Existing associations of professional property appraisers have traditionally provided educational opportunities and organizational support for the professional personal property appraiser. With the advent of the Internet, however, comes new technology and new methods of conducting personal property appraisals. The traditional societies focus only on the traditional, off line appraisals - thus the need for a new association, the AOA , that provides standards and guidance in preparing personal property appraisals on line. Only a relatively small number of appraisers belong to the traditional professional appraisal societies.
Many appraisers have no societal affiliation at all.
With the anticipated growth in popularity of online appraisal services, a significant number of aligned as well as non-aligned appraisers will be participating in providing online appraisal services. The AOA provides all appraisers, whether or not they belong to a traditional appraisal society, with a method and opportunity to become proficient in online appraisals. The public would be best served if those appraisers and appraisal management companies who participate in online valuations adhere to recognized standards of ethics and professional conduct such as those offered by the AOA . The personal property appraisal industry is rethinking its long-established traditional standards of practice in light of the emerging Internet technology. These phenomena underscore a growing conviction that the need for practical discourse within the appraisal profession has never been more timely.