Strategic Advisory in a Volatile Economy: How Professional Valuers Can Drive Policy and Investor Confidence

In times of economic uncertainty and shifting global trends, one truth remains steadfast: real estate and infrastructure assets will always matter. What changes is the context in which these assets are valued, managed and monetised. The recent article by THISDAY draws attention to the increasingly critical role of professional valuers in economies like Nigeria’s, where inflation, currency fluctuation and fiscal tightening are part of the new normal. 

For real estate professionals, investors and policy makers alike, this shift signals both challenge and opportunity. It is no longer sufficient to appraise a plot of land or a building. Success now depends on interpreting that value in the context of wider economic strategy, investor confidence and long‑term governance.

Why Valuation Equals Economic Stability

Valuation is often seen as a technical discipline focused on method and numbers. But in a volatile economy, credible valuations underpin more than market transactions: they become infrastructure for policy decisions. According to the article, weak or inconsistent valuation practices in emerging markets can distort national balance sheets by up to 15 per cent of GDP

When valuers work in isolation from broader fiscal and investment frameworks, assets are mispriced, capital allocation is inefficient and investors lose confidence. Conversely, countries that have institutionalised professional valuation frameworks such as the United Kingdom, Singapore and South Africa enjoy greater alignment between asset value and policy value. 

For Nigeria, where infrastructure assets and public property portfolios run into the trillions of naira, the gap in systematic valuation is both a risk and a door‑opening moment. Real estate professionals and valuers who can bridge that gap will be at the vanguard of change.

Valuers as Economic Mediators

In the private sector, we often think of valuers executing a market appraisal, assisting a buyer or lender. The THISDAY article invites us to think bigger: valuers as economic mediators who link policy makers, investors and market dynamics. 

Such professionals must now:

• Understand macro‑economic indicators like inflation, fiscal deficits, exchange rates and debt levels
• Translate asset performance into policy‑relevant insights
• Assess risks, sustainability and capital strategy across time
  The recent work by the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) shows that nations with strong valuation governance frameworks attract up to 30 per cent more foreign investment into real assets. 

In practical terms, valuers can play roles such as: advising governments on monetising public land or buildings, helping infrastructure agencies price assets for public‑private partnerships, and guiding investors about risk in asset‑rich but governance‑weak markets.

Public Assets and Fiscal Intelligence

Many governments across Africa face a similar problem: a large portfolio of assets land, state‑owned enterprises, infrastructure that is poorly valued, under‑utilised or off the books. The article cites a report by Deloitte that accurate valuation and better asset management of state holdings could increase national revenues by up to 3 per cent of GDP annually. 

In Nigeria’s context, if even a fraction of that potential is realised, it could translate to billions of dollars in fiscal headroom. For real estate brokers and valuers this means new opportunity: advising government, advising funders, and participating in asset advisory roles rather than simply transactional roles.

To embed valuation in fiscal planning means:

1. Recognising valuation as a strategic input not just a report at the end of a development.
2. Creating national or regional asset registries with transparent valuation data.
3. Building capacity among valuers to offer scenario‑based advice (what happens if interest rates double; what happens if currency weakens).

Building Investor Confidence in Uncertain Markets

Volatility undermines trust. In real estate, investors want assurance that the assets they acquire or back are valued properly, reported transparently and monitored consistently. The THISDAY article refers to a survey by PwC which found that 68 per cent of institutional investors identified lack of credible property data and valuation transparency as major barriers to entering the Nigerian real estate market.

For real estate professionals this means credibility matters as much as bricks and mortar. Here are three practical levers to enhance investor confidence:

• Regulatory frameworks: Enforce consistent adherence to international valuation standards (such as IVS) and modern reporting.
• Shared data platforms: Build national databases where verified assets, valuations and yield history are available to investors.
• Transparent processes: Make sure that valuations, whether for public assets or private developments, are traceable, defendable and risk‑aware.

With these foundations in place, Nigeria and similar markets can shift from being perceived as high‑risk and opaque to being seen as having credible, investable real‑asset markets.

The Next Generation Valuer

What does the future hold for the valuer of tomorrow? According to the article, the professionals who will succeed are not only technically proficient but strategically influential. Their tasks will include:

• Advising on asset‑backed securities and infrastructure financing
• Conducting scenario‑based asset stress testing (for example “What if inflation rises by 20%?”)
• Integrating ESG (Environmental Social Governance) dimensions into valuation models
• Participating in policy design especially around asset monetisation and public yield optimisation 
• Professional associations such as the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) are encouraged to establish councils on strategic asset advisory, linking valuers directly with national and regional agencies.

For brokers and investors, the value of a valuation report will increasingly depend on the strategic advisory that accompanies it.

Implications for Real Estate Professionals

What does this mean for developers, brokers, investors and asset managers in the Nigerian real estate market and beyond?

• Developers and investors must treat valuation as a strategic early‑stage step not a mid‑ or post‑construction formality. Better valuations lead to better financing, better partnerships and better exit options.
• Brokers and asset managers should align with valuers who are capable of strategic advisory and not just technical reports. The brokerage offering should include data‑driven valuation insight.
• Investors, both local and international, should demand validated valuation frameworks, historical asset data and transparent advisory processes. These will signal market maturity.
• Policy makers and public‑sector stakeholders must partner with professional valuers to realise monetisation of public assets, deploy infrastructure and free up capital for national development.

In essence, the one‑time “appraisal” mindset must evolve into a “strategic asset advisory” mindset.

Bridging Volatility and Vision

The core message of the THISDAY article is that trustworthy valuation creates trust. In environments fraught with uncertainty, it is the integrity of the valuation process not only the volume of capital that anchors investor confidence.

Real estate professionals who recognise this will position themselves at the intersection of policy, finance and development. They will help transform real estate from a local transaction into a strategic national lever for stability, growth and prosperity.

For Nigeria this is more than an industry evolution. It is a national imperative. And for the global real estate community, it is a signal of where value will increasingly flow.