A property valuer is a professional person who specialises in determining the value of real estate. 

Most people say “real estate or property valuers”, but the formal term is Certified Practising Valuer (CPV):

Certified Practising Valuers (CPVs):

• Must be accredited with the Australian Property Institute (API), Australia’s premier property professional organization
• Are real estate industry professionals – the most highly qualified and recognised real estate professionals in Australia.

A CPV is a qualified professional real estate valuer, usually specialising in a particular field to meet their clients’ needs. 

Qualifications:

Certified Practising Valuers are property industry professionals, all with tertiary qualifications in the field and accredited with the Australian Property Institute (API). Some work in large corporations and property companies; other run small advisory firms of their own.

Specialisation:

Certified real estate valuers often specialise in a particular area: house valuations; valuation of property for commercial, industrial or farm use; or in a specific geographical location.
Each must have hands-on experience and an understanding of the very particular conditions, legislation and standards that apply in each state and local government area that they operate in.

Meeting Clients’ Needs:

Different clients have varying needs:

• House valuations when buying, selling, or settling estates or taxes
• Market research
• Advice before investing for development, or in drawing up leasing arrangements
• Negotiating a fair price for a property
• Advice regarding residential, commercial, industrial or farm property

Whatever the size or scope of your business asset or investment activities, there is a CPV specialising in your area of interest, able to provide you with the best possible information to help in your decision making.

While each real estate professional should be objective and independent, a CPV holds a unique position in the property industry. All CPVs must undergo both tertiary training and a probationary period in the industry before they can be accredited with the Australian Property Institute (API). 

Following accreditation, certified valuers must continue to update their knowledge with regular professional development courses within the API. This means that rather than dealing solely with statistics or relying on ‘gut feeling’, a certified valuer has a hands-on, professional approach.

Certified valuers work with well-established processes and standards to produce valuations that are robust, reliable and independent.

A CPV does far more than offer property valuations. He or she can also act as your adviser in developing your real estate assets, no matter whether you’re part of a large corporation, a fund manager, or a private individual. 

Having years of on-the-job training and experience in the field, on top of rigorous undergraduate and postgraduate education, certified real estate valuers are expertly equipped to give you up-to-date and impartial professional advice in a wide variety of areas. Some of the many areas in which a certified valuer can help you include:

• Pre-purchase or sale valuations
• Insurance valuations
• Litigation support
• Rental assessments
• Asset and property management
• Marketing and development strategies
• Receivership and liquidation support and advice

If you are making decisions about property, you should consult with a Certified Property Valuer for the best information and advice.