Comparing valuation providers
Same professional standard.
A far better way to buy it.
Every valuer on hovr is API or AVI registered and insured — the same requirement that applies at any national valuation firm. What we changed is everything around them: a fixed price shown up front, ordering that takes two minutes, and reports measured in minutes and days rather than weeks.
Been quoted elsewhere?
Here is what the same job costs on hovr — the price you see is the price you pay, GST included, confirmed before payment.
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AI from $85 · Valuer from $185
SMSF Valuation
Annual return & audit evidence, SISR Reg 8.02B
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AI from $95 · Valuer from $189
Desktop Valuation
CGT, stamp duty, pre-sale and refinance prep
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from $450
Certified Valuation
Physical inspection, lender & bank grade
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from $995
Estate & Legal
Probate, deceased estate, family law
Secure payment via Stripe · All prices include GST
Where we actually differ
Four differences that change the job
The valuation profession in Australia is tightly regulated, and rightly so. We haven't tried to reinvent the professional standard — we rebuilt the process that surrounds it.
The price is fixed, and you see it first
No quoting cycle, no hourly rates, no scope creep. hovr confirms the full fee — GST included — based on property type, location and complexity, and you pay that figure. Nothing arrives later that you did not agree to.
Speed measured in minutes, not weeks
An AI assessment for a residential property is typically delivered in under 20 minutes. Where the confidence threshold is not met, a registered valuer completes it — usually the same day, always within one business day. A certified inspection valuation is 3–5 business days including scheduling.
A registered valuer stands behind the report
Every valuer on the platform holds current API or AVI registration and carries professional indemnity insurance. That is what separates a valuation from an estimate: someone qualified takes professional responsibility for the figure.
Independent by structure, not by promise
hovr is not owned by a bank, lender or real estate group, and does not run a lender panel. Valuers are matched by area and property-type experience, and must have no connection to you or any other party in the transaction. You are the client — not the lender.
Ordered in two minutes, from anywhere
Enter the address, choose the report type, choose AI or a human valuer, pay securely via Stripe. Track progress in your dashboard, and the finished PDF is emailed to you and stored in your account.
The properties others decline
Residential, commercial, industrial, rural and specialist assets — plus the small jobs many firms will not quote on, such as car spaces, storage units and vacant land.
Side by side
hovr, traditional firms, and online estimates
There are broadly three ways to get a value on an Australian property today. Each is genuinely suited to something — the useful question is which one matches what you actually need.
| hovr AI assessment + registered valuers | Traditional valuation firms National panel practices | Online estimates / AVMs Algorithmic value tools | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepared by a registered valuer | ✓ API/AVI registered & insured | ✓ API/AVI registered & insured | ✗ No valuer attached |
| Professional indemnity insurance | ✓ Yes, on every report | ✓ Yes | ✗ None — estimate only |
| Price known before you commit | ✓ Fixed & confirmed at checkout | – Usually quoted on request | ✓ Free or subscription |
| How you order | ✓ Online, about two minutes | – Enquiry, quote, callback | ✓ Instant, self-service |
| Typical turnaround | ✓ Minutes (AI) to 3–5 days (certified) | – Days to weeks, subject to capacity | ✓ Instant |
| Physical inspection available | ✓ Yes — Certified & Estate | ✓ Yes | ✗ Never |
| Accepted for SMSF annual returns | ✓ Yes — SISR Reg 8.02B statement | ✓ Yes | ✗ Not accepted by the ATO |
| Accepted for CGT & stamp duty | ✓ Yes — dated, evidenced report | ✓ Yes | ✗ Not accepted |
| Accepted by lenders | ✓ Certified — check panel rules | ✓ Yes, incl. panel work | ✗ No |
| Court, probate & family law | ✓ Yes — Estate & Legal reports | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Retrospective (back-dated) valuations | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Small assets — car spaces, storage, land | ✓ Yes | – Often declined or minimum-fee priced | – Estimate only, if covered at all |
| Comparable evidence disclosed to you | ✓ Yes, in every report | ✓ Yes | ✗ Method not disclosed |
| Independent of lenders & agents | ✓ No panel, no lender ownership | – Often panel-contracted to lenders | – Frequently agent or portal owned |
| Reports stored in your account | ✓ Yes — dashboard & mobile app | – Emailed on completion | ✗ Not applicable |
| Indicative cost |
AI from $85 · Valuer from $185 Certified from $450 |
Commonly $400 – $1,200+, quoted per job | Free or subscription |
Traditional firm fees and turnaround vary by provider, property type, location and complexity — treat the figures above as indicative and confirm directly with any provider you are considering. All hovr prices include GST. Lender acceptance of any valuation depends on that lender's own panel policy.
Doing your homework
If you're weighing up
a few providers
Most people arriving on this page have a quote or two in hand — perhaps from one of the established national practices such as Herron Todd White, Acumentis or Opteon, or from one of the newer online tools such as Property Pricer.
They are capable businesses and we won't pretend otherwise. The national firms have deep panel relationships and decades of coverage; the online tools are fast and cheap. The honest distinction is structural rather than a matter of who is better:
- Established national practices are built around panel and institutional work. That model does the job well, and it comes with a quoting process, per-job pricing and turnaround that moves with their capacity.
