An assessment of valuation education and training in Kenya in comparison with practice Irene Naliaka Cheloti and Manya Mainza Mooya Department of Construction Economics and Management, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa Abstract Purpose – This paper examines participants’ opinions on whether valuation education and training in Kenya is adequate while comparing it to actual material conditions. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on a survey of registered and practicing valuers in Kenya, interviews of key informants from professional bodies and the five universities offering real estate degree courses in Kenya, and a review of Kenya’s real estate curricula and Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) training. Findings – It was perceived that while valuer education and training in Kenya is satisfactory, it differs from actual material conditions as it fails to cover practical issues in valuation practice. Originality/value – The study makes a critical contribution to the empirical literature by introducing new insights in valuation education and training in Kenya. Keywords Valuation education and training, Valuation practice, Professional bodies, Universities, Curricula, Registered and practicing valuers Paper type Research paper Introduction Property valuation plays an essential role in the functioning of property markets and the financial system (Ayedun, 2009). Investment and development decisions rely heavily on valuation as it provides material information to underpin decisions on property purchase, sales, lending, among others. Therefore, property valuation is a central tenet for all businesses, without which normal trading would be severely affected (Kinnard, 2001). The critical role of the valuation function indicates the importance of accurate valuation outcomes. However, empirical studies have confirmed the existence of inaccurate valuations globally (see for example, Aliyu et al ., 2018; Asnakew and Amogne, 2021; Babawale and Omirin, 2012). Valuation inaccuracies have been observed to be more pronounced in developing countries compared to developed nations (Kucharska-Stasiak, 2014). This is mainly because of the nature of the property market in developing countries characterised by immature property markets, poor information, poor land information management systems, corruption, etc. (Awuah et al., 2016; Cheloti and Mooya, 2021; Mutema, 2016; Mwangi, 2007). Further, Mutema (2016) established gaps in the real estate curricula as one of the problems contributing to valuation inaccuracies in developing countries. Following the importance of the valuation function, proper education and training of valuers is critical for the functioning of property markets and financial systems. Valuers in Kenya undergo training both at the undergraduate level and training by the professional body, Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK), before obtaining registration and a practicing certificate (ISK, 2018; Valuers Act, 1985, 2012). Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it seeks to establish whether valuation education in universities and the ISK training in Kenya adequately prepares valuers to practice. Secondly, the paper compares the valuation education and training in the country with actual material conditions in valuation practice. The paper is organised into five sections. The second section reviews available empirical studies on valuation education and training while identifying gaps in the literature. Valuation education and training versus practice The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0263-7472.htm Received 10 February 2022 Revised 30 June 2022 5 September 2022 Accepted 3 October 2022 Property Management © Emerald Publishing Limited 0263-7472 DOI 10.1108/PM-02-2022-0011