It is easy for certified valuers and certified auctioneers to think of professional networking as something to attend to only when time permits.  New research from McKinsey & Company shows why a rethink is needed as professional networks can broaden your knowledge, drive innovation, and improve career mobility.

Valuation and auction can be highly independent work as professionals spend much of their time managing clients, inspecting assets, preparing reports, conducting auctions and keeping pace with compliance obligations.

Yet the relationships built across a profession are more than a social benefit for certified valuers and certified auctioneers. They are part of the infrastructure that helps practitioners stay informed, test their thinking and respond to change. In a new report entitled Network effects – How to rebuild social capital and improve corporate performance from McKinsey and Company, this is described as “social capital”.  These are the networks, relationships, shared norms and trust that connect people and organisations. Its research found that stronger professional connections are associated with better knowledge transfer, greater innovation, improved performance and increased career mobility. Employees who felt connected to their networks were also 1.5 times more likely to report feeling engaged at work.

Although McKinsey’s survey focused on the workplace, its findings have clear relevance for valuers and auctioneers, particularly sole practitioners and small businesses. A strong professional network can provide access to specialist knowledge, trusted referrals and practical insights that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.

That matters in a sector covering everything from fine art, jewellery and collectables to motor vehicles, machinery and business assets. No practitioner can hold deep expertise across every asset class or anticipate every issue. Knowing who to call can be almost as important as knowing the answer yourself.

Professional networks give valuers and auctioneers access to knowledge, referrals, specialist expertise and trusted colleagues who understand the pressures of practice. They create opportunities to test ideas, discuss emerging risks and learn how others are responding to change. In a diverse sector, where nobody can master every asset class or challenge, strong connections build confidence, improve decisions and strengthen businesses and the profession itself overall.

Professional networks also help people recognise changes earlier. Conversations with colleagues can reveal emerging market movements, shifts in client expectations, regulatory concerns or recurring risks before they become obvious through formal channels. They give practitioners a place to compare experiences and consider how others are responding.

McKinsey found that professional networks had contracted following the pandemic. Among the approximately 5,500 US workers surveyed, only 14 per cent said their network had grown, while just 28 per cent were focused on building new relationships. Its broader message was that strong networks rarely develop through chance alone. They require motivation, access and the practical opportunity to connect.

This is particularly relevant as more professional work is conducted remotely. Online communication is efficient, but it does not fully replace the trust developed through sustained personal contact. Bringing people together creates room for candid conversations, unexpected introductions and the exchange of knowledge between practitioners who might otherwise remain outside each other’s usual circles.

The 2026 Australian Auctioneers and Valuers Symposia during October 2026 will bring practitioners, regulators, experts and industry leaders together in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Alongside updates on the issues shaping professional practice, attendees will have time to renew existing relationships and form new ones. These conversations can lead to referrals, mentoring, collaboration and specialist support, creating value that continues long after each event concludes for every attendee involved.

The 2026 Australian Auctioneers Symposia provides the kind of beneficial opportunities identified in the McKinsey research. This event will bring auctioneers, valuers and sector leaders together to examine the issues shaping professional practice, learn from shared experience and develop relationships that continue well beyond the event, so be sure to book your tickets today.

Attending is an investment in your knowledge, your professional network and the resilience of your business. It also strengthens the sector as a whole. When practitioners come together, the profession becomes better informed, more connected and better equipped to respond to what comes next.

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Interested In Finding Out More?

If you’d like more information on the 2026 Australian Valuation Symposium, send an email to cpd@avaa.com.au or telephone 1300 928 165.  You can also stay up to date by following AVAA on LinkedIn, X/Twitter and Facebook.
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