The City of Alexandria is located in Northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a vibrant waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our racially and culturally diverse community. If you are interested in working for the progressive City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for the Appraiser position.
An Overview
The City of Alexandria’s Finance Department is looking for one (1) detail-oriented, self-starting, and resourceful Appraisers to join our team. As a member of the Real Estate Assessments Division, the Appraiser performs mass appraisals of residential and small commercial land and property for assessment purposes. This work is done through field inspections and office review of relevant documents and records. Appraisers utilize a variety of software when performing their work, including RealWare to manage appraisal data, Apex to sketch floor plans, and ArcGIS to read and manipulate maps. The day-to-day work of the Appraiser is performed under the general supervision of an Appraiser Supervisor.
What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate possesses a working knowledge of property valuation principles, building construction practices, and real estate transactions and markets as well as the physical ability and willingness to perform independent, on-site physical inspections of real property. Additional skills and abilities include:
· GGeneral knowledge of the major components of residential architecture and building construction, materials, and techniques;
· GGeneral knowledge of political, legal, social, and economic factors affecting property values;
· SSkill with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel (e.g. tables, basic functions) and Word (e.g. writing reports, formatting);
· AAbility to read and understand building construction plans;
· AAbility to develop expertise using professional appraisal and assessment software packages to create accurate, timely, and complete data;
· AAbility to perform internet-based research;
· AAbility to organize long-term, multi-step processes in such a way as to make regular, consistent progress and meet deadlines;
· AAbility to meet with members of the public and explain the basics of current assessments in an accurate, courteous, and professional manner;
· AAbility to deliver professional presentations in front of an audience.
· MMust have a valid driver’s license
The Opportunity – Examples of Work
· PPerforms mass appraisals of residential and some small commercial properties in the City of Alexandria in accordance with the Code of Virginia, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), and International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) standards;
· UUtilizes professional appraisal software (RealWare, Access databases) to develop accurate, timely, and complete valuation data for assigned properties;
· UUtilizes professional geospatial mapping software (ArcGIS) to read and understand maps of neighborhoods and properties in the City;
· PPerforms physical inspections of properties in the City, as needed;
· UUtilizes professional floor plan sketching software (Apex) to translate field property measurements into accurate drawings;
· EEvaluates the performance of the Division’s assessment model using a variety of statistical and qualitative analysis techniques;
· MMeets with property owners and members of the public to answer assessment questions;
· PPrepares oral, visual, and written presentations to defend assessments before the Board of Equalization and in the administrative appeal process;
· MMaintains and updates property tax record and sales data;
· PPerforms related work as required.
About The Department
The City of Alexandria's Finance Department is a fast-paced, diverse, and customer service focused operation that is responsible for the assessment, collection, and enforcement of all City taxes, the management of cash flow and investments, accounting for and reporting the City’s financial position, processing payroll, executing a fair and competitive procurement environment, assessing all real and personal property in the City, managing the City’s risk and safety programs, and managing the City’s pension plans. The Finance Department has seven divisions and in fiscal year 2026 is operating with a total budget of $16.1 million and 109 FTE positions.
The goal of the Finance Department is to treat all employees, citizens, and business owners professionally, with fairness and compassion.
Minimum and Additional Requirements
Bachelor’s degree and one to two years of experience in appraisal of real property or in a related field, such as: appraisal data collection, architecture, construction, real estate development, real estate consulting and/or real estate sales; or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training which are equivalent to the minimum requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
Data collection & research, basic statistical analysis; General knowledge of the major components of residential architecture and building construction, materials, and techniques; experience conducting internet-based research on real estate experience utilizing a computer to create architectural drawings;
Eligible candidates for this position must have a valid driver’s license.
Notes
Eligible candidates for this position must have a valid driver’s license.
This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to a criminal background check. The selection process for this position may include a phone or virtual interview and in-person interviews.
The starting salary range for this position is $54,726.10 to $76,717.16 (midpoint of grade), based on qualifications and experience. The incumbent can eventually be awarded up to $96,304.52 (Step 20) with tenure and job performance.