A New Appraiser Discusses his Journey into the Industry

<p>In today’s Buzzcast, we dive into a firsthand account from a new appraiser of the Appraiser Diversity Initiative (ADI) by Fannie Mae and the challenges facing trainee appraisers today. Today we have Marcus Knight, a recently licensed appraiser that completed this specific program giving a deeper look with Joan Trice, Founder of Allterra Group, LLC. They delve into what exactly he faced during the program and how diversity in the appraisal industry is necessary for its continual growth. In addition to sitting down with us, Marcus also wrote an article for us below about his journey in this industry.</p> <p> </p> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">When I walked into the Chicago Urban League in November 2020, I would have never thought I would be where I am now. When I heard about the Appraisal field, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to know more. Up until this point, I hadn’t involved myself much in Real Estate and my only thought about it surrounded home ownership. I couldn’t have imagined that more than a year from now I’d be an Appraiser Trainee.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Where I am now is due entirely to the Appraisal Diversity Initiative (ADI) sponsored by Fannie Mae and the National Urban League. I went to a meeting earlier in the day at the Chicago Urban League, and as I was leaving, I happened to walk past the ADI event as it started and thought to myself, “why not attend?” During the event, Black Appraisers spoke about their experiences in the field, how it changed their lives, and its importance to community development. I wanted to know more, so I learned about the ADI scholarship, I applied, and in a few weeks, I was notified I was selected as an awardee. This scholarship allowed me to take all the basic courses and proctored tests necessary to be licensed as a trainee. It came at the right time as for some time I had been contemplating a career change. It all felt serendipitous.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">I was awarded this scholarship in December 2019, but didn’t really start cours