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Pursuing her true calling

Tracy Deng

ADI Scholarship Recipient Spotlight – Tracy Deng

Tracy has been a real estate agent in Mobile, Alabama since 2018. In 2022 she started providing broker price opinions (BPOs) which are a real estate professional’s estimate of a property’s potential sale price based on the selling prices of comparable properties in the market.

Executing BPOs sparked Tracy’s interest in becoming a real estate appraiser. She discovered she enjoyed conducting property valuations; she especially liked playing the role of investigator and analyzing the data. Her research led her to the Appraiser Diversity Initiative™ (ADI) program and she traveled to Chicago to attend its “How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser” workshop. While at the workshop Tracy made a point of introducing herself and networking. She met some great people who encouraged her to apply for an ADI scholarship. Soon after she was pleasantly surprised to learn she was chosen as a scholarship recipient. This was all the confirmation Tracy needed to pursue a career as an appraiser.

Tracy is currently an ADI program scholar at the Appraisal Institute where she is completing the required courses and training to become an appraiser. To date she has finished her first 75 hours of instruction. Working with her ADI mentor, Tracy is now focusing her attention on securing a supervisor so she can complete her training and earn her certification, all while continuing to earn a living as a real estate agent.

Having come this far in her quest to become a certified real estate appraiser, Tracy has learned a thing or two that other people seeking a career in property assessment can benefit from.

Give yourself a timeline of two years and be prepared to study a lot of courses. While trying to find a supervisor make sure you stay on top of the knowledge you’ve acquired. And lastly, manage your time so you can continue working while you’re learning. If becoming an appraiser were easy, everyone would be doing it.

Tracy is passionate about real estate valuation and market analysis, and eager to learn from and contribute to the industry. She also has a strong appreciation for technology which will serve her well as the appraisal industry continues to evolve.

About the Solidifi Appraiser Trainee Mentorship and Scholarship Program

Solidifi is helping to grow our industry with our Appraiser Trainee Mentorship and Scholarship Program. As part of the Program, Solidifi is part of the Appraiser Diversity Initiative (ADI) as an Advisor Sponsor and In-Kind Sponsor that provides scholarships and mentoring for new entrants to the appraisal profession.

For aspiring appraisers, finding a qualified mentor to oversee part of their training is often cited as a significant barrier to entry in the profession. However, more and more appraisers on the Solidifi network are opening their doors to trainees. Solidifi is leading the way to attract new entrants to the appraisal profession with more than 200 trainees onboarded since inception providing valuable work experience toward their appraisal credential.

About the Appraiser Diversity Initiative

The Appraiser Diversity Initiative is a collaboration between the Appraisal Institute, National Urban League, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The goals of the Appraiser Diversity Initiative are to attract diverse new entrants into the residential appraisal field, overcome barriers to entry (such as education, training, and experience requirements), and provide support to position aspiring appraisers for professional success.

The goal of the ADI is to create relationships and partnerships with sponsors for the benefit of the ADI participants. ADI sponsors workshops and other activities to inform aspiring appraisers about the requirements to become an appraiser and the multiple career opportunities available. ADI participants are awarded education scholarships for the completion of base course requirements to become an appraiser.