Conceptualising collaboration for quality improvement in property valuation

Collaborative interactions are crucial indicators of quality in professional practice; however, their conceptualisation varies across contexts, leading to a fragmented understanding of mechanisms and outcomes. While considerable behavioural valuation research has focused on individual valuers, the nuanced dynamics of collaboration among valuers remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by critically examining collaboration within the property valuation profession. Using qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 commercial property valuers engaged in the Auckland property market. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that collaboration in valuation practice is often experienced simultaneously as an internal and external process. This dual-layered view challenges the traditional separation of internal and external dimensions of collaboration found in the literature and advocates a need for more integrated frameworks of collaboration. In response, this study proposes a framework for understanding collaboration that considers the interconnected dimensions of collaborative forms, influences, and key stakeholders, all of which are essential for fostering quality improvements in valuation practice. The study also develops a process model that explicates how valuers undertake valuations in a collaborative context, contributing to theoretical understanding of professional practice while also providing a practical framework that can guide reflective learning, industry application, and policy development.