An appraiser is a licensed, impartial professional who estimates a property’s market value. They inspect and measure the home, note condition and features, research comparable sales and local trends, and apply accepted valuation methods (sales comparison, cost, and, for rentals, income). They reconcile findings into a USPAP-compliant report used by lenders, buyers, and courts. Appraisers don’t set list prices, negotiate, or guarantee future values; they provide an independent opinion.

Why do appraisal values typically end up as the sales price? Answered by an unknown appraiser -

Real estate appraisals often match the contract price because that price is considered a primary indicator of market value—it's what a willing buyer just agreed to pay a willing seller.

Professionally, appraisers are required to analyze the sales contract as part of their evaluation. Their job is not to ignore this number but to determine if it is reasonable and supported by objective data.

In most transactions, the real estate agents have already used the same comparable sales data ("comps") as the appraiser to negotiate that price. When the appraiser runs their own analysis, they naturally arrive at a similar conclusion.

There is also a practical reason. If the contract price falls within a reasonable range supported by the comps, the appraiser will confirm that value. Coming in low creates an "appraisal gap," which causes major problems and extra work for everyone. Coming in high serves no real purpose, as the lender will still base the loan on the lower sales price. Therefore, matching the contract price is often the most logical and efficient outcome.

Here is a blank appraisal.