AIC National Conference Program

The presentation will demonstrate land value and market condition functions across four phases: Project Announcement, Expropriation, Construction, and Completion. It will emphasize the connection between these phases and market impacts, assessing their magnitude whether they’re material, minor, questionable, or negligible. Each phase’s market conditions will be analyzed, including metrics like participant profiles, inflation rates, land assembly, development densities, timing, and values. Using the Eglinton Crosstown Project as a case study, these changes will be compared to broader market trends to gauge specific scheme-related impacts. The Ontario Line Projects may undergo similar changes and impacts.

Speaker: Mark Penney, P. App., AACI

Professional Appraisers serve an important role within the real estate landscape in Canada, providing trusted, unbiased professional valuations to consumers. The Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) is the leading appraisal body that regulates, designates, and ensures consumers receive services from competent, certified, and regulated professionals.

In this presentation, we will outline how the experience of unbiased, knowledgeable appraisers presents an avenue for greater appraiser influence in the area of property tax appeals. Both perspectives from the public assessment and private consultant side will be provided in this presentation. The growth of property tax consultants has seen major growth nationally over the last decade. Additionally, with the implementation of new tax measures such as the Speculation and Vacancy Tax, and Empty Homes Tax, consultants are increasingly entering into these areas of real estate tax advisory.

However, the property tax consulting industry is largely unregulated in Canada. This lack of regulation in the property tax consulting industry raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the quality of advice provided to consumers. Without clear guidelines and oversight, it becomes difficult for consumers to determine whether they are receiving unbiased and expert opinions on property tax valuation.

In this presentation, we will bring perspectives from a current property tax assessor, a former assessor and manager with MPAC that is now licensed paralegal and consultant with a strong understanding of property tax case law and finally a private sector tax and appraisal consultant. These professionals bring a unique perspective as two of the panelists have worked on both sides of property tax, as well as within the property tax tribunal system as an advocate with the other as the appeal coordinator for the provincial assessing body.

The panel will look to provide insight on the following topics:

• Overview of the current property tax appeal landscape in Canada.
• Addressing the unregulated nature of the industry: What are the impacts of the growing cost of appeals on ratepayers, municipalities, the public and other stakeholders? Including administration, longer appeal hold-up times, increasing legal costs, qualifying impartial valuation experts etc.
• How can the AIC potentially act in an advisory, knowledge-based manner that will advance the public good in the capacity of real estate taxation and valuation.
• How can appraisers move principally from the role of expert witnesses to consultants, providing unbiased advisory services to address the complicated interplay of Fee Simple valuation, local legislation, and expertise on complicated matters of property valuation.
• The value of appraisers to bring knowledge and insight to make property tax appeals understandable to the general public. Outlining the case for appraisers to be seen as the primary experts and potentially cut down on increased administrative delays and costs that are a result of a growing industry of advisors who are not required to present any accreditation when representing clients.
• Differences in communication and approaches between appraisers, regular citizens, corporate owners, and unregulated tax agents.

Speakers:

• Arunan Sivalingam, P. App., AACI
• Dayna Griffin, Licenced Paralegal

Sustainability and evevironmental, socal and gvernance (ESG) is a growing field in which more and more companies are becomng involved. This session will provide information on the global ESG directives, give status of the Canadian market, and present the approaches of other valuation organizations in other markets.

Speakers: Allan Beatty, P. App., AACI, Fellow and Ayda Chamcham, P. App., AACI.

The valuation of complex properties including agricultural and going concern assets.

The session will review agricultural, industrial and food processing special purpose property valuation including a review of specialty storage facilities such as grain, aggregate and oil.

Speaker: Scott McEwen, P. App., AACI

This presentation will provide a brief introduction of appraisal methodology of park lands interests, from both acquisition and disposition perspectives. It will also share methodology of valuation of partial interests of park lands, such as statutory right of way interest, lease and licence tenures. A case study of acquisition of a park land from real life experience will be shared.

Speakers: Melanie Shi, P. App., AACI.

For the last forty-five years, First Nations in Canada have been developing property tax jurisdiction on their lands, and since the early 1990’s it has witnessed remarkable growth: from five First Nations in two provinces, to now over 180 First Nations in every province except PEI. This growth has been coupled by increased commercial and residential development, especially in urban areas where there is often a shortage of developable land. Development and tax jurisdiction provides a significant economic and fiscal benefit for First Nation communities and adjacent jurisdictions.