- Online estimate tools are algorithmic. They are useful for a quick sense of the market, but no registered valuer signs them, so they carry no professional responsibility and are not accepted where a formal valuation is required.
- hovr sits deliberately between the two: the professional standard and accountability of the first, delivered with the price transparency and speed of the second.
Five questions worth asking any provider
What exactly will this cost, including GST, before I commit?
A valuation fee should not be a moving target. Ask for the final figure, not a range or an hourly rate.
Is the valuer registered with the API or AVI, and insured?
This is the line between a valuation and an estimate. If nobody qualified signs it, it will not be accepted where it matters.
Will the report be accepted for my specific purpose?
SMSF, CGT, probate, family law and lending all have different evidentiary requirements. Ask about your purpose, not valuations in general.
When will I have it — and what happens if that slips?
Deadlines like 30 June or a settlement date are not negotiable. Get the turnaround in writing.
Who is the report for — me, or a lender?
If a valuation is commissioned by a lender under a panel arrangement, the lender is the client. Ask who the report is addressed to and who may rely on it.
Straight answers
Where hovr isn't the right choice
A comparison page that claims one provider wins every category isn't a comparison. Here is where you should use someone else — or a different hovr product.
Your lender mandates its own panel
Some lenders will only accept a valuation ordered through their nominated panel firm. If that is your situation, order through the panel — but an independent hovr certified valuation is still useful as a second, unaffiliated assessment if the panel figure comes in low.
You need a highly specialised asset class
Large-scale infrastructure, going-concern business valuations and complex development feasibility work sit outside what we do. Talk to us first and we will tell you honestly if it is not a fit.
You only want a rough number for curiosity
If nothing formal depends on the figure and you simply want a ballpark, a free online estimate will do. Our Basic Valuation from $20 is the step up for when you want an independent, evidenced figure without a full report.
A signature and inspection are required
AI assessment is not the right product for lending, court or probate. Those need a registered valuer and, in most cases, a physical inspection — which is exactly what our Certified and Estate valuations provide.
Enter the property address
No account required to start and no enquiry form to wait on. Type the address and we identify the property from licensed data.
Choose the report and who prepares it
Pick the report type for your purpose — Basic, Desktop, SMSF, Certified, Estate or Legal — then choose an AI assessment or a registered valuer. The full price is shown before you pay.
Pay securely and track it
Payment is processed through Stripe. Your dashboard shows the status the whole way through, and you can add notes or documents for the valuer.
Report delivered and stored
The finished PDF is emailed to you and kept in your account for reuse — ready for your accountant, auditor, solicitor, broker or lender.
The full range
One provider, every report type
From a fast independent figure through to a court-admissible estate valuation — without changing provider, re-explaining the property, or starting a new quote each time.
Desktop Valuation
$95 AI / $189 · Minutes – 1 day
CGT, stamp duty, pre-sale pricing and refinance preparation.
DetailsSMSF Valuation
$85 AI / $185 · Minutes – 1 day
Annual return and audit evidence, with the SISR Reg 8.02B statement.
DetailsCertified Valuation
$450 · 3–5 days
Physical inspection, lender and bank grade, for mortgage and pre-purchase.
DetailsDivorce & Family Law
By quote · By arrangement
Independent valuations prepared for family law proceedings.
DetailsAll prices include GST and are confirmed at checkout based on property type, location and complexity. See full pricing.
What clients say
People who switched
“
We were paying four figures a year across our SMSF clients and waiting weeks each June. Same professional standard, a fraction of the admin, and the reports land the same day.
SMSF Accountant
Brisbane
“
I got two quotes from national firms and neither would give me a fixed number until they had inspected. hovr showed the price before I paid and the report was with my solicitor in three days.
Executor
Adelaide
“
The free online estimates were $200k apart on the same property, which told me exactly how much they were worth. I needed something with a valuer's name on it.
Property Investor
Sydney
Replace with real testimonials as you collect them.
Common questions
Before you switch
Ready when you are
Compare us on the thing
that actually matters — the report.
Read a sample before you spend anything. If it isn't the standard you expect, you have lost nothing but a few minutes.
Start with hovr
- Fixed price, GST included
- API/AVI registered valuers
- Minutes to days, not weeks
- No lender or agent ownership
- Australian owned & operated
About this comparison
- Comparisons on this page describe general service models, not any single competitor. Pricing, turnaround and inclusions vary between providers and over time — confirm current details directly with any provider you are considering.
- Company names are referenced for identification only. All trade marks are the property of their respective owners, and no affiliation with or endorsement by them is claimed.
- hovr acts as an agent connecting clients requiring valuations with valuers operating in the area where the property is located.
- All valuers on our platform are certified and must maintain current registration with either the Australian Property Institute (API) or the Australian Valuers Institute (AVI). Governance and independence are key to a fair market.
- All information provided by hovr is intended to be general in nature and does not constitute personal financial product advice. Before acting on any information, seek independent financial advice.
- Full terms and conditions are available via the links in the footer.