What does it mean to be a "Certified General Appraiser?"

Certified General Appraisers are professionals who are licensed to appraise all types of real property. This includes residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural properties as well as special-purpose properties like schools, hotels and hospitals. Becoming a Certified General Appraiser takes rigorous education and training. First, you must obtain a bachelor's degree and then complete 300 hours of appraisal-specific education through a state-licensed provider. You must also obtain 3,000 hours of real-life experience working under a supervisor before you can even apply to have your work reviewed by the state licensing board, which has the authority to grant you permission to sit for the National Certified General Real Property Appraiser Exam. Then, you still must pass a Federal background check and fingerprinting before you're finally able to submit your licensing application and fees. It takes multiple years to complete all of these requirements.

Certified General Appraisers

Richard (Dick) Koestner, owner and partner at Koestner & Associates, is a Certified General Appraiser with more than 45 years of experience appraising all types of properties in and around the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. Certified General licensing is the highest level of licensing, meaning Dick is well versed in both commercial and residential properties. He holds the SRA (Senior Residential Appraiser) designation from The Appraisal Institute, which is the Institute's most prestigious for its members who practice primarily residential real estate appraisal. Obtaining this designation requires meeting stringent education and experience requirements to ensure those who obtain it will provide clients with the highest quality of residential appraisal service. His dedication to the industry doesn't stop there. It would take a lot of characters to touch on each individual committee and organization Koestner has led and served on throughout his career. The list includes organizations such as the State of Iowa Real Estate Appraiser Examining Board, the Quad City Area Realtors Association, the Iowa Association of Realtors, the National Association of Realtors, The Appraisal Institute and The Appraisal Foundation. In addition to giving back to the industry through countless hours of volunteer work, Koestner has generously supported the industry from a financial standpoint. For 2023, he was recognized as a Crystal-level donor for RPAC, the Realtors Political Action Committee and is even a Hall of Fame member. Yet somehow, his dedication and love for the industry still does not stop there. He has served as a supervisor for multiple trainees appraisers throughout the years. This requires a multi-year commitment to each trainee and provides a critical role in the development of not only the individual appraisers he's helped obtain licensing, but also helped secure the future of the appraisal industry. When he's not working, you can often find him on the golf course, cheering on the Hawkeyes (his alma-mater), riding bikes or walking the bike path with his wife, Debbie, or traveling to visit his three children and five grandchildren. Dick is licensed in both Iowa and Illinois, and is both FHA and VA approved. View Richard's Resume.

Andrea Batten is a Certified Residential Appraiser with five years of experience appraising a variety of residential, multi-family commercial and industrial properties throughout the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. A graduate of Iowa State University, Andrea worked in marketing and then spent a couple of years as a stay-at-home mom prior to beginning her appraisal career with Koestner & Associates in 2019. She has completed all of her coursework to become a Certified General Appraiser, and is working to finish her remaining hours of real-life experience working under her supervisor so she can apply to upgrade her license this year. This is Andrea's first year volunteering on the Quad City Area Realtor Association's MLS Committee, which focuses on issues related to member services and new technologies. When she's not working, you can find Andrea hanging out with her daughter and keeping her husband, Eric, busy with an endless list of home projects. She also enjoys reading, crafting, gardening, hiking and going for walks (and pretty much anything else that keeps her in the sun). Andrea is licensed in both Iowa and Illinois. View Andrea's Resume.