The growth in First Nation property taxation is largely attributable to the work of First Nations leadership that are leading the way in expanding jurisdiction, the First Nations Tax Commission, which has provided leadership and regulatory support, and the involvement of key regional assessment service providers such as BC Assessment.

This presentation is designed to provide information to real estate professionals who are interested in real estate development occurring on First Nation Land and those specialize in many valuation sectors on the regulatory frameworks that support First Nation taxation. Special focus will be provided on the BC experience which has over 100 taxing First Nations, and recent expansion in Ontario.

Speakers: Bill Dawson, P. App., AACI and Jesse James​​​​, Regional Outreach Manager, First Nations Tax Commission.

Starting from the initial client engagement to and including what to do when you’ve been served with a Subpoena or a Court Claim; Brief review of professional liability Insurance Policy, Defences to claims and Hypothetical scenarios to illustrate the applicable principles.

Speaker: Antoine F. Hacault, Associate Member and Darcie Daines, HUB International.

Carbon markets should, and will, affect land values based on the capacity of the land and soil to sequester carbon. However, traditional appraisal techniques require an update to accomodate the complex models which measure and predict carbon sequestration. This presentation provides an overview of current research by the Ecological Forestry Research Institute which is examining how best to integrate carbon modelling and measurement within land appraisal.

Speaker: James Stephens, P. App., AACI, MRICS, P.Ag.

Unfortunately, due to uncontrollable circumstances, this session has been cancelled.

This presentation will engage the audiences in a discussion about why and how to measure the quality of Mass Appraisal quantitatively. Across Canada, jurisdictions rely on indicators such as the Median Assessment to Sales Ratio (Med ASR) and the Coefficient of Dispersion (COD) to assess the quality of property valuations. In some regions, additional metrics like the Price Related Differential (PRD) and the Price Related Bias (PRB) are employed to address equity concerns in assessments. In the Province of Alberta, a comprehensive approach is adopted, considering all of these indices to evaluate the quality of property assessments. Furthermore, the province has introduced a new web-based system that quantifies the quality of property assessments of each municipality and generates results in the form of percentages.

Speaker: Ning Zheng, P. App., AACI.

This presentation is based on my experience in reviewing 100s of appraisal reports, my work on AIC’s Peer Review Committee and through working on litigation files as an expert witness. There are many common problems we see with narrative appraisal reports in terms of consistency, CUSPAP compliance and clearly conveying the data and analysis to support our value conclusions. The seminar will highlight many common issues found in appraisal reports (including CUSPAP Compliance) and identify best practices to help improve your work product. Ultimately, the intent of this presentation is to provide practical tips to AIC members which can lead to more clearly written, consistent and credible appraisal reports, which in turn can help limit liability through better report writing.

Speaker: Jim Rokeby, P. App., AACI.

A portion of the presentation will address the legal aspects of HBU and the importance of establishing reasonable probability for each of the four tests. A focus may be within the national expropriation context on compensation claims where HBU is a primary area dispute. Another portion of the presentation will address the challenges of establishing reasonable probability in a changing prospective market and/or a retrospective market without hindsight bias.

Speakers:

• Robert Robson, P. App., AACI
• Jerald Greenidge, P. App., AACI
• Ward Lansink, P. App., AACI
• Frank Sperduti, LLB

SPONSORED BY OFFERLAND

A Three-Way Showdown: Rentals vs Sales vs Appraisals Trends

Some relationships are simple, some are complicated. With the rise of rent appraisals in the last few years, you may wonder how the residential property rental and sales market related to appraisal transactions. How does rent price affect sales numbers? Perhaps, how rent price affects property appraisal transactions? Join us to validate your assumptions on how trends in property rental, residential sales and appraisal transactions affect one another and what it means for your business planning considerations.

