Export BRAVE from Valcre

Valcre and BRAVE Integration

Valcre is the creator of the BRAVE standard and the leading cloud-based appraisal software for commercial real estate. BRAVE export is built into Valcre Professional and Enterprise editions (not the free Essentials tier). Over 300 appraisal firms already deliver BRAVE files through Valcre. If you use Valcre Pro or Enterprise for your CRE appraisals, generating a BRAVE-format data file is a straightforward process — but there are settings and field mappings you need to configure correctly to ensure your export passes lender validation.

This guide walks through the entire Valcre-to-BRAVE workflow, from initial setup to final export.

Initial Setup

Check Valcre's documentation for current BRAVE export availability. If BRAVE export is available, Valcre will map its internal data fields to BRAVE fields automatically. Key things to verify:

• Property type codes: Verify that Valcre's property type classification matches the BRAVE Property.Type field. BRAVE covers office, retail, industrial, multifamily, hospitality, self-storage, and special purpose properties.
• Geographic identifiers: Confirm that latitude (Property.Latitude) and longitude (Property.Longitude) auto-populate correctly.
• Unit of measurement: Ensure your area measurements use the same units throughout. BRAVE provides separate fields for SF and acres (e.g., Property.LandAreaSF and Property.LandAreaAC).

If BRAVE export is not yet available, you can export your data to Excel and use the BRAVE template to map fields. See our BRAVE Excel Template guide for details.

Exporting a BRAVE File

Once your appraisal is complete in Valcre, follow the export workflow provided in Valcre's documentation. The general process is:

1. Complete your assignment and finalize all data fields.
2. Export using the BRAVE export option if available, or export to Excel.
3. Review the output. Check that all critical BRAVE fields are populated — any field that is empty or unmapped will be blank in the export.
4. Download the BRAVE file alongside your PDF report.

Field Mapping Details

Valcre handles most field mappings automatically, but watch for these common issues:

Income fields. Valcre's income analysis structure maps to the 16 official BRAVE Income fields (Income.RentalIncome through Income.RETaxGrowthRate). Use Valcre's standard income template for the cleanest mapping.

Cap rate and value fields. Valcre exports your overall cap rate to Value.CapRate, discount rate to Value.DiscountRate, and terminal cap rate to Value.TerminalCapRate. The 24 Value fields capture all three valuation approaches plus the reconciled final value.

Note: BRAVE does not include comparable sales fields. Comp data remains in the PDF report narrative.

For a detailed breakdown of BRAVE cap rate fields, see our BRAVE Cap Rate Fields Explained guide.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Empty fields in export. If critical fields appear blank in your BRAVE file, check that the corresponding Valcre fields are populated. Valcre cannot export data it does not have. The most common culprits are FIPS code, census tract, and flood zone.

Validation errors after export. Even if Valcre generates a BRAVE file without errors, the file may still fail lender validation. Run your export through AppraisalAPI.com to check against the full BRAVE specification and bank-specific requirements.

Format mismatch. If your lender requires XLSX but you exported CSV (or vice versa), re-export from Valcre in the correct format. Do not attempt to manually convert between formats, as this introduces encoding errors.

Best Practices

• Always export your BRAVE file after finalizing your report — not before. Changes to the report after BRAVE export will create discrepancies.
• Keep a copy of every BRAVE file you export for your records. Some lenders request re-submission months after the original delivery.
• Validate every BRAVE export before sending it to a lender. Our BRAVE Compliance Checklist provides a step-by-step review process.

For alternative export methods, see our guides on exporting from ARGUS and using the BRAVE Excel Template. If you are new to BRAVE, start with What Is BRAVE? for an overview or how to create a BRAVE file for a general tutorial.