is a starting point for checking fit. It does not establish that the appraiser can handle your category or the report your recipient needs.

• What comparable assignments have you completed in this object category and intended use? Ask for a redacted example or a report outline, without another client's private information.
• What credential do you hold, who issued it, and where can I verify its current status and scope? Record the source and date checked.
• Which questions can you answer from photographs, and what would require inspection, testing, additional documents or another specialist?
• Who will be responsible for the conclusion, and what work will any additional specialist perform?

3. Compare the written output and the complete fee

Ask each candidate to specify what will be delivered and what remains uncertain. Do not turn an unanswered question into an assumed promise. Confirm the required scope with the insurer, adviser, court or other recipient before buying a report.

• Report format, intended use/users, value basis, valuation date, item description, supporting evidence, assumptions and limitations.
• Named responsible appraiser, signature where required, and a sample or outline of the proposed report.
• Fee basis and total scope: number of items, travel, inspection, research, rush work, revisions and follow-up.
• Financial interests or possible conflicts, including a proposal to buy or sell the item. Avoid a fee tied to reaching a particular value or outcome.
• Delivery timing after the file is complete, cancellation terms, and the process if the available evidence is insufficient.

4. Keep an evidence-based shortlist

Use two or three candidates if practical. Record a written answer, a source, a check date and an unresolved question for each criterion. Use “confirmed”, “needs clarification”, or “does not fit this assignment”; avoid a numerical score that makes unlike qualifications look interchangeable.

• Candidate A / B / C: ____; specialty evidence and source: ____
• Credential and issuer check date: ____; scope of credential: ____
• Report/use fit and recipient confirmation: ____
• Inspection needs, evidence gaps and limits: ____
• Fee, conflicts, timing and revision policy: ____
• Next question, answer received, and reason for your decision: ____

5. Use the registry to discover candidates, then verify

FAIR is a public registry for finding and comparing candidates. FAIR does not perform the appraisal, certify appraiser competence, or guarantee that a recipient will accept a report. Listing or verification status must be read according to its stated scope; it is not a substitute for assignment-specific checks. Browse the directory and confirm current availability directly with the candidate.

• For art-specific questions, use the linked art-appraiser selection guide.
• If you cannot identify a suitable specialty or location, the FAIR Match route can help describe the request. A request is not a guarantee of engagement or a completed connection.
• Keep private inventories, home addresses and ownership documents out of public checklist copies. Share the necessary detail privately with the candidate you choose.

Editorial method and disclosure

FAIR editorial resource, reviewed September 29, 2026. The checklist uses equal questions for every candidate and does not rank or recommend providers. It draws on the International Society of Appraisers “Questions to Ask an Appraiser” and the American Society of Appraisers “FAQs for Consumers”, checked on that date. Verify credentials at the issuing organization and ask the intended recipient about its requirements. This page is part of a joint publishing pilot with Appraisily, a commercial appraisal provider; it is not an independent recommendation of Appraisily.

Common questions

Related resources

• Qualified appraisal pre-hire checklist
• How to compare appraisal fees
• How to choose and compare art appraisers

Open the FAIR guidance hub