Update from Justin Young, RICS CEO - July 2026

Last month, members joined us at our Parliament Square HQ and online for an important date in our calendar: the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is our biggest opportunity to update members on the progress we’re making, share what’s ahead and answer questions on our activities.

Representatives from across the institution talked about the work across our three priority areas; how we’re strengthening confidence in the profession through our standards and regulation, building influence with governments and industry globally and supporting the next generation of surveyors through education, outreach and inclusivity initiatives. We also looked at what’s in the pipeline, including Red Book's 50th anniversary celebrations, a new edition of the code of measuring practice and progress on the Qualifications and Professional Development (QPD) programme.

The full recorded presentation is available on the AGM webpage, which I encourage you all to take time to watch. There you will also be able to find the full Q&A from the day, which answers questions spanning consumer protection, governance and what the future of the profession looks like in different markets.

Conversations from the AGM echoed what I’ve heard consistently over the last few months: members want RICS to be visible and active on the issues shaping the profession. We need to bring professional expertise and practical experience into the places where decisions are being made.

This need for engagement is reflected in who we’re talking to. Recently, RICS President Nicholas Maclean, met with figures from the European Commission and European Parliament in Brussels, ensuring we are closely connected to issues affecting RICS members on the continent, strengthening our relationship with industry leaders and sharing our perspective. The UK housing sector is another prime example. Following the government’s announcement on home buying and selling reform, we brought together industry leaders and representatives from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss what change needs to look like in practice.

It is in these rooms and conversations where we are truly making a difference, and ensuring our expertise and knowledge, and that of our members, are playing an active role in policy development.

We’re also building a clearer picture of the challenges facing the profession. In June, we launched our second global annual skills survey which will focus on international impact as well as the issues faced at a local level. There are already clear themes emerging, such as the impact the skills shortage is having on businesses of all sizes and how ready the profession is to work with new technologies, particularly AI.

We’ve had a great response so far, but I encourage all of you who haven’t yet done so to take some time to complete the questionnaire, particularly those of you in the early stages of your career.  Your thoughts on how to attract more people into surveying and ensure surveyors remain relevant in a changing professional landscape will sharpen our understanding of how best to tackle it.

In the second half of the year, I will be spending time with members and firms in some of our international markets, starting with a visit to APAC in August. I’m looking forward to hearing directly from members and seeing how we can further accelerate our regional visibility.