ANEVAR Authorized Valuer: How to Verify Their Credentials and What Responsibilities They Have

Why verifying the valuer matters

When a property owner requests a valuation, most of the time they think about price, timeframe, and documents. Verifying the valuer seems like a secondary step. It is not. In Romania, authorized valuation activity is governed by professional rules, and the beneficiary must know who prepares the report, what specialization they have, and whether they are listed in the Register of the National Association of Authorized Valuers in Romania.

Choosing a valuer is not like choosing a plumber. The report may reach a bank, a city hall, an auditor, a court, or be used in an important transaction. It may be used by third parties and produce legal effects. If the report is prepared by someone unsuitable for the required purpose, the problem does not necessarily appear on the day the contract is signed, but when the document is verified or challenged.

How to quickly verify a valuer

The simplest verification is done through the public “Search for Valuers” tool on the ANEVAR website. The search can be made by name, membership card number, county, or specializations. It is not enough to receive a business card or a verbal recommendation. Search for the name, verify the specialization, and ask explicitly whether the report can be prepared for your purpose.

For valuation aimed at determining the taxable value of a building, ANEVAR states that the valuation may be carried out by authorized valuers specialized in real property valuation, EPI, or by corporate members under the applicable conditions. Therefore, not just any real estate experience is sufficient. Specialization matters.

What responsibilities the valuer has

The authorized valuer is not a sales agent, marketing consultant, or advocate for one of the parties. Their role is to provide a professionally grounded opinion of value, within the limits of the purpose, documents, and applicable standards.

Their responsibilities include competence, impartiality, compliance with standards, maintaining confidentiality, clarifying assumptions, documenting the analysis, and avoiding conflicts of interest. A good valuer can also tell you things you may not want to hear: that the documents are incomplete, that the market does not support the asking price, that a desired use is not legally permissible, or that the requested report cannot be used for another purpose.

What responsibilities the client has

A good report is not built only on the valuer’s work. The beneficiary must provide correct documents, allow the inspection, disclose relevant information, and not request manipulation of the result. If you hide a dispute, an extension without permits, an easement, an access problem, or a cadastral inconsistency, you are not “helping” the valuer. You are sabotaging your own decision.

The client has another responsibility as well: not to compare valuers only by price. A valuation that is too cheap can become expensive if the report is rejected, challenged, or unusable. Price matters, but it cannot be the only criterion.

Questions worth asking before contracting

Ask the valuer whether they have the right specialization for the subject and purpose of the valuation. Ask what documents are required, whether an inspection is needed, what the realistic timeframe is, who the report is intended for, and what limitations may arise. Ask whether the report can be used exclusively for the stated purpose or also in other contexts.

A professional will not be bothered by these questions. On the contrary, they shorten the process and reduce the risk of misunderstandings.

Common myths

“Anyone who works in real estate can perform a valuation.”

No. Experience in transactions can help with understanding the market, but an authorized valuation report requires professional competence, standards, specialization, and responsibility.

“The valuer must give me the value I need.”

No. The valuer must justify the value supported by data, not deliver the desired figure. Client pressure on value is one of the most dangerous forms of professional risk.

“If the report has many pages, it is surely good.”

Not necessarily. Quality lies in the relevance of the information, the coherence of the analysis, and the suitability of the conclusion for the purpose. Volume is no substitute for professional judgment. Still, we must also acknowledge reality: a valuation report does indeed have quite a lot of pages.

Challenge for the reader

Before choosing the valuer, make three checks: search for them in the ANEVAR Register, confirm the specialization for your purpose, and ask them to explain what the report cannot do. The answer to the third question is often the best test of professionalism.

Sources consulted

• ANEVAR — Search for Valuers

• ANEVAR — Valuation for Taxation

• ANEVAR — Valuation Standards