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Appraiser Ethics USPAP provides clear guidelines for professional appraisal practice. For example, unlike an attorney, we cannot act as advocates -- USPAP defines as unethical the acceptance of an assignment that is contingent on "the reporting of a pre-determined result (e.g., opinion of value)," "a direction in assignment results that favors the cause of the client," "the amount of a value opinion," as well as other stipulations. Professional appraisers cannot and will not accept assignments based on contingency fees. That is, I won't agree to do an appraisal report and get paid only if the client obtains a desired result. Ethical appraisers also don't take on assignments with 'percentage fees'. Why? Because it would allow unethical appraisers inflate the value of properties simply to increase their compensation. Like all ethical appraisers, I don't do that, and never will. After USPAP, an appraiser's primary responsibility is to his or her client. Appraisers have duties of confidentiality to their clients, obligations of numerical accuracy depending on the assignment parameters, and an obligation to attain and maintain a high level of competency and education. I take these ethical responsibilities very seriously.
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