By Brian Crowder, MAI, SRA, 2025 NCAI Treasurer

Leadership Development and Advisory Council (LDAC) 2025
May 14-16, 2025 | Washington, D.C.

The 2025 Leadership Development and Advisory Council (LDAC) was a powerful and energizing experience, bringing together leaders from across the country to advocate for the appraisal profession and collaborate on key industry challenges. The North Carolina Chapter of the Appraisal Institute (NCAI) was strongly represented by myself (Brian Crowder, MAI, SRA); Erica Butler, MAI; Laura Gourlay, MAI, AI-GRS; Richard Earley, MAI; and Keith Bolte, MAI, AI-GRS. Time and time again, throughout our days in Washington, we heard compliments and recognition of the great work being done by our chapter. It was a clear reminder that we should all be proud to be part of NCAI and the meaningful impact we are making.

Foreground (L-R): Congressman Addison McDowell, Brian Crowder, Keith Bolte, and Erica Butler

General Session Highlights

The general sessions featured two distinguished speakers who shared valuable insights into the legislative and regulatory landscapes affecting our profession:

1. Congressman Mike Flood – Congressman Flood serves on the House Financial Services Committee, where he is Chairman of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee. He also sits on the Financial Institutions Subcommittee and the Monetary Policy, Treasury Market Resilience, and Economic Prosperity Task Force. His discussion touched on current housing legislation, regulatory trends, and the importance of reliable valuation services.
2. Matt Jones – As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Matt Jones offered a federal perspective on the evolving role of appraisers, HUD’s policy initiatives, and the administration’s housing priorities.

Both speakers engaged in Q&A sessions, answering a range of questions from LDAC attendees and fostering open dialogue on critical issues.

Breakout Sessions

Breakout discussions were dynamic and collaborative, with participants focusing on a range of topics including:

• Communication
• Leadership
• Issues and Opportunities in the Appraisal Profession
• Dare to Inspire/Reinventing the Valuation Profession

The sessions encouraged thoughtful dialogue and generated actionable ideas to help move the profession forward.

(L-R): Erica Butler, Brian Crowder, Congressman Addison McDowell, Keith Bolte, and Jack Sonceau

Capitol Hill Meetings and Legislative Priorities

One of the most impactful aspects of LDAC was our opportunity to meet directly with policymakers on Capitol Hill. Our North Carolina delegation had successful meetings with:

• Congressman Chuck Edwards
• Puj Adusumilli, Legislative Aide to Congresswoman Deborah Ross
• Flynn Maron and Jack Datin, Staff to Senator Thom Tillis
• Congressman Addison McDowell

In these meetings, we advocated several critical legislative issues:

1. Portal for Appraisal Licensing Act (PAL Act)
   The PAL Act aims to modernize the real estate appraisal licensing system by creating a nationwide, cloud-based portal for appraiser licensing and credentialing.
   
   The PAL Act addresses inefficiencies in the current licensing system, reduces administrative burdens and costs, and helps make the profession more accessible and attractive to new entrants. It mirrors models already in place in other industries like mortgage lending and insurance.
   
   
2. AMC Fee Transparency
   Currently, fees paid to Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) are often bundled with appraiser fees on consumer disclosure forms, obscuring how much of the fee actually goes to the appraiser.
   
   We urged lawmakers to push the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to implement Section 1475 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which mandates clear disclosure of appraisal fees versus AMC fees. Transparency would restore fairness, improve standards, and empower consumers with accurate cost information.
   
   
3. FHFA Oversight of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac
   We expressed concern over recent GSE policies, including:
   • Appraisal waivers for high Loan-to-Value (LTV) loans (up to 97%).
   • The expanded use of hybrid appraisals, often relying on unlicensed property data collectors (PDCs).
   We advocated for stronger oversight from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to ensure safety and soundness in the mortgage market, and to prevent the erosion of the trusted role appraisers play in valuation.
   
   
4. IRS: Appraisal Review Panel for Noncash Charitable Contributions
   We raised concerns about the IRS’s penalty process under Section 6695A, which allows the agency to:
   • Impose penalties on appraisers without warning or engagement.
   • Extend the statute of limitations in cases based on technical or unrelated issues.
   • Disqualify appraisers from future IRS-related work, even in disputes where values are later agreed upon.
   These practices represent a lack of due process, discourage professionals from participating in charitable donation valuations, and create a chilling effect that could reduce the number of qualified experts available to taxpayers. We urged Congress to consider establishing a fair and independent appraisal review panel to restore trust and accountability in the process.

We received positive feedback and strong engagement from our congressional contacts, with some following up with us after the meetings—an encouraging sign that our message resonated and that there’s a willingness to listen and act.

(L-R): Keith Bolte, Erica Butler, Richard Earley, Brian Crowder and Laura Gourlay

Conclusion

LDAC 2025 was an incredibly successful and inspiring week. The North Carolina Chapter shone brightly, and our efforts on behalf of the profession were both recognized and impactful. We left D.C. energized, informed, and more connected—not only to each other, but to the broader mission of elevating and protecting the appraisal profession.

We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to be a leading voice for appraisers across the country.

Respectfully submitted,

Brian Crowder, MAI, SRA
2025 NCAI Treasurer