Van de Weerd Taxaties

How does KATE work in practice at a specialized appraisal agency?

In this reference case, you can read how Van de Weerd Taxaties uses KATE in its daily work. From more efficient reporting to greater control over quality and processes. Van de Weerd shares its experiences, challenges, and the concrete added value that KATE offers them in practice. We spoke to Wouter Toes, Partner and Registered Appraiser at VDW Taxaties.

Who is VDW Taxaties and what is your specialization?

VDW Taxaties focuses on valuing commercial real estate, specializing in the hospitality industry. VDW Taxaties employs four appraisers. In addition, there is a separate real estate department consisting of ten real estate agents. Our head office is located in Utrecht, with locations in Haarlem, Sneek, and Wijhe. We have been active throughout the Netherlands for more than thirty years.

What is your role within the company?

Wouter Toes explains: “I have been working at VDW for over 12 years and am a Registered Appraiser. With a background in hotel management, my heart lies with hospitality entrepreneurs. We go beyond just appraisals and valuations. What sets us apart is that we proactively advise entrepreneurs on the further exploitation possibilities of the property. We always include these potential opportunities in the appraisal. We look beyond just the square footage.”

When and why did you start KATE Innovations?

In 2021, we launched KATE Innovations in response to a clear need for customization. The properties we appraise are almost always unique, which meant that their specific characteristics were not adequately reflected in the systems we were using at the time. In addition, the major banks requested an XBRL connection, and we sought a solution that would allow us to integrate our own calculation models. We were therefore looking for a software supplier that could combine all these requirements. We found that supplier in KATE Innovations.

What challenges did you encounter before the collaboration?

Before the collaboration with KATE, the work was much more manual. Valuing operating real estate is a niche, and we were looking for a package that went further than a standard valuation report and offered the flexibility to accommodate all specific characteristics. We also lacked the XBRL link with the major banks.

What ultimately made you decide to go with KATE?

We chose KATE Innovations because of its customization options. The ability to import our own Excel calculation model was the deciding factor. But of course, the XBRL link and a customized valuation report were also important to us.

How did the implementation process go?

The implementation went well and we enjoyed a pleasant and proactive collaboration with the KATE team. Because we had specific and substantive questions, the process required some extra coordination at the beginning. Once we had the right technical specialists with IT knowledge on our side, everything went much more smoothly.

How did your team experience the transition?

The transition was generally well received. We did notice that the scope of the project was initially somewhat underestimated, which made the start a little more intensive than expected. Once the right people were in the right place, we were able to make rapid progress and the process soon gained positive momentum.

How do you use KATE in your daily work?

We use KATE Innovations software about 80% of the day. Because the software is fully tailored to our specific process, we can’t and don’t want to do without it anymore.

Which parts or features of KATE appeal to you the most or make the biggest difference?

I really enjoy working with Compview, which allows us to compare references in a clear and concise manner. The link to our own calculation model is also very useful because it allows us to continue to offer customized solutions.

How would you describe the support and collaboration with the KATE team?

The KATE team is easily accessible and responds quickly when needed.

What concrete benefits has the collaboration brought you?

Thanks to KATE, we are saving a lot of time and enjoying much greater stability in our process. Reports are now structured consistently in the same way and the quality is always the same. The entire process has become much more efficient. Whereas we used to work with digital recording forms, we now open KATE and fill everything in directly during the recording. This means that around 60% of the report is already complete by the time we return to the office.

An important advantage is reliability. KATE has never crashed on us, either unexpectedly or during scheduled maintenance. That stability gives us confidence and makes our daily work a lot easier.

Has using KATE had an impact on your customer experience or internal efficiency?

Internal efficiency has improved significantly. Customers don’t notice much difference, although banks are enthusiastic about the use of XBRL. Thanks to the time savings, we have been able to significantly increase the number of appraisals per year. Because many appraisals are repeated every three years, reappraisals are now also much easier to carry out.

How do your employees feel about the change?

Our employees are positive about the change. New colleagues immediately find KATE user-friendly. Error checking has also become less intensive because mistakes can no longer be made when transferring the calculation to the report, as it is now read in automatically.

How do you see the collaboration with KATE in the future?

We are confident about the future of our collaboration with KATE. We see the rollout of V2 as the next step, in which even more of our processes will be automated. As a result, we expect to need less and less contact with the maintenance department, as the system becomes even more stable and self-managing.

The collaboration with Van de Weerd Taxaties shows how important flexibility, stability, and customization are in specialist appraisals. By automating processes without losing craftsmanship, KATE supports the work of appraisers on a daily basis and creates room for quality and growth. In the future, KATE will continue to work with Van de Weerd to develop an increasingly efficient and future-proof appraisal process.