New to Real Estate · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2025 · 16 posts · 14 votes
Hi BP, I am posting this because I recently finished my education to become a Real Estate Appraisal Trainee. The next step is for me to gain some work experience working with a mentor in the field. Is there anyone that is open to taking on a new trainee, or know of any companies that I can reach out to? I've sent cold inquiries to many companies in Pittsburgh and did not have success.
Jason, one angle you might not have considered: reach out to local investors directly, not just appraisal firms. I buy properties at tax deed auctions in Florida and traditional appraisals rarely apply to what I'm dealing with. The properties often need significant work, so the "comps" an appraiser would use don't reflect the actual after-repair value that matters to an investor.
That said, there's real demand for appraisers who understand distressed properties and investor math. If you can position yourself as someone who gets both the appraisal side AND the investor perspective, you'll stand out. Most trainees just want to appraise single-family homes in nice neighborhoods.
For Pittsburgh specifically, have you tried the local REIA meetings? That's where I'd find mentors for this kind of niche work. The appraisers who show up there are already comfortable with unconventional properties.