BUSINESS VALUATION
ASA’s Business Valuation (BV) professionals provide independent and unbiased opinion on value of a company, business, part of business. They also value intangible assets (e.g. trademarks, patents, brand names, know-how, goodwill).
Business valuation experts are extensively used as part of the mergers and acquisitions, establishment of joint venture schemes, corporate restructurings, feasibility studies, appraisals for financial reporting (e.g. business combinations, impairment tests, etc.). Business appraisals are often subject of scrutiny of auditors, regulators or courts (valuation for litigation purposes); these are the cases when it is crucial to prove technical appraiser’s competence, technical background and unbiased objectivity.
Established in 1981 within the 75 year-old American Society of Appraisers, the mission of ASA’s business valuation group is to provide educational opportunities, promote professional ethics and standards and encourage the exchange of professional information and ideas. As the longest established business valuation certification, ASA leads the industry.
REAL ESTATE
ASA’s Real Property (RP) Valuation professionals provide independent, unbiased opinions of value for all types of real estate and real estate interests and rights. Whether the assignment is to value interests in land and improvements and/or the related air rights, sub-surface rights or water rights, or to value an owner’s partial interest or a tenant’s leasehold interest, the ASA Real Property Professional is qualified and capable of doing the job appropriately, fairly, ethically and to the complete satisfaction of their client.
Designated ASA Real Property appraisers have demonstrated their commitment to the highest standards. In addition to having met rigorous education requirements, they have also completed at least 10,000 hours of full-time real property valuation experience.
ASA Real Property Valuation Professionals provide appraisal services for buy/sell agreements, financing, insurance issues, tax assessment, tax appeals, litigation and litigation support, partnership/family dissolution, just compensation for eminent domain/condemnation, equitable distribution of marital assets, highest and best use studies, marketability studies, and much more.
MACHINERY AND TECHNICAL SPECIALITIES
Machinery and Technical Specialities (MTS) appraisers include members who perform market or liquidation valuations for various purposes such as sale, acquisition, ad valorem tax, collateralization, insurance or residual forecasting, financial reporting (e.g. impairment tests, purchase price allocation), litigation support, etc. The MTS discipline is comprised of several specialties including the following:
- Aircraft
- Computers and High-Tech Personal Property
- Cost Surveys
- Industrials
- Machinery and Equipment (M&E)
- Marine Survey
- Mines and Quarries
- Oil and Gas
- Public Utilities
GEMS AND JEWELRY
The value of diamonds and colored gemstones is based primarily on beauty, durability and rarity. Throughout history, they have been regarded as the most highly concentrated form of wealth. Because subtle differences in their quality so often lead to dramatic differences in value, it requires both education in gemology and ongoing knowledge of current markets to appraise them accurately. The materials, techniques and designs of the jewelry arts are matters for lifetime study. Members of ASA’s Gems and Jewelry discipline are among the most distinguished appraisers of these items in the world as none are more devoted to understanding them.
Gems and Jewelry (GJ) appraisers were part of the Personal Property (PP) discipline until 1993, when GJ became a separate discipline. In the late 1980’s, the Master Gemologist Appraiser® program was merged into ASA from the Accredited Gemologists Associations. Today it remains the most highly sought after certification mark in the gems and jewelry appraisal field and is the only program that regularly re-tests its members in both gemological and valuation expertise.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Personal property is tangible, movable property that is utilitarian, collectible, decorative or a combination of the three. These can be anything from paintings, china and antiques to photography, vintage music posters, musical instruments and more.
A personal property appraiser identifies and provides a value for these types of objects. The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) trains and accredits appraisers in personal property valuation; thus, an ASA personal property appraiser is a trained, objective, ethical individual the public can rely on to provide a competent, fair assessment of value.
An ASA personal property appraiser follows the Society’s Code of Ethics to identify and value objects based on the appraiser's training, experience and accreditation. ASA accredits personal property appraisers in the following specialties: African Art, Fine Arts, American Folk Art, Fine Arts Photography, American Indian Art, Firearms, Antique and Collectible Glass, Japanese Prints, Antique Firearms, Armor and Militaria, Musical Instruments (includes Automatic), Antique Furniture, Numismatics - coins and medals, Antiques and Decorative Arts, Oriental Rugs, Asian Art, Pre-Columbian Art, Automotive Specialties, Residential Contents - General - any other household contents, Books and Manuscripts, Silver & Metalware, Clocks, Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia, Dolls and Toys, Textiles, Ethnographic Art, Wines—Fine and Rare (for the updated list see also ASA global webpage)