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American Society of Appraisers, National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers to merge

Major appraiser groups agree to merger

A shift in the appraiser world is underway, as the American Society of Appraisers and the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers announced Wednesday that the groups plan to merge.

Here are the particulars.

The American Society of Appraisers, which bills itself as “the original multidisciplinary valuation society,” and the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers, which calls itself “the leading voice for independent professional real estate appraisers,” announced that the groups reached a “Memorandum of Understanding” that will eventually lead to NAIFA merging into ASA.

According to the groups, the merger will add to ASA's nearly 5,000 multi-discipline credentialed valuation professionals in over 75 countries and create “one of the largest networks of U.S. professional real estate appraisers.”

Per the terms of the merger agreement, Jim Hirt, chief executive officer of ASA, will oversee the integration of the two companies’ offerings, and will work ease the transition.

So why merge? The groups say the merger is beneficial for all parties involved.

Once the merger is complete, NAIFA members will have “greater access to leading professional development, accreditation and government relations programs, while ASA members will have a larger pool of experienced experts for networking, referrals or review services,” the groups say.

Additionally, consumers, businesses or government agencies that order appraisal services will also benefit by adding additional credentialed professionals to ASA's free "Find an Appraiser" referral system.

“This is a natural fit and the two organizations complement one another perfectly,” NAIFA President David Doering said. “ASA's commitment and ongoing efforts to raise standards and better the appraisal profession is a long-standing passion of our members and a notable part of our organization's history.”

According to the groups, the boards for both organizations will provide details to their members within a few weeks for final consideration and approval of the merger.

“Today marks the start of a new chapter for ASA and NAIFA on our continued quest to be recognized and respected around the world for the integrity and appraisal expertise of our members,” ASA's International President, Susan Golashovsky, said.

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