We all know that the current economic landscape is in the state of flux. Today, the largest player in transportation industry is a company who does not own a fleet of vehicle. The largest provider in the culinary industry is also a company without a kitchen. People do their shopping these days from home. Not long ago, a bookshop is the place to visit if one wishes to have something to read. Now, a book is instantly sent from a bookshop in a continent across the globe instantly in a matter of minutes. This is much faster than visiting a local bookshop. All happen without one leaving their bedroom. The world is flat, says Thomas Friedman, some two decades ago.

This trend also takes place in the world of asset valuation. Gone are the days when clients feel content with a number—dubbed as value estimate—written on a page of a valuation report. There are more demands now. They want transparency too. People now want to see value estimates from various perspectives.

This is what this book is all about. It discusses—Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 7 for example—how subjectivity should be addressed in maintaining consistency using statistics. Chapter 7 even goes further by proposing the use of AI-driven technique in mass appraisal. Several studies In Indonesia and Malaysia—Chapter 3, 5, and 6—provide a showcase on how a market value is estimated in such a changing world. There is also a call for action to develop an approach to estimate the value of environmentally-friendly properties in Chapter 8. Laws relating to asset valuation are also of concern, as discussed in Chapter 11 to 13.

An avid discussion on such a diverse topic relating to asset valuation is certainly welcome. It opens a range of possibilities that can only improve understanding on a topic that is currently often misunderstood in Indonesia. It is a dialogue that certainly does not end with the writing of this book. Instead, the book that you are reading now is the front gate of such conversation. Enjoy.