Update from Justin Young, RICS CEO – April 2026

As we move into Q2, I want to take a moment to reflect on what the first three months of this year have shown us. We started 2026 with a clear goal of equipping our members with better tools, increasing our influence by leading on issues that matter most and strengthening the support available to our profession globally.

In February we launched the RICS Member App, already downloaded over 10,000 times, transforming how members log CPD, manage their profile and access their digital ID card. We expanded the Entry and Assessment programme into the broader Qualifications and Professional Development Transformation Programme to cover the end-to-end experience of gaining an RICS qualification and opened expressions of interest for our Data Analytics and Intelligence pathway pilot, the latest in a series of new pathways to align with emerging career paths and specialisms. This year RICS Dispute Resolution Service has also marked 50 years at the forefront of ADR services, a milestone that speaks to the long-term credibility we have built. You can be part of our 50th anniversary journey by sharing your stories and attending our events throughout the year.

Our influence has been felt on both the local and global stages this quarter. In the UK, we gave evidence in Parliament on leasehold reform, published our Wales Senedd Manifesto, engaged with the Spring Statement. At MIPIM, one of the most significant gatherings of industry leaders in the built environment attracting 20,000 delegates this year from 90 countries, RICS contributed insight from across our profession to drive the development of technology, climate resilience and global valuation standards. Across all of this we have consistently advocated for the expertise of chartered surveyors which is vital to the decisions that shape how people live and work.

With that as our foundation for the year, April marks the start of Q2 with a continued focus on connecting with members. This month, I joined our President Nick Maclean OBE RD FRICS at his Leaders of the Future lunch, hearing directly from early career professionals on what RICS can do to support the next generation. I also hosted a lunch with Nick and President-elect Maureen Ehrenberg at RICS HQ for Past Presidents. I find huge value in hearing from those who led this institution before us; we are very fortunate to have this wealth of experience available to support us in shaping decisions for RICS. These were two very different events with the same takeaway: the challenges evolve but our commitment to a profession that is built to last does not.

Now in its third year, our UK Shaping the Future roadshow has brought together members, the RICS Executive team and members from the Governing Council to inform our priorities and ways of working. Starting this month, I would encourage members to join me again, or for the first time, to share what is important to you and help set our direction for the year ahead. You can register for your local event here. Building on the success of the UK roadshow, we are also working with our market teams to bring Shaping the Future events to our global regions this year.

Next month we head to UKREiiF in Leeds, one of the UK’s biggest built environment forums. We have a full programme of roundtables, panel discussions and networking events, convening key voices from across the profession on issues that matter most: technology and skills, housing, sustainability and the future of surveying. For members joining us, there will be direct access to RICS personnel and industry experts, and a CPD session on AI and ethics. For those who cannot attend, our team will report from sessions and share insights through social media and journal articles, so the knowledge and perspectives discussed reach you wherever you are.

We have built strong momentum during Q1, and I look forward to working with and for our members as the year progresses.