July Press Releases
RICS introduces new HomeBuyer Report to improve buying experience
02/07/2009
A new survey report, designed to focus on the needs of the consumer with clear, simple and easy-to-follow information about the condition of a property, has been launched by RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).
June Press Releases
RICS provides asset management guidance to councils
29/06/2009
New best practice guides for local authorities on how to manage their assets effectively have been published by RICS. The guides offer practical solutions at a time when local authorities are coming under criticism over the management of their property portfolios, and, in the current economic climate, need to ensure that they make the best use of their assets.
Rents fall further but pace of decline set to moderate
RICS Lettings Survey
22/06/2009
Rents dropped across the residential lettings sector but rental expectations suggest the trend is set to moderate, says the RICS Lettings Survey published 22 June 2009.
Gap between asking and selling prices appears to be narrowing
15/06/2009
The majority of surveyors (almost 60 percent) are now reporting that the gap between asking and selling price is narrowing says RICS research. In contrast, last August results of the same survey revealed that the gap was widening.
Low stock levels and increased buyer interest provide boost to the market
RICS Housing Market Survey, May 2009
09/06/2009
A further increase in both new buyer enquiries and sales, as well as a reduction in the level of stocks on surveyors books has begun to provide some support for property prices, says RICS’ UK housing market survey.
RICS expands valuation guidance to meet needs of turbulent market.
08/06/2009
Advice on valuing property in a rapidly changing market was published today by RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors). It recognises that in the current economic climate there may be a need for valuers to provide advice on the outlook of a properties value, as well as establishing the current market value.
CRC needs to support property market dynamics
05/06/2009
The Government's Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) needs a serious overhaul if it is to deliver emission reductions cost-effectively, save participants money, and enable sustainable growth, says RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) in its response to the Consultation on the Draft Order to Implement the Carbon Reduction Commitment.
Satisfaction levels remain constant whilst value for money moves into the spotlight
Property Industry Alliance announces results of third UK Occupier Satisfaction Index
04/06/2009
Satisfaction levels amongst commercial tenants has remained static despite the economic downturn as costs become a priority and service charges come under further criticism, says the 2009 Occupier Satisfaction Index (OSI).
May Press Releases
Electronic tenders double, but industry moving too slowly says BCIS
2009 BCIS e-tendering Survey Report
29/05/2009
More firms are transferring tender documents in electronic formats such as disks, but the majority of surveyors are yet to explore the benefits of more secure web based e-tendering services, opting instead to still post or email tenders to their clients, according to the BCIS e-tendering Survey Report.
Construction workloads still falling but signs that the pace of decline is starting to ease
RICS Construction Market Survey, Q1 2009
27/05/2009
Workloads in the first three months of the year continued to weaken across the board, but some key areas, including housing, saw an easing in the pace of the decline, says the RICS construction market survey.
Pace of decline in capital values accelerates
RICS Global Property Survey, Q1 2009
19/05/2009
The pace of decline in capital values accelerated in the first quarter with countries in both Western Europe and Emerging Europe hit by price falls, says RICS' Global Property Survey.
Enquiries and sales continue to pick up
RICS Housing Market Survey, April 2009
12/05/2009
Sales in April edged up a little further, albeit from historically low levels, while the net balance of surveyors reporting a rise in new buyer enquires climbed to the highest figure for almost a decade, says RICS' UK Housing Market Survey for April 2009.
Chartered Surveyors launch property advice line
11/05/2009
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched Charity Property Help, a service through which Chartered Surveyors provide free advice to voluntary organisations on all property related issues.
Rental declines expected to gather pace
RICS Commercial Property Survey Q1 2009
05/05/2009
Tenant demand across all sectors continued to fall in the first quarter although the pace of decline eased back. Surveyors expect rental declines to accelerate on the back of a record increase in available floor space says RICS' Commercial Property Survey.
