The RICS Podcast

With a rapid growth of urbanisation in recent years around the world, the role of the surveyor is vital in ensuring we get a positive outcome from urbanisation.In this episode of The RICS Podcast, Professor Greg Clark, Tom Webber MRICS and Bourane Gille discuss the surveyor’s impact on how urbanisation helps cities to grow positively, create opportunities, and last for decades to come.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:The rapid global increase in urbanisation, highlighting the potential for 90% urbanisation by 2080How successful urban development requires shared place leadership, with collaboration between public and private sectors, universities, businesses, and civil societySurveyors’ critical role in urban leadership, providing evidence-based, robust approaches to complex development processesThe need for urban leaders to adopt a long-term perspective, designing for flexibility and resilienceRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/Professor Greg Clarkhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-greg-clark-cbe-01145119/Borane Gillehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/borane-gille-135330133/Tom Webber MRICS MRTPIhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tomwebber1/

If materials can’t be grown, then they need to be mined - the importance of the mineral sector in the built environment is absolutely essential, yet often overlooked.This week’s episode of The RICS Podcast highlights how we can raise the sector’s profile, and attract new professionals to mineral surveying, drawing upon the experiences of host Barnaby Pilgrim FRICS, and guests Matthew Cuthbert MRICS and Neil Hughes MRICS.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:The critical importance of minerals underpinning everything from housing and infrastructure to technology and daily consumer productsMineral surveyors’ complex role in managing the entire lifecycle of mineral extractionSustainability and environmental challenges in the minerals industryHow future talent can be attracted to the diverse, rewarding career opportunities available to new professionals in the fieldRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/Matthew Cuthbert MRICS https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-cuthbert-451647176/

Skills are a critical part of the APC assessment, and continue to serve you throughout your career in surveying, but which skills are best to prioritise to succeed in today’s industry?This episode of The RICS Podcast features the fantastic insights of Kate Taylor FRICS, Annabel Huffer MRICS and Abdul Alimi MRICS, drawing on experiences from both sides of the assessment process.They’ll explore the evolving landscape of professional development in surveying, diverse career pathways, and the critical skills needed to thrive in the built environment. This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:The multiple entry paths into surveying, including apprenticeships, graduate schemes, and non-traditional backgroundsImportance of soft skills in the APC process and throughout the surveying careerChanges in surveying over recent years, such as the increased focus on sustainability, ESG, diversity, and technological innovationThe value of mentorship, networking, and ongoing professional development beyond initial qualification, particularly for early-career professionalsRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/Annabel Huffer MRICShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/annabel-huffer-bsc-hons-mrics-548795158/Abdul Alimi MRICShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alimiaaKate Taylor FRICShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/apctaylormade/

Flexible workspaces represent a growing need for surveyors to prepare for a wildly changing future of the commercial real estate market.So how can professionals adapt to the uptick in flexible space, and how does the data available to us today help us to understand and value this evolving sector?These questions are at the heart of this week’s episode of The RICS Podcast, as we dive into flex space with JLL Director Christy Bowen, IWG’s CEO Mark Dixon, and Director of HEWN, Will Kinnear.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:The immaturity of the flexible office sector and its rapid growthThe importance of data sharing and benchmarkingThe evolving role of surveyors, who must move beyond traditional valuation and agency models to understand operational real estatePractical advice on how professionals can stay relevant by leveraging data, flex space economics, and creative solutions for clientsThe importance of surveyors having of a deep understanding of flex space before they advise in this areaDisclaimer: The views shared in this episode are the participants’ own, not RICS’.Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/Mark Dixonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/markdixoniwg/Will Kinnearhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/will-kinnear-5832a122/Christy Bowenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-bowen-4678478a/

The transition to greener energy sources is an ongoing endeavour, and the role that surveyors will play in that transition is a growing one in both importance and impact.Discussing this shift, this week The RICS Podcast welcomes Jenny Stanning, Stephen Thompson FRICS, Amit Patel MRICS and host Roger Esson MRICS to discuss the trends emerging in the energy sector, and their effects on the surveying profession.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:The surprising amounts of energy still being derived from oil and gasRICS members’ roles in transitioning to a greener energy mix and a more sustainable futureHow to get young kids, particularly young girls, interested in construction and STEMThe role of standards in the energy transitionAmit Patelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/amit-patel-902a341a/Jenny Stanning https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-stanning-40217539/Roger Essonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rogeresson/

One of the fantastic elements to surveying is the number of routes into the profession. This week The RICS Podcast showcases three members who began their paths in other regulated professions before becoming surveyors themselves.Demi Yianni is joined this week by Kirsten Hald and Maria Wiedner to discuss their vastly different backgrounds, transferable skills, how they explain their roles to friends and family, and the most important personality traits in surveying.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:Kirsten’s teaching career before her entry to surveyingTransferable skills from Maria’s past, including work in finance and the UNWhy surveying stuck out compared to previous vocationsThe challenge of explaining surveying roles to loved onesThe top personality traits for those looking to become a surveyorRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors: https://www.rics.org/uk/Demi Yianni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demi-yianni/Kirsten Hald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-marie-hald/Maria Wiedner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariawiedner/

The MIPIM Challengers initiative creates space for the next generation of professionals to share fresh ideas and new perspectives, and this year’s winners include Betsy Brady MRICS and Ioana Orzea.Betsy & Ioana join James Fiske on this episode of The RICS Podcast to share their approach to rethinking embodied carbon as an asset, how we can educate others on driving sustainability in real estate, and young professionals’ drive to