RICS opens new routes into the profession

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is calling for expressions of interest for two new planned pathways to RICS membership.

RICS sees scope to expand its membership by opening up to specialists who work in environmental sciences and the repair and improvement of housing.

It is proposing two new pathways to RICS membership:

• Residential retrofit surveying (AssocRICS) 
• Sustainability advisory (chartered surveyor)

Also in a bid to keep current, RICS has its eyes on a data analytics and intelligence pathway for development next year.

With the UK reckoned to need 500,000 home retrofits per year by 2025 and one million by 2030 to meet net zero targets, there’s a shortage of competent people to do the work. RICS is exploring the residential retrofit surveying entry pathway for people specialising in home improvements across six key roles: lead professional, assessor, designer, contract administrator, builder and post retrofit inspector.

The sustainability advisory pathway will support people specialising in strategic sustainability advice within the built and natural environment. It will assess expertise in climate action, nature, circularity and social value, with emphasis on governance, risk, finance and ‘systems thinking’, RICS said.

RICS hopes to recruit 30 candidates for the pilot round of assessments. Applications are invited from individuals or their employers via rics.org.

Luay Al-Khatib, director of RICS’s ‘future innovation hub’, said: “Our built and natural environment require highly expert and ethical management. The professional skills and competencies of professionals are transforming to rise to the immense task of delivering a sustainable and low-carbon built environment and harnessing the power of data and technology effectively.

“The new membership pathways we are proposing will extend the reach of surveying, welcoming key professionals responsible for planning and managing the future of our cities and communities.

“We invite expressions of interest from employers and individuals for these pathways. Subject to demand, we expect to run our first pilot assessments in the first half of 2026.”

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