April Press Releases
Increasing competition for work sees tenders fall
BCIS Tender Price Index Q4 2008
28/04/2009
Tenders prices are falling as contractors compete for less work, according to the latest Tender Price Index compiled by BCIS, the Building Cost Information Service of the RICS, published today.
Empty rates could cause long term instability to commercial property markets
21/04/2009
Empty Property Rates (EPR) are paving the way for future instability in non-residential property markets as property owners are increasingly turning to demolition to avoid paying the rates whilst cutting back on future investment, according to the results of RICS and Lambert Smith Hampton's Empty Property Rates Survey.
Savers invest in antiques
RICS Arts and Antiques Survey Q1 2009
20/04/2009
The first quarter of 2009 saw a dramatic change in fortune for the arts and antiques market as buyers re-entered the market looking for alternative investment opportunities, says the RICS Arts and Antiques Survey published 20 April 2009.
RICS to consult on the transparency of fees
16/04/2009
RICS is set to launch a consultation, inviting a wide range of stakeholders, into transparency in professional fees in the property sector.
RICS publishes guidance for new build valuations
15/04/2009
All aspects of the challenging process of valuing new build properties have been drawn together for the first time by RICS and published in a ‘Guidance Note’* which comes into effect on 1 May 2009.
Key indicators show signs of improvements
RICS UK housing market survey, March 2009
15/04/2009
Buyer enthusiasm continued to grow in March with interest in London picking up particularly sharply. Meanwhile, the key sales to stocks ratio rose for the third consecutive month, says RICS' UK housing market survey published 15 April 2009.
RICS calls on Chartered Surveyors to help voluntary organisations
15/04/2009
RICS is set to launch Charity Property Help, a pro bono service to assist the ‘third sector’ in the current economic climate, by providing free support and guidance on all property matters.
Government seal of approval for RICS Code of Practice
06/04/2009
RICS Code of Practice for Service Charge Management published 6 April 2009 has received Government approval from the housing minister, Iain Wright MP, Communities and Local Government.
March Press Releases
RICS set to raise global valuation standards
31/03/2009
RICS is to set in motion a global consultation to develop an enhanced regulatory framework for valuation that will raise professional standards, improve confidence for clients and help secure the accurate valuations that underpin most economic activity.
Green buildings attracting higher rents in US
31/03/2009
Buildings in the US with a high Energy Star rating are attracting rental premiums of three percent per square foot compared with non-green buildings of the same size, location and function, according to new research commissioned by RICS.
New rules set to improve transparency in cost plans
30/03/2009
Clients looking to demonstrate value for money in proposed projects will be able to rely on more effective, accurate and transparent cost advice as well as better cost control, with the publication of the first instalment of RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) New Rules of Measurement, launched Monday 30th March 2009.
Excess supply pushes rents lower
19/03/2009
Rents dropped across the residential lettings sector as would-be-sellers continued to flood the rental market with unsellable properties, says the RICS Lettings Survey published Thursday 19 March 2009.
Government needs to revise zero carbon targets
19/03/2009
If the Government is to achieve a significant reduction in carbon emissions from homes in England, then it needs to set a realistic target of building all new homes to emit 70% less carbon.
Project build times at the touch of a button
18/03/2009
The construction industry has plenty of information to advise clients on how much proposed schemes might cost but until now there has been little information on how long a construction project may take.
Property professionals essential players in UK economy
16/03/2009
The high ethical standards and professional competence of Chartered Surveyors are a vital element in the future competitiveness of UK PLC. says a report published today (16 March 2009).
RICS expands Commercial Property Service Charge Code of Practice
16/03/2009
RICS has launched two new information papers to supplement the RICS Code of Practice: Service Charges in Commercial Property. Tenant alterations and sinking funds, reserve funds and depreciation charges have been add/essed in these separate information papers published today.
Buyer interest continues to grow
10/03/2009
Buyer enthusiasm continued to grow in February with interest in London at a high not seen for more than two years, says RICS' UK housing market survey published today (10 March 2009).
