Estate Agent Today

We have 55 guests online

Today's Headlines:

House prices fall or rise (take your pick)
4 comments
House prices went up slightly – by 0.4% – in July, the Land Registry has reported. It

Knight Frank stay quiet after conman is jailed
9 comments
A tenant who faked his identity when renting through Knight Frank has been jailed for three

Rich overseas buyers keep prime London market aloft
0 comments
Chinese buyers are expected to replace Russian investors as major players in the prime central London

Moving occasion: today's the day!
0 comments
The most popular moving date is today, September 1, the Post Office has revealed. The two next

Prospective first-time buyers sink to new low
0 comments
The proportion of buyers expecting to buy for the first time in the next 12 months

Housing market 'edging towards double dip' claim
2 comments
Net lending plummeted in July to the second lowest monthly figure since records began in 1993,

Henry Pryor Blog
0 comments
Welcome to a new monthly blog by Henry Pryor, estate agent turned entrepreneur, inventor and expert

Rightmove profits climb 39% as more agents sign up
14 comments
A rise in the number of agents and an overall willingness to pay more to Rightmove

Portal creates new 'check out your competition' stats
1 comments
Property portal Home has created some new statistic pages on its site which we reckon will

Six in ten mortgages are now for house purchase
2 comments
The proportion of mortgages being taken out for purchases, as opposed to remortgages, is at its

News Story

RICS opens the door wider to estate agents

Monday 23rd November 2009

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is launching a new route for estate agents and letting agents to have chartered status.

The RICS is this week launching qualifications in residential survey, valuation and sales.

The move has been officially supported by a number of leading agents.

Partners of the scheme include Andrews, Carter Jonas, Fine & Country, Hamptons and Winkworth, as well as e-Surv and Countrywide Surveyors.

The new qualifications are specifically designed to provide a route into associate membership at the RICS for people who are not graduates – the normal requirement.

The new AssocRICS scheme means that candidates will be assessed both online and through relevant work experience.

Qualifications include NVQs at level 3 in the sale of residential property, and in surveying, property and maintenance. For both, two years’ experience is required. There is also an NVQ4 in valuation.

A diploma in surveying practice, which also calls for two years’ experience, is also launched.

Associate members who pass will be competent to undertake a broad range of residential mortgage valuations of single properties, although more complex or higher value properties will remain the domain of the fully qualified members of RICS.

Louis Armstrong, RICS chief executive, said: “This new entry-level qualification is an opportunity for many who would like a career in the property sector, but have previously been denied access to a professional qualification due to a lack of academic qualifications.

“For the first time they will have an opportunity to work towards attaining chartered status.

“The new qualification is a further building block in the RICS strategy to raise standards in the residential sector.

“It will assist employers in recruiting and developing an appropriately skilled workforce, and it will give consumers further confidence that they will be provided with a professional service if they use a surveyor that is regulated by RICS.
“This has to be good news all around.”

http://www.ricsassociate.org

Send to a Friend Today's other headlines

View Comments 5 comments

Report Abuse

Posted By Brian on Tuesday 24th November 2009 14:00:39

Get Profile

As long as they don't just bumb it down to let flok just by some initials to put after their name Nae or something of the like!

Reply to this comment

Posted By Past-it Pres on Monday 23rd November 2009 22:51:13

Get Profile

Well the NFOPP (or as it used to be known-the NAEA)will have to examine the way in which their head of membership might have to start & understand what members in that association expect.

Reply to this comment

Posted By Agency Insider on Monday 23rd November 2009 10:54:34

Get Profile

No wonder RICS is trying to tempt estate agents into their fold. If the average age of the RICS residential faculty is 55+ then without new blood it will be virtually non-existent in a few years time. This is an exercise in keeping the cash rolling into their coffers in the future. Look out NAEA, you may have a fight on your hands...for survival.

Reply to this comment

Posted By Chris Smiles on Monday 23rd November 2009 10:34:42

Get Profile

Personally I feel that being a Chartered Survyor sets you apart from being an Estate Agent.
This is a cynical dash for cash by the RICS which will allow "wide boys" into the RICS and eventually lead to the public tarnishing the whole institution as "Resi Estate Agents". Why cant Estate Agents just stick with the NAEA or ARLA?

Reply to this comment

Posted By Integra on Monday 23rd November 2009 10:03:42

Get Profile

This is good news. For years we have seen RICS raise their entry standards to levels which have largely made membership prohibitive to huge numbers in the property profession - why shoudl you need a degree before you can even get started on an RICS qualification? It is surely where you get to not where you start that counts. Assoc RICS is a big step in the right direction.

Reply to this comment

Post Comments

Please login to post comments:

Post Comments without login

DISCLAIMER: The views contained in these user comments are not endorsed by Estate Agent Today (nor its associates and advertisers) in any way and are provided by users who wish to publish their independent opinions on our news. Whilst every effort is made to moderate these comments, due to the instant nature of the posting not all offensive material can be removed instantly. Please help us keep the comments areas tidy by reporting details of any infringements to team@estateagenttoday.co.uk

Most Read News Stories:

Three quarters of agents threaten to quit Rightmove
Friday 10th October 2008

EPCs on all properties for sale: VERY LATEST UPDATE
Monday 8th September 2008

HIPs abolition order is signed and ready
Monday 17th May 2010

NEWS FLASH – HIPs suspended
Thursday 20th May 2010

NEWS FLASH:HIPs face certain death
Wednesday 12th May 2010

RSS Feed

Share this article:

Digg it

Del.icio.us

Newsvine

Nowpublic

Facebook

Feedback:

If you have any questions or suggestions about this article or our news section, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Editorial Contact Details - Rosalind Renshaw | rosalind.renshaw@estateagenttoday.co.uk | 01252 843 566.