Profession

Property appraisers in Brazil: CNAI, CREA and CAU

Who may value a property in Brazil: CNAI brokers, engineers, architects. Which registers we could read, what the PTAM is, and published fees.

Checked on against the sources at the bottom of the page.

In short

In Brazil, a property valuation can come from several professions, and the law does not give one of them a single monopoly that we could read. Brokers who hold a CNAI registration (Cadastro Nacional de Avaliadores Imobiliários, national register of property appraisers) are governed by COFECI Resolution 1.066/2007, and engineers and architects are registered with the CREA or the CAU. The CNAI registration is optional, according to the Resolution itself. The CAU register is open to the public; we could not read a CREA register or the CNAI search form on 15 October 2026. Payotte lists no appraiser in Brazil on this page.

What an appraiser does in a purchase

An appraiser gives a written opinion of the value of a property: for a purchase offer, for a bank, for an inheritance or a court case. The opinion does not fix the price of the sale and does not replace the title search. Two documents may reach you. A broker-appraiser issues a PTAM (Parecer Técnico de Avaliação Mercadológica, technical opinion on market valuation), which the Resolution defines as a document “elaborado por Corretor de Imóveis” with a market analysis “com vistas à determinação do valor de comercialização de um imóvel”. An engineer or an architect issues a report under the technical standards of the ABNT (the Brazilian standards body), among which the series NBR 14.653 (general procedures, urban property, rural property); we know these standards by their titles only and did not read them.

For the bank’s own valuation in a mortgage, see how mortgages work in Brazil. The reference value used by the city for the transfer tax is a different thing: see ITBI tax base and reference value.

What the rules say

Brokers (CNAI). COFECI created the CNAI by Resolution 957/2006 and replaced it on 22 November 2007 by Resolution 1.066/2007, according to its 2026 manual; we found no later replacement. Article 1 says that the CNAI is organised and maintained by the federal council, and the sole paragraph says: “A inscrição do Corretor de Imóveis no Cadastro Nacional de Avaliadores Imobiliários é opcional” (registration in the CNAI is optional), and an unregistered broker may still give an opinion on the marketing of a property under article 3 of Lei 6.530. To register, a broker must hold a higher-education degree in real estate management or equivalent, or a certificate from an appraisal course recognised by COFECI (art. 2); COFECI may require an examination. Each PTAM carries a numbered seal (selo certificador) which the registered appraiser must fix to it (arts. 10 and 11), and keeps copies for five years (art. 12). The manual states that COFECI and the engineering council CONFEA disputed in court who may value property, and that the courts upheld the Resolution; we did not read the court decisions.

Engineers and architects. Under Lei 5.194/1966, whoever carries out acts reserved to engineers, architects and agronomists without registration in the regional councils is practising illegally (art. 6, a). Since Lei 12.378/2010 architects are registered with the CAU, not the CREA. We did not read a text that says which valuations are reserved to which profession; ask the professional and, if in doubt, the council.

How to check an appraiser

  1. Ask for the profession, the council and the number: CNAI number and CRECI number for a broker; CAU number for an architect; CREA number and State for an engineer.
  2. Broker-appraiser. COFECI describes a free national search (“pode ser consultada por todos os brasileiros gratuitamente”) by name or region, which returns contact details and the CNAI number. We could not find the address of the form, and the COFECI pages that should hold it did not display a readable form. As an alternative, the search of CRECI-SP has an “Avaliador Imobiliário” option (https://www.crecisp.gov.br/cidadao/buscaporcorretores). Also check the CRECI registration, as described on the real estate brokers page.
  3. Architect. https://acheumarquiteto.caubr.gov.br/ is a national public search, with two tabs (Profissional and Empresa) and a State filter; you can confirm a registration by name, CPF/CNPJ or CAU number. It shows one of four statuses: Ativo, Interrompido, Suspenso or Cancelado; the CAU defines Ativo as registered and fit to practise and to issue the RRT.
  4. Engineer. The register is kept by each CREA. We found addresses for some of them (São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul) but could not open any of them, and could not reach CONFEA. We therefore state nothing about what they display. Go to the CREA of the State where the engineer is registered.
  5. Ask for the PTAM seal or the technical responsibility record (ART for engineers, RRT for architects: see renovation permits, ART and RRT) and check that the name matches the report.

What the registers’ terms say

  • CRECI-SP: “O Usuário é integralmente responsável pela finalidade de uso de quaisquer dados obtidos por meio do Portal.” (The user is fully responsible for the purpose for which any data obtained through the portal is used.) Full terms are quoted on the real estate brokers page.
  • CNAI search (COFECI): no terms of use could be read.
  • CAU, Ache um Arquiteto: no terms of use could be found on the pages we read. The CAU says that professionals may authorise the publication of contact details and portfolio, so those appear only with their consent.
  • CREA registers: no terms of use could be read, the registers themselves being unreachable.

Advertising rules

For a broker-appraiser, the advertising rules of the broker apply (CRECI number in each advertisement, no deceptive advertising: see real estate brokers). We read no advertising rule specific to the CNAI. For architects, the CAU’s Resolution 198/2020 treats as an infraction an advertisement with information “em desacordo com o registro de responsabilidade técnica ou com as atividades desenvolvidas” (inconsistent with the technical responsibility record or with the activities carried out). For engineers, the Confea/Crea code of ethics, as read in an earlier session in a copy hosted by a regional council, requires “informação certa, precisa e objetiva em publicidade e propaganda pessoal” (correct, precise and objective information in personal advertising).

What it costs

We found no official tariff. The COFECI 2026 CNAI manual states, “apenas a título de referência” (for reference only) and “sem prejuízo da autonomia de cada profissional” (without prejudice to each professional’s freedom), a suggested minimum fee of R$ 3,320.00 for a market-value valuation, and a suggested technical hour of R$ 554.00, which “representa apenas uma sugestão” (represents only a suggestion). These are suggestions of a council, not a tariff. In 2018 COFECI undertook to CADE to stop preparing, publishing or applying brokerage fee tables; we did not establish whether the CNAI suggestion falls under that undertaking. For architects and engineers we give no figure: the CAU’s indicative table is not reproduced, and no CONFEA or CREA table was read. Ask for a written quotation that states the scope, the standard followed and the delivery date.

Which professional to consult

A property lawyer reads the contract whatever the value found. For a building defect, an architect or engineer is the relevant trade. For the loan, mortgage lenders.

Questions to ask

  • What is your registration (CNAI, CAU or CREA), and in which State?
  • Which standard do you follow (NBR 14.653, part 2 for urban property)?
  • Will the report bear the PTAM seal, or the technical responsibility record?
  • What do you not assess (title, debts, building condition)?
  • How is the fee set, and is anything charged on top?

Frequently asked questions

Is the CNAI compulsory for valuing a property?

Not according to Resolution 1.066/2007: registration is optional and an unregistered broker may still give an opinion on marketing a property.

Can an architect or engineer value a property?

They are registered with the CAU or a CREA. We read no text that settles which valuations each profession may sign; ask the council.

Is the R$ 3,320 minimum fee compulsory?

No. The manual calls it a suggestion, for reference only.

Is the bank’s valuation mine?

We read nothing that says so. It is the lender’s document; ask whether you may receive it.

Can Payotte recommend an appraiser in Brazil?

No. Payotte lists none; this page tells you where to check.

Sources