Job Satisfaction in the profession rises
06/03/2009
Job satisfaction, strong leadership within the workplace and job security are now as important to Chartered Surveyors as economic factors according to the annual RICS and Macdonald & Company UK rewards & Attitudes survey published today (7 March 2009).
European housing buffeted by the global storm
05/03/2009
With house prices falling across all European markets by the end of 2008 and prospects for 2009 even gloomier, the revival of European housing relies now on the ability of European governments to cope with the mortgage credit shortage and on the scale and duration of the economic recession, says the RICS European Housing Review 2009, published today (5 March 2009).
Oil exporters and emerging nations catch global property contagion
04/03/2009
Collapsing oil prices have pulled oil rich countries into the global property malaise with capital values falling in emerging nations for the first time in the survey's history, says RICS Global Property Survey today (4 March 2009).
February Press Releases
Construction workloads continue to weaken with further declines likely
26/02/2009
Construction workloads continued to fall sharply in the final three months of last year according to the RICS UK Construction Market Survey published today (26th February 2009).
Record number of entries for RICS Property Awards 2009
18/02/2009
Enthusiasm for the most prestigious prize in UK property has reached new highs despite challenging conditions for many property professionals with a record number of projects being submitted for the RICS Awards 2009.
Lower prices fuelling the interest of owner occupiers
17/02/2009
Owner occupiers are returning to the housing market looking for bargains says RICS research released today. Many potential purchasers believe that the market has reached a bottom but first time buyers are still being denied access to the property ladder.
RICS maps out sustainable road ahead
17/02/2009
RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) is to host a series of Sustainability events, starting with the launch today (17th February) of new research "Toward a Low Carbon Built Environment: A roadmap for Action".
Weekend homes a thing of the past
16/02/2009
Demand for residential farmland plummeted in the second half of 2008, as life-style buyers all but disappeared, says RICS Rural Market Survey.
Buyer interest yet to translate into sales
10/02/2009
The average number of transactions per surveyor showed little fluctuation over the last three months despite buyer interest rising for the third successive month, says RICS' UK housing market survey published today (10 February 2009).
Sharp decline in orders forces tenders even lower
10/02/2009
Contractors are being forced to keep tenders low in an attempt to remain competitive and ride out the recession, as a result of new orders falling significantly and the demand for construction work drying up, according to the latest Tender Price Index compiled by RICS’ Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) published today.
Commercial property malaise deepens
09/02/2009
Activity across all sectors eased back in the fourth quarter with most headline indicators falling to new lows, says RICS' Commercial Property Survey published today (9 February 2009).
Have your say on empty rates
06/02/2009
RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) is seeking views and evidence from commercial property professionals on the impact of Empty Property Rates. This call for evidence follows widespread criticism of the tax on empty commercial property.
January Press Releases
RICS appoints new head of sustainability
26/01/2009
RICS has appointed Arlette Anderson to the newly created position of RICS Head of Sustainability.
Expert advisors service launched to enhance planning system
26/01/2009
In order to increase the capacity and capability of the Planning Inspectorate in England and Wales RICS Dispute Resolution Services has been appointed to manage an innovative new service, Experts Appointments in Planning Service (EAPS).
RICS launches transparency working group
21/01/09
RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) has established a Working Group to look at the subject of transparency, in particular, transparency in professional fees.
Contemporary Art prices fall as downturn hits the Arts and Antiques market
RICS Arts and Antiques Survey – Quarter four 2008
20/01/2009
The previously robust Contemporary Art sector has suffered a turnaround in fortune with buyers reining in spending as they come to terms with the continuing global financial crisis.
Sales fall further despite growing interest in the market
13/01/09
The average number of transactions per surveyor fell to a record low in December despite buyer interest remaining strong says RICS' UK housing market survey published today (13 January 2008).
Deadline imminent for RICS Awards
12/01/09
Deadline for the RICS Awards 2009 is fast approaching. Individuals and companies involved in delivering outstanding property projects are encouraged to submit their entries from this month.
