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Contents 1 History 2 Global spread 3 Membership 3.1 Designations 4 Expertise 4.1 To find an RICS approved surveyor 5 RICS matrics 6 RICS Books 7 See also 8 External links

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is an independent, representative professional body which regulates property professionals and surveyors in the United Kingdom and other sovereign nations.

RICS provides education and training standards, protects consumers with strict codes of practice and advises governments and business.

The motto of RICS is "Est modus in rebus" (which translates into English as: "There is measure in all things").

The institution was founded in London as the "Institution of Surveyors" after a meeting of 20 surveyors at the Westminster Palace Hotel on 23 March 1868. The inaugural chairman was John Clutton (who founded Clutton's estate agency, still one of the largest estate agents in the UK). It has occupied headquarters on the corner of Great George Street and Parliament Square since then. The institution received its Royal Charter in 1881 and in 1921 was granted Royal Patronage by George V.

The Institution of Surveyors 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.

RICS is still based in Great Britain but, in 2005, RICS was represented or had affiliates in more than 120 countries and had a worldwide membership of more than 136,000. The majority of members are still based in the British Isles but there is now 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 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).[1]

Entry to membership of the RICS is via four main routes: academic; graduate; technical; and senior professional. The RICS has links with a number of universities worldwide, with whom they have accredited approved courses which satisfy part of the qualification requirements to become trainee surveyors. The RICS also offers expedited routes to membership for qualified professional members of some partner associations.

Members must update their knowledge and competence during their working life through RICS' Continuous Professional Development regulations so the advice they give will be of the highest and most professional standard.

• 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.

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

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

Much like the Yellow Pages the Institution provides a list of approved surveyors that work in your area. Go here to find an accredited surveyor in your local area. The search engine allows you to search for nearly 200 varied surveying areas of practice in each location.

The junior branch of the RICS is known as RICS matrics. Established in the 1880s, it was formerly named "RICS JO" or "RICS Junior Organisation" in 1928 and re-branded to "RICS matrics" in 2003, "matrics" is pronounced "matrix" which means network.

RICS matrics is focused on providing educational support, charitable and social networking activities for surveying students, trainee surveyors (of any age) and Chartered Surveyors under the age of 35.

RICS matrics comprises c.35 local groups across the UK, feeding into a Regional and National structure and also exists in Australia and Kong Kong. It also has links with the Young Chartered Surveyors in Southern Ireland.

RICS Books is the commercial publishing and bookselling arm of the RICS. They publish materials regarding Building surveying; Commercial property; Construction; Dispute resolution; Environment; Facilities management; Geomatics; Machinery & Business Assets; Management consultancy; Minerals and Waste management; Planning & development; Project management; Residential property; Rural, and Valuation.

• Australian Property Institute, a similar professional body which has a reciprocity agreement with RICS
• Construction Industry Council
• International Valuation Standards Committee, of which the RICS are a founding member
• RICS Americas

• RICS
• RICS Books
• 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