ASA's Professional Disciplines 

Appraisal Review and Management

This discipline, which includes many of the profession’s most widely respected appraisers, requires practitioners to manage multidiscipline appraisal practices, review appraisals performed by others and report the results of those reviews. As a result, they possess unique knowledge of appraisal processes and standards as practiced by more than one discipline.

Business Valuation

Business Valuation (BV) is the largest and fastest-growing ASA discipline and includes many of the discipline’s founders. BV appraisers
• provide independent, unbiased opinions of values
for businesses of all sizes;
• value specific intangible assets, such as patents,
copyrights and goodwill; and
• prepare merger and acquisition analyses and other
studies.
Many BV appraisers work for the country’s largest accounting and financial consulting firms.

Gems and Jewelry

Only ASA-accredited experts in the Gems and Jewelry (GJ) discipline can provide the most accurate and competent value assessment. ASA’s accredited appraisers and Master Gemologist Appraisers® include experts on every gemstone and jewel, from mineral specimens and rough stones to art, designer, antique and period jewelry.

Machinery and Technical Specialties

How does an airline determine what its fleet is worth? Can an oil company measure the value of an undeveloped oil field? How much can a hospital deduct on its new MRI equipment? The members of ASA’s Machinery and Technical Specialties (MTS) discipline can answer all of these questions. ASA’s MTS appraisers routinely provide multi-billion-dollar appraisals for Fortune 500 companies all over the world for the purposes of sale, acquisition, ad valorem tax, eminent domain, collateralization or insurance.

Personal Property

Americans are increasingly interested in the value of their possessions. ASA’s Personal Property appraisers have the specialized knowledge and practical experience to produce accurate and competent appraisals. Personal Property appraisers generally practice in one of three primary specialties: Antiques and Decorative Arts, Fine Arts and Residential Contents. Within these specialties you’ll find every possible type of property, from African sculpture to wines.

Real Property

Most people interact with a real property appraiser when they buy or sell their homes, but home appraisers comprise only a small fraction of the Real Property discipline. ASA-accredited Real Property appraisers are well qualified to determine the value of real estate of any kind, including the land, any improvements permanently affixed to it and all associated structures and additions. Real Property appraisers may specialize in urban, residential, ad valorem, rural or timberland, and can produce appraisals for any purpose: acquisition or disposition, mortgage financing, insurance, estate taxes and more.