Appraising and Brokering in Estonian Housing Market: Different Forms and Norms of Professionalisation

Forms and dynamics of institutionalisation that structure the market conduct and actors are essential for understanding the development of a young emerging market. In the paper, professionalisation as a process of occupational institutionalisation and professionalism as a value system are discussed on the conceptual and empirical level, conceiving them primarily as means to create social order in the market. The article focuses on respective processes in the Estonian housing market, comparing two fields of conduct: brokering and appraising of residential property. On the basis of qualitative analysis, the reasons why appraisers can be considered as professionally institutionalised in housing market while the field of brokering lacks certain substantial elements enabling to control the field successfully are discussed. However, on the level of everyday social interaction both the brokers and appraisers are socially constructing and maintaining the category of professionalism as a symbolic device, and as an important part of identity of the actors.