The credential courts and the ATO expect to see.

Statutory registration. Queensland maintains a register through the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland; Western Australia licenses valuers through its Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. In those jurisdictions, carrying out valuation work without registration is a breach of the relevant Act. Registrations can also be limited — capped by value or class of property — so “registered” and “registered, not limited” are different statements.

Professional certification. In the remaining states and territories there is no statutory register, and the control is professional rather than legislative. There, CPV certification through the Australian Property Institute is the accepted standard, and it is what the parties who have to accept a report look for.

The practical consequence is the same across the country: courts, the ATO and revenue offices expect a suitably qualified valuer, and in practice that means a CPV — whichever state the property sits in. The absence of a statutory register in a state does not mean anyone may usefully value property there; it means the requirement is imposed by the party relying on the report rather than by a licensing Act.

CPV status requires an accredited tertiary qualification in property or valuation, a period of supervised practical experience, and assessment. It is then maintained through mandatory continuing professional development, and the holder is subject to professional standards, complaint and disciplinary processes, and professional indemnity requirements.

That maintenance obligation is the part that matters to someone relying on a report. A credential earned twenty years ago and never updated tells you about the past; a current certification tells you the valuer is presently accountable to a body that can act on a complaint.

It is also why a report should name the valuer and state their qualifications and registrations. A report signed only in a company name gives you nobody to check and nobody to hold accountable.

“Who will sign the report?” Ask for a person, not a company, and ask before you instruct rather than after. A firm unwilling to name the signing valuer in advance has answered a different and more useful question.

“Are they a current CPV, and are they registered in this state?” CPV status can be confirmed with the Australian Property Institute. In Queensland and Western Australia you can also check the statutory register directly. Ask whether any registration is limited.

“Will that person inspect the property?” The valuer who signs should be the valuer who attended. Where a report is signed by someone who never saw the property, the report should disclose it — and you would rather know that now than have a court, an auditor or the ATO find it later.

Every credential we hold, and who issued it

Who can legally value a property in Australia?

It depends on the state. Queensland and Western Australia operate statutory registers, and in those jurisdictions valuation work is restricted by law to registered or licensed valuers. In the other states and territories there is no statutory register, and the control is professional: the accepted standard is a Certified Practising Valuer certified by the Australian Property Institute. In practice courts, the ATO and revenue offices expect a CPV regardless of which state the property is in.

What is the difference between a valuer and a real estate agent?

A valuer is qualified and certified to form and defend an opinion of value to a professional standard, carries professional indemnity insurance, and has no interest in whether the property transacts. An agent is licensed to market and sell property and is paid on a transaction. An agent’s appraisal is an opinion of likely selling price prepared to win or service a listing; it is not prepared to a valuation standard and carries no professional liability.

Does CPV status expire?

It is maintained rather than permanent. Continuing professional development is mandatory, and the holder remains subject to professional standards and disciplinary process. That is why it is worth asking whether a valuer’s certification is current rather than simply whether they hold it, and why a report should state the valuer’s qualifications and registrations rather than just a company name.

What does “not limited” mean on a valuer registration?

Statutory registrations can be limited — restricted by the value or class of property the holder may value. A registration described as “not limited” carries no such cap. If a property is high-value, rural, or an unusual class, it is worth confirming that the valuer’s registration extends to it, because a valuation performed outside the terms of a registration is a problem for both of you.