Update from Justin Young, RICS CEO – December 2025

Over the last three years, Chair of the RICS Board Martin Samworth, has presided over a wholesale transformation of our organisation. Martin’s term will end in early December with this work largely concluded. His leadership and guidance have helped shape the direction of the organisation during a challenging period of transition, and we are now in a strong position to support our members, wider stakeholders and promote the profession in the public interest.

I would like to thank Martin for his dedication to RICS and to the surveying profession during his term as Chair. I have valued his insight and leadership immensely, working very closely with him to reshape RICS. I wish him well as he continues his other roles across the property sector.

We previously committed to carrying out regular, independent reviews of the effectiveness of RICS governance. One begins this month which, by its nature, may have implications for the future governance structure of the organisation. As such, we have decided not to appoint a permanent Chair prior to the findings of the review. Liz Peace CBE, who serves as Senior Independent Governor of RICS, will Chair the RICS Board meetings pending the outcome of the review in spring 2026.

With changes ahead, and the end of the year approaching, this is a moment for reflection for us all. Throughout 2025, I have worked with both colleagues and members to advance knowledge, uphold standards, inspire professionals, and support RICS members in their daily practice and ongoing development.

Key to this work has been our promise to deliver greater value for you, wherever you are. By the beginning of December, we had hosted more than 429 member engagement events around the world. Dozens more are planned before the end of 2025, meaning that tens of thousands of members will have gathered during a year of real connection and collaboration.

Our work for the public advantage included the development and publication of over 20 professional standards and guides, and more than 50 new research reports. The Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice, for example, is the first industry standard to support property professionals in harnessing the potential of AI while upholding ethical standards. Hundreds of members also contributed to the development of our Home survey standard, relied upon for tens of thousands of home purchases each year, and our published consumer guidance on topics such as fire safety and damp and mould provides expert advice on critical issues of public concern. Similarly, our research, from the Surveying Skills Report to our flagship Sustainability Report, provides actionable insight for RICS and all those committed to finding solutions for the biggest challenges the built environment sector faces.

We continued to champion an inclusive industry, including reaffirming our commitment to the B.E. Inclusive Memorandum of Understanding. This collective of eight professional bodies from across the built environment is focused on improving standards and aligning practices to deliver significant progress in EDI throughout the sector.

Just last month our presence at COP affirmed members’ position at the forefront of decarbonisation efforts, ensuring the surveying profession has a voice where critical climate decisions are being made. Meanwhile our policy work in the UK has seen our real-world surveying knowledge centred in parliamentary discussions, from home-buying and selling reform to the delivery of new towns.

Though this is far from an exhaustive list of our achievements, I hope our collective impact this year is evident. Looking ahead to 2026, we’re focused on initiatives that deliver even greater value for our members. Our revised CPD framework comes into effect in February, shaped by widespread member consultation and approved by the RICS Standards and Regulation Board. The updates respond to member feedback calling for an approach that supports career development in a profession facing rapid change - from housing supply challenges to the transition to sustainable practice. 

Another major milestone will be the launch of our new member app, now in the final stages of development. This app will transform how members engage with the institution, starting with a streamlined CPD logging experience aligned to the updated framework and full control of personal information, all in one place. 

We’re also introducing a digital membership card at launch, giving members convenient access to their RICS credentials on their mobile device. This is just the beginning. Member feedback has informed every stage of the app’s creation so far, and your ongoing feedback will be welcomed as the app evolves over time to unlock even more value.

New standards, guidance and reports that will support members in their work and uphold the public interest are in development for 2026. We are addressing critical, evolving societal and industry-wide challenges. In valuation, for example, guidance is in development in response to advancements in AI in the discipline, as well as the growing challenge of valuing data centres. Sustainability continues to be a priority, and members will benefit from RICS leadership around valuing biodiversity, and we’ll publish a foundational sustainability guide for all levels and disciplines that will support  our new pathway and CPD. The global housing crisis, meanwhile, will be the topic of a report that will include our recommendations as we work to tackle the issue. This is all, of course, in addition to our ongoing updates to current standards and guidance.

For now, though, I wish our members a happy and restful month ahead. When the time comes, I will be celebrating Christmas among friends and family, and there will be brief closures at offices around the world to make this possible for all RICS colleagues to enjoy the holiday season. You can find the opening times for your local office here. I hope that December brings you joy, however you spend it.