Appraiser 4
Metro Nashville
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Posted: February 25, 2026 (1 day ago)
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Appraiser IV (OCFO - Assessors)
City of Detroit
Off Chf Financial Officer
Location
Detroit, Michigan, 48226
Salary
$77,543 - $96,308
per year
Type
Full-Time
More Real Estate & Property jobs →Closes
March 7, 2026
SES Pay Grade
Base salary range: $147,649 - $221,900
Typical requirements: Executive-level leadership experience. Senior executive qualifications required.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
Job Description
Summary
This job involves evaluating the value of properties like homes, businesses, and industrial sites in Detroit to help set fair property taxes each year.
The role requires inspecting properties, analyzing market data, and explaining assessments to owners or defending them in hearings.
It's a good fit for someone detail-oriented with experience in real estate valuation who enjoys working with numbers and interacting with the public.
Key Requirements
- Knowledge of state, county, and city property tax laws and regulations
- Proficiency in appraisal methods including field inspections, sales analysis, market trends, income/expense analysis, and cost approaches
- Ability to inspect properties and determine values based on location, condition, and replacement costs
- Skills in explaining assessments to property owners and defending values at hearings, Board of Review, or Michigan Tax Tribunal
- Experience maintaining property records, maps, inventories, and exemptions
- Licensure or certification as an appraiser by the State of Michigan
- Technical knowledge of appraisal principles from organizations like the Appraisal Institute and International Association of Assessing Officers
Full Job Description
OFFICE OF CHIEF FINANCIAL SERVICES
ASSESSORS OFFICE
APPRAISER IV
Be a Part of the City You Love!
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer - Assessors division is accepting applications for an Appraiser IV position.
Position Summary
Appraiser professionals gather, verify, and analyze many kinds of information to determine an estimate of the market value of real and personal property as of December 31st of each year.
The process follows the General Property Tax Act 206 of the State of Michigan, as well as generally accepted appraisal principles as set forth by the Appraisal Institute, the International Association of Assessing Officers, the Michigan Assessors Association, the opinions of the State Attorney General, decisions of the Michigan Tax Tribunal, the State Tax Commission, and the Court of Appeals.
Appraisers are also charged with ensuring accuracy and completeness of assessments and reports, and understand appraisal strengths and weaknesses in which the Government may use to reach settlements or develop testimonies.
Appraisers require knowledge of assessing methodologies and valuation techniques, as well as assessment and valuation laws.
The Appraiser class performs professional appraisal work requiring an understanding of State, County, and City laws and regulations and an understanding of the requirements and standards accepted and distributed by professional appraisal organizations.
These positions require technical knowledge and skill in the application of principles, practices, and techniques of appraisal.
In addition, Appraisers may be required to be licensed or certified by the State.
Appraisers are responsible for conducting annual assessments of residential, commercial, personal, and industrial property to maintain the tax rolls so the City can levy and collect property taxes
Requirements
The duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.
- Determines taxability and value of properties using methods such as field inspection, structural measurement, calculation, sales analysis, market trend studies, and income and expense analysis.
- Inspects properties, considering factors such as market value, location, and building or replacement costs to determine appraisal value.
- Explains assessed values to property owners and defends appealed assessments at public hearings, the Board of Review, and the Michigan Tax Tribunal.
- Performs specialized professional duties related to the appraisal function, such as acting as a liaison with the local treasurer, Michigan Department of Treasury, and other agencies.
- Represents the Office of the Assessor in public forums and explains the assessment cycle to taxpayers, property owners, and other interested parties.
- Prepares and maintains current data on each parcel assessed, including maps of boundaries, inventories of land and structures, property characteristics, and any applicable exemptions.
- Establishes uniform and equitable systems for assessing all classes and kinds of property.
- Inspect new construction and improvements to existing structures and estimate building replacement costs using building valuation manuals to determine values.
- Writes and submits appraisal and tax reports for public records that outline methods by which the estimations were made and meet appraisal standards.
- Weighs and reconciles the differences of each valuation method, correlates the different value estimates, and derives a final value which is defensible.
- Prepares, completes, and maintains assessment rolls that show the assessed values and status of all property in a municipality and obtains county land values and sales information about nearby properties to aid in the establishment of property values.
- Analyzes trends in sales prices, construction costs, and rents, to assess property values or determine the accuracy of assessments.
- Reviews information about transfers of property to ensure its accuracy, checking basic information on buyers, sellers, and sales prices and makes corrections as necessary.
- Conducts regular reviews of property within jurisdictions to determine changes in property due to construction or demolition.
- Identify the ownership of each piece of regardless of taxable status.
