Who gets to select the appraiser in a real estate transaction?  No one is allowed to select a specific appraiser if you are financing a home.  Lenders may not accept appraisal reports completed by an appraiser selected, retained or compensated in any manner by mortgage brokers or real estate agents.  The appraisal is ordered through the lender, typically using an Appraisal Management Company.  There are very strict "Appraiser Independence Requirement (AIR)" rules that must be followed.  Each appraisal order is randomly assigned to an appraiser (No one can request a specific appraiser and no one knows which appraiser is going to be assigned to an order). 

AIR was created to provide important protections to homebuyers, mortgage investors, and the housing market.   The rules are there to maintain the highest standard of appraiser independence and appraisal reliability for the industry.  Additionally, AIR provides many safeguards and states that no one shall influence or attempt to influence the development, reporting, result, or review of an appraisal through coercion, extortion, collusion, compensation, inducement, intimidation, bribery, or in any other manner.   In fact Realtors, Loan Officers and the lender's loan production staff are not allowed to discuss value with an appraiser.