As of Dec. 31, 2018, the number of active real estate appraisers in the U.S. stood at 78,015, a decrease of 5% versus 2017.

The average rate of decrease for the past five years has been approximately 2.6% annually. Broader analysis suggests that declines may continue due to retirements, fewer new people entering the appraisal profession, economic factors, government regulation, and greater use of data analysis technologies.