Speakers: 

• Hamidreza Etebarian, CEO, Offerland
• Katelin Volpi, Director Appraisal Partners, Offerland

The presentation will focus on best practices for right of way projects through out the world based on my experience servicing on the International Relations Committee as Chair and Vice Chair for the International Right of Way Association. Best practices will be focused on Australia, Great Britain, Mexico, Canada, US, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Topics will include the importance of using empathy and compassion when dealing with affected property owners and a discussion on how compensation is paid when securing the necessary property rights, Differences in the market value standard versus the value to the owner standard and challenges associated in recruiting experienced right of way, land access and infrastructure real estate agents will also be addressed.

Speaker: Gordon E. MacNair, P. App., AACI, SR/WA.

In this insightful fireside chat, Michael Murphy, P. App., AACI, P.Ag., B.Sc.(Ag.), B.Sc.(For.), will handle conversational questions and prompts from Shayne Maynard, P. App., AACI, SR/WA, to delve into the subtleties of property appraisal from the client’s perspective. Shayne will draw on Mr. Murphy’s extensive experience as the client who has seen numerous examples of how different appraisers tackle the same problem. Re-frame your understanding from that of the appraiser to a large Government Ministry dealing with property acquisitions, disposal, and expropriations of atypical properties. In this session, we will decode the unconventional and learn how to approach challenging assignments with a new perspective. With over 15 years of professional experience in appraisal and agrology, specializing in valuation services for agricultural, unconventional institutional, and remote properties, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and unique insights from both the client’s and appraiser’s perspectives.

Key Discussion Points enlivened with real world examples:

1. Narrative in Appraisal Reports: Emphasizing consistency and the importance of putting the narrative story back into full narrative appraisal reports. Highlight the importance of telling a cohesive story so that your opinions, data, and rationale are understandable and meaningful to your reader, client and decision-maker.

2. Highest and Best Use Analysis: The opinion of Highest and Best Use is often misunderstood and can’t be overlooked as part of the appraisal process. The critical role of this concept is to ensure report consistency and relevance. Providing real-world examples where the highest and best use analysis was pivotal in determining the credibility of the appraisal report.

3. Scope of Work and Client Dialogue: The benefits of understanding and addressing client needs through effective communication.

The session will also draw on Michael’s extensive experience in areas like Appraisal Review, Real Property Appraisal, Litigation Support, Market Analysis, and Specific Claims, providing a comprehensive view of the appraisal process and its impact on various stakeholders.

Speakers: Michael Murphy, P. App., AACI, P.Ag., B.Sc.(Ag.), B.Sc.(For.) and Shayne Maynard, P. App., AACI, SR/WA.

Unfortunately, due to uncontrollable circumstances, this session has been cancelled.

Technical advances today can be somewhat daunting for our “senior” appraisers. No reason to feel left behind. The old adage that “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” does not hold true. With the current lack of sufficient new candidates to take over for the old dogs, many appraisers are still appraising well past the traditional retirement age. Here’s how to continue like a pro and have fun with your work.

Speaker: Fred J. McAvoy, P. App., CRA.

We have entered the new era of energy consumption in transportation sector, and along came the electrification of cars and of course, the chagrins stations. Not many thought of this when the houses or condos were built, even going back 3 years ago. Now, the owners have to adapt their real estate to accomodate the extra charge that is needed for the chargins stations.

What does it mean from the cost prospectives?

What does it mean from feasibility point of view?

Will adding the charging station would increase the market value of the property?

If so, how much?

What types of charging stations exist and what are the basic differences?

All these questions and more will be covered in this presentation.

Speaker: Natalia Kourant, P. App., AACI.

The recent pandemic, death of a loved one, divorce, residential schools, and abusive relationships – all can be a source a trauma.

With people being close to their tipping point, being “Trauma Aware” and managing the impacts of trauma can not only reduce complaints, but can raise the level of our professionalism.

Some common appraisal practices can reinforce trauma in the lives of the property contact.

This presentation will equip the appraiser with practical steps that can be applied to improve their daily interactions with others.

Speaker: Preston A. Hartwig, P. App., AACI, M.A., RFPP.

The presentation will provide background on the Ecological Gifts Program with Environment and Climate Change Canada as well a explain the role of the Appraisal Review Panel. Appraisers will have a better understanding of the role of the appraisal review process and gain insight in the process that each proposed ecological gift must follow prior to obtaining the certificate from ECC Canada.

Speaker: Andréanne Lavallée, P. App., AACI, É.A.