- Resolves valuation issues for properties with limited comparable sales, multiple or questionable ownerships, numerous encumbrances, various possible highest and best uses that may be entirely different from the current use, unusual physical constraints, environmental concerns, and other complex situations.
- Interviews landowner(s), tenants, and others, and observes and inspects properties and improvements to secure adequate and accurate descriptions required for the appraisal of properties history and zoning classification.
- Assists in the establishment of Economic Condition Factors and State mandated residential study.
- Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Qualifications (required):
- High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED)
- At least four (4) years in the valuation, support, or appraisal of real property is required, preferably within a governmental agency responsible for appraisals for tax assessment purposes.
- Must have two (2) years of verifiable experience leading teams and/or providing guidance and training to subordinate staff.
Qualifications (preferred):
- Associate’s degree or 50 college credits in Accounting, Business, Management, Finance or related field.
Licensing and Certifications:
- Valid State of Michigan Operator License. Employees in this class will be required to provide and operate a motor vehicle on a reimbursed mileage basis.
- Michigan Certified Assessing Officer (MCAO)at time of application. Michigan Advanced Assessing Officer (MAAO)within one year of appointment.
Equivalency:
- Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Additional Information
Evaluation Plan- Interview: 70%
- Evaluation of Training, Experience & Personal Qualifications: 30%
- Total of Interview and Evaluation T.E.P: 100%
- Veteran Points: 0 – 15 points
- Detroit Residency Credit: 15 points
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of:
- Mastery of appraisal concepts, principles, and methodologies. Function as technical authorities
- requiring the application of new theories and standards to appraisal problems or assignments
- Evaluate the impact of new or modified appraisal, real estate, tax, and environmental legislation
- on current and projected appraisal standards and programs and prepare important policy changes
- based on the impact.
- Provide guidance to staff and fee appraisers on the interpretation and implementation of new or
- modified policies.
- Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer
- needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
- Federal, state, and departmental laws, rules, practices, methods, and procedures related to the
- work.
- Principles, methods, and practices of real and/or personal property appraisal and their application
- to tax assessment.
- Real estate terminology, real property rights, acquisition and disposal procedures, and property
- Management.
- Materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or
- other structures such as highways and roads.
- Administrative and clerical procedures and systems, such as word processing, managing files and
- records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and
- terminology.
- Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications
- Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules
- of composition, and grammar.
- Enterprise resource planning systems for finance, budget, general ledger, human resources, and
- other management systems and software programs.
Skill in:
- Applying the principles and practices of appraising residential properties.
- Interpreting established appraisal standards and real estate, tax, and environmental regulations, and analyzing property data using the valuation approaches
- Detecting differences in comparable properties and adjust data to make defensible value estimates.
- Presenting concise assessment and appraisal information to a variety of audiences.
- Interpreting resulting financial, appraisal reports, budgets, and summaries.
- Information technology relevant to appraisal and assessment functions.
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, and asking questions.
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Making mathematical calculations relating to building construction and real estate appraising
- Data analysis and problem solving.
- Report writing.
- Use of personal computers.
- Use of Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and other office suite software packages.
- Use of Excel (e.g. Formulas, Pivot Tables, Vlookup ,Hlookup, other functions, charts, tables) and other financial management software packages functionality.
- Use of large, complex, multi-departmental financial systems, and demonstrate the knowledge required to interpret resulting financial and accounting reports, summaries, and budgets.
Ability to:
- Collect, quickly interpret, and analyze information from a variety of sources, apply criteria, draw conclusions, and develop recommendations, guidelines, and policies.
- Effectively organize and present appraisal opinions in writing.
- Conduct inspections of property and analyze findings.
- Maintain records and prepare reports and correspondence related to the work.
- Develop and implement new assessment and appraisal techniques as necessary.
- Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Communicate effectively with others, both orally and written.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, outside agencies and the public.
- Work as part of a team.
Work Environment
- Work is performed primarily in an office environment.
- Some work requires travel to meetings, conferences, and other work sites with exposure to seasonal weather conditions.
Physical Demands
- The employee generally remains in a stationary position for an extended period of time operating standard office equipment which may include computers, telephones, photocopiers, and fax machines.
- The employee is expected to move about to accomplish tasks such as opening file cabinets and moving files.
- Must be able to lift, push, pull, and carry up to 25 pounds.
Candidates considered for placement in this classification may be subject to a Criminal Background Investigation based on the requirements of the position.
The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to the class. Incumbents may be required to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this specification. Specific job duties may vary from position to position.
The City of Detroit is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No applicant for employment shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other criteria prohibited by City, State, or Federal law.
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