The calculation of investment worth – Issues of market efficiency, variable estimation and risk analysis

The Mallinson Report , published in 1994, emphasised the need for valuers to develop expertise for the purpose of estimating the worth of property investments. Implicit in attempts to estimate worth is the assumption that the property market displays some level of inefficiency and that, in such a market, price and worth may diverge. It is believed that astute investors can exploit such inefficiencies in the market to add value to their portfolios. This paper reviews the main issues relating to the calculation of worth. Specifically it examines market efficiency, individual and market worth, and the use of risk analysis in the calculation. Finally, it recommends a shorter analysis period in view of the uncertainty in the estimation of the variables.