What is RICS and why does it matter?

The world is full of acronyms that infiltrate our everyday lives. You might sit down to watch the BBC one evening, for example, or complain about VAR with your friends. Often, we use acronyms without really considering what they stand for, but it can be useful to take a step back to think about what an acronym means and, more importantly, what that means for you.

One such acronym is RICS. If you have ever bought a home or even read a news story about house prices or home surveys, you may have heard of RICS. It stands for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and it’s the main organisation for professionals working in land, property and construction.

With a global reputation and rich heritage of more than 140 years, RICS imposes strict professional, business and ethical standards on all of its members and this helps to create trust and confidence in the property market.

RICS ensures its standards are upheld by the profession through close regulation and, by working to these high standards, professional members and RICS regulated firms are able to deliver their customers confidence and transparency.

Choosing any professional to work with can be daunting, particularly when it involves your home, which is the single most expensive item you are ever likely to buy. So, it is reassuring to know that, if you choose to use a surveyor who is accredited by RICS, they will regulated by a world renowned and respected professional body and required to meet the highest professional, business and ethical standards.

At Arnold and Baldwin, as well as being honest, approachable experts, all of our surveyors are accredited and registered associate or full members of RICS. What’s more, our Managing Director, Joe Arnold sits on the RICS Residential Survey & Valuation Professional Group, providing industry insights that help to shape the future of the profession and the homebuying process.

As part of its commitment to promoting and enforcing high standards, RICS has launched a new Home Survey Standard, which will become the mandatory best practice benchmark on 1st June this year and Arnold & Baldwin is one of the first chartered surveyors to introduce surveys in line with this standard with our Home Buyers Advantage Report.

Acronyms are everywhere and sometimes they can be confusing, but RICS is an acronym that should always provide you with clarity, confidence and peace of mind.