Real Estate Appraiser Commission adopts rule changes, adds valuation-bias education requirement

The Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser Commission approved a package of rule amendments Wednesday that eliminate several fees, adjust trainee experience and log requirements, and add a new valuation‑bias and fair‑housing education requirement for appraisers.

Anna Matlock, associate general counsel with the Department of Commerce and Insurance’s Division of Regulatory Boards, opened the rule‑making hearing and summarized the proposed changes. “The proposed rules amend certain general provisions and reciprocity rules,” Matlock said, adding that the amendments also respond to an audit by the federal Appraisal Subcommittee.

Why it matters: commissioners said the package is intended to bring state rules into alignment with federal standards developed by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) and to address items raised in a recent agency audit. Commissioners approved the package by roll call and asked staff to forward the finalized rules to the attorney general’s office and the secretary of state for the required review and publication steps that precede an effective date.

Key changes included in the package: the application upgrade fee was deleted; fees for temporary authorization for military applicants were…