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April 16, 2026 Clouds | 66°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Bill S.196 194th (Current)

An Act providing consumers with equal protection for all real estate appraisals

By Ms. Creem, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 196) of Cynthia Stone Creem for legislation to provide consumers with equal protection for all real estate appraisals. Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

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Bill Information

Presenter:
Cynthia Stone Creem
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means
Massachusetts is currently an outlier in terms of consumer protection in real estate appraisals. In 42 jurisdictions, there is a requirement that properly credentialed professionals conduct all real estate appraisals. In Massachusetts, however, only a small subset of transactions requires a certified or licensed appraiser, which means that anyone—without having to meet any standards of education or experience—can perform valuations for proceedings including estate settlements, divorces, business dissolutions, and litigation. An unlicensed and uncertified person may prepare unsupportable valuations that expose consumers to considerable risk, and they are not subject to any regulatory oversight or accountability. This bill would require that all real estate appraisals in the Commonwealth be conducted by certified or licensed appraisers who are subject to regulatory oversight. The bill would also help address the problem of discrimination in appraisals. Licensed and certified appraisers go through training on the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, which includes material on bias and the obligation not to engage in discrimination. The bill clarifies that the certification and licensing requirement for appraisals would not apply to anyone engaged by a financial institution to perform an evaluation of real property. However, a certified or licensed appraiser who conducts an evaluation would have to disclose that the evaluation is not an appraisal and may not comply with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. The bill also preserves a provision of state law that allows real estate brokers, real estate salespersons, certified public accountants, and business brokers to give an opinion of the price of real estate in the ordinary course of their business.
* The bill summary was created by the Primary Sponsor of the bill; no committee of the General Court certifies the accuracy of its contents.

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