You've likely seen other professionals in the property tax field mention how easy it is to find continuing education (CE) courses when the need arises. And technically, they are right. There are so many webinars, workshops, conferences, self-study programs, and online courses available to property tax professionals across the United States.
But the difficult part was never finding a course. It is finding one that adds value to your career. If that's your goal, here are some ideas to guide you in your selection.
1. Let Your Career Guide You
Before browsing courses, you should first determine exactly what it is that your credential requires. As a property tax expert, you can specialise in assessment, appraisal, consulting, tax collection, and other areas. This often means that a course you think is valuable for you might be irrelevant to a colleague. That's why your first task when making a choice should be to identify your state and licensing authority, the exact credential you hold, and the renewal period and categories that your CE must satisfy.
This is particularly important when your continuing education should comprise mandatory and selection topics. Luckily, for you, RocketCert offers carefully customised property tax continuing education courses to fit professionals in different areas of practice. When you choose such a provider, you avoid accumulating hours of education that probably won't help you much in your daily operations.
2. Don't Focus Solely On Provider Reputation
There is one mistake tax professionals looking to satisfy their CE requirement make, albeit unknowingly. When looking for the right courses to take, many professionals are understandably attracted by a professional education provider's reputation. They assume that every course such a provider offers will automatically get credit, which isn't always the case.
The International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) itself advises learners to confirm acceptance of CE hours with their state's licensing board or other licensing organisation. That's because regulations and acceptance can easily vary between jurisdictions. So, even though evaluating a provider's reputation is still a valid consideration, the more important question will be whether the course they are offering is approved for your particular requirement.
3. Think About Your Appraisal Practice
Property tax professionals work in an environment where appraisal standards and professional expectations seem to rise every other year. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) is a perfect example. The Appraisal Foundation currently identifies the 2024 edition as the current USPAP edition and has separately published the USPAP Guidance and Reference Manual. Its current CE offerings also show the differences between real property and mass appraisal education.
As such, you should pay attention to the version and subject matter covered by a course instead of assuming that anything labelled USPAP can be interchanged. This is an especially important consideration for professionals whose work touches both appraisal and property tax assessment. Always keep in mind that a course designed for one appraisal discipline may not always address the practical issues you face in mass appraisal or assessment administration.
4. Always Check What Works for Other Professionals
One of the most reliable ways to choose property tax continuing education, even if you disregard everything else, is to find out what's working for your peers. Sometimes, the best lessons are those you learn from the mistakes or successes of others in your field.
So, when you feel like you have hit a dead end in your research and search processes, always check out what other professionals in your field say is working for them. It works even better when you consider the stories from professionals in your exact specialisation.
Taking the Next Step
After reading this post, you now have a better idea of where to start when it comes to choosing your property tax CE. As long as the course you choose is recognised by your state's licensing board and helps you perform better at work, you are on the right path.
But if you want to make your work easier and even get help choosing the right courses for your needs, consider using RocketCert. They have the right resources and expertise for anything related to property tax continuing education.