Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

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The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a professional body representing and regulating property professionals and surveyors of all types. The institution originated in and is based in the United Kingdom but as of 2005 has a worldwide membership of over 120,000 in more than 100 countries.

The institution was founded in London in 1868 as the "Institution of Surveyors" and has occupied headquarters on the corner of Great George Street and Parliament Square since that date. The institution received its Royal Charter in 1881 and became the "Institution of Chartered Surveyors" in 1930. In 1946 the institution became a royal institution entitled to add "Royal" to its name and, thereby, achieved its present name.

The majority of members are based in Britain, however there is a strong international membership in many Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Hong Kong and Australia and membership is growing rapidly in the United States and in countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. The RICS has close links with many national surveying institutions and is a member association of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG).

Outside of the United Kingdom (and particularly in non-Commonwealth countries), the institution generally avoids the use of the full name including "Royal" and styles itself as "RICS".

[edit] Expertise

The expertise of RICS members covers all property and construction related activities. Activities in which members may be specialists include:

• Land Surveying
• Property Transactions - estate agency, development appraisal, investment advice
• Property valuation surveying
• Auctioneering
• Building Surveying
• Mineral Surveying
• Project Management
• Construction Cost Management - Quantity Surveying
• Party wall Surveying
• Dispute Resolution

[edit] Membership

Entry to the membership of the RICS is via four main routes: academic; graduate; technical; and senior professional. The RICS has links with universities around the world which run approved courses which satisfy part of the entry requirements.

[edit] Designations

• Technical members may use "TechRICS" after their names.
• Professional Members may use "MRICS" after their names (previously members at this level were known as Professional Associates and used the designation "ARICS").
• Fellows may use "FRICS" after their names.

Professional Members and Fellows of the RICS are entitled to use the designation "Chartered Surveyor" and a number of variations such as "Chartered Building Surveyor" or "Chartered Quantity Surveyor" depending on their field of expertise.

[edit] See also

• Australian Property Institute, a similar professional body which has a reciprocity agreement with RICS

[edit] External links

• RICS
• Become a RICS member
• International Federation of Surveyors
• IVSC, the International Valuation Standards Committee
• TEGoVA, The European Group of Valuers' Associations, of which the RICS is a member
• RICS DRS Oceania, The Australian branch of the RICS Dispute Resolution Service