Fla. Stat. § 475.611 — Florida Code / Title XXXII / Chapter 475 / Part II / Section 475.611
475.611 Definitions.
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this part, the term: (a) “Appraisal” or “appraisal services” means the services provided by certified or licensed appraisers or registered trainee appraisers, and includes: 1. “Appraisal assignment” denotes an engagement for which a person is employed or retained to act, or could be perceived by third parties or the public as acting, as an agent or a disinterested third party in rendering an unbiased analysis, opinion, review, or conclusion relating to the nature, quality, value, or utility of specified interests in, or aspects of, identified real property. 2. “Analysis assignment” denotes appraisal services that relate to the employer’s or client’s individual needs or investment objectives and includes specialized marketing, financing, and feasibility studies as well as analyses, opinions, and conclusions given in connection with activities such as real estate brokerage, mortgage banking, real estate counseling, or real estate consulting. 3. “Appraisal review assignment” denotes an engagement for which an appraiser is employed or retained to develop and communicate an opinion about the quality of another appraiser’s appraisal, appraisal report, or work. An appraisal review may or may not contain the reviewing appraiser’s opinion of value. (b) “Appraisal Foundation” or “foundation” means The Appraisal Foundation established on November 20, 1987, as a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of Illinois. (c) “Appraisal management company” means a person who, within a 12-month period, oversees an appraiser panel of more than 15 state-certified or state-licensed appraisers in a state, or 25 or more state-certified or state-licensed appraisers in two or more states, and who performs appraisal management services regardless of the use of the term “appraisal management company,” “appraiser cooperative,” “appraiser portal,” “mortgage technology company,” or other term. (d) “Appraisal management services” means the coordination or management of appraisal services for compensation by: 1. Employing, contracting with, or otherwise retaining one or more licensed or certified appraisers to perform appraisal services for a client; or 2. Acting as a broker or intermediary between a client and one or more licensed or certified appraisers to facilitate the client’s employing, contracting with, or otherwise retaining the appraisers. (e) “Appraisal report” means any communication, written or oral, of an appraisal, appraisal review, appraisal consulting service, analysis, opinion, or conclusion relating to the nature, quality, value, or utility of a specified interest in, or aspect of, identified real property, and includes any report communicating an appraisal analysis, opinion, or conclusion of value, regardless of title. However, in order to be recognized in a federally related transaction, an appraisal report must be written. (f) “Appraisal review” means the act or process of developing and communicating an opinion about the quality of another appraiser’s appraisal, appraisal report, or work. (g) “Appraisal subcommittee” means the designees of the heads of the federal financial institutions regulatory agencies established by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. ss. 3301 et seq.), as amended. (h) “Appraiser” means any person who is a registered trainee real estate appraiser, a licensed real estate appraiser, or a certified real estate appraiser. An appraiser renders a professional service and is a professional within the meaning of s. 95.11(5)(b). (i) “Appraiser panel” means a network, list, or roster of licensed or certified appraisers approved by an appraisal management company to perform appraisals as independent contractors for the appraisal management company. An appraiser is an independent contractor for purposes of this paragraph if the appraiser is treated as an independent contractor by the appraisal management company for federal income tax purposes. The term “appraiser panel” includes: 1. Appraisers accepted by the appraisal management company for consideration for future appraisal assignments in covered transactions or secondary mortgage market participants in connection with covered transactions. 2. Appraisers employed by, contracted with, or otherwise retained by the appraisal management company to perform one or more appraisals in covered transactions or for secondary mortgage market participants in connection with covered transactions. (j) “Board” means the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board established under s. 475.613. (k) “Certified general appraiser” means a person who is certified by the department as qualified to issue appraisal reports for any type of real property. (l) “Certified residential appraiser” means a person who is certified by the department as qualified to issue appraisal reports for residential real property of one to four residential units, without regard to transaction value or complexity, or real property as may be authorized by federal regulation. (m) “Client” means a person who contracts with an appraiser or appraisal management company for the performance of appraisal services. (n) “Covered transaction” means a consumer credit transaction secured by the consumer’s principal dwelling. (o) “Department” means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. (p) “Direct supervision” means the degree of supervision required of a supervisory appraiser overseeing the work of a registered trainee appraiser by which the supervisory appraiser has control over and detailed professional knowledge of the work being done. Direct supervision is achieved when a registered trainee appraiser has regular direction, guidance, and support from a supervisory appraiser who has the competencies as determined by rule of the board. (q) “Evaluation” means a valuation permitted by any federal financial institutions regulatory agency appraisal regulations for transactions that do not require an appraisal, as such valuations qualify for an applicable exemption under federal law. The board shall adopt rules, as necessary, to define the term “evaluation” and the applicable exemptions under federal law. (r) “Federally regulated appraisal management company” means an appraisal management company that is owned and controlled by an insured depository institution, as defined in 12 U.S.C. s. 1813, and regulated by the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. (s) “Federally related transaction” means any real estate-related financial transaction which a federal financial institutions regulatory agency or the Resolution Trust Corporation engages in, contracts for, or regulates, and which requires the services of a state-licensed or state-certified appraiser. (t) “Licensed appraiser” means a person who is licensed by the department as qualified to issue appraisal reports for residential real property of one to four residential units or on such real estate or real property as may be authorized by federal regulation. After July 1, 2003, the department shall not issue licenses for the category of licensed appraiser. (u) “Order file” means the documentation necessary to support the performance of appraisal management services. (v) “Registered trainee appraiser” means a person who is registered with the department as qualified to perform appraisal services only under the direct supervision of a certified appraiser. A registered trainee appraiser may accept appraisal assignments only from her or his primary or secondary supervisory appraiser. (w) “Secondary mortgage market participant” means a guarantor, insurer, underwriter, or issuer of mortgage-backed securities. The term includes an individual investor in a mortgage-backed security only if such investor also serves in the capacity of a guarantor, an insurer, an underwriter, or an issuer for the mortgage-backed security. (x) “Signature” means personalized evidence indicating authentication of work performed by an appraiser and the acceptance of responsibility for the content of an appraisal, appraisal review, or appraisal consulting service or conclusions in an appraisal report. (y) “Subsidiary” means an organization that is owned and controlled by a financial institution that is regulated by a federal financial institution regulatory agency. (z) “Supervisory appraiser” means a certified residential appraiser or a certified general appraiser responsible for the direct supervision of one or more registered trainee appraisers and fully responsible for appraisals and appraisal reports prepared by those registered trainee appraisers. The board, by rule, shall determine the responsibilities of a supervisory appraiser, the geographic proximity required, the minimum qualifications and standards required of a certified appraiser before she or he may act in the capacity of a supervisory appraiser, and the maximum number of registered trainee appraisers to be supervised by an individual supervisory appraiser. (aa) “Training” means the process of providing for and making available to a registered trainee appraiser, under direct supervision, a planned, prepared, and coordinated program, or routine of instruction and education, in appraisal professional and technical appraisal skills as determined by rule of the board. (bb) “Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice” means the most recent standards approved and adopted by the Appraisal Standards Board of The Appraisal Foundation. (cc) “Valuation services” means services pertaining to aspects of property value and includes such services performed by certified appraisers, registered trainee appraisers, and others. (dd) “Work file” means the documentation necessary to support an appraiser’s analysis, opinions, and conclusions.

(2) Wherever the word “operate” or “operating” appears in this part with respect to a registered trainee appraiser, registered appraisal management company, licensed appraiser, or certified appraiser; in any order, rule, or regulation of the board; in any pleading, indictment, or information under this part; in any court action or proceeding; or in any order or judgment of a court, it shall be deemed to mean the commission of one or more acts described in this part as constituting or defining a registered trainee appraiser, registered appraisal management company, licensed appraiser, or certified appraiser, not including, however, any of the exceptions stated therein. A single act is sufficient to bring a person within the meaning of this subsection, and each act, if prohibited herein, constitutes a separate offense.

(3) For the purposes of service on any probable cause panel appointed pursuant to s. 455.225(4), “former board member” includes any person who is a former member of the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Florida Real Estate Commission.

History: ss. 9, 11, ch. 91-89; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 149, ch. 92-149; s. 148, ch. 94-119; s. 163, ch. 94-218; s. 20, ch. 98-250; s. 3, ch. 2003-164; s. 80, ch. 2004-5; s. 1, ch. 2006-198; s. 1, ch. 2010-84; s. 13, ch. 2012-61; s. 9, ch. 2012-72; s. 2, ch. 2013-144; s. 4, ch. 2015-54; s. 2, ch. 2017-30; s. 66, ch. 2018-110; s. 14, ch. 2023-15; s. 11, ch. 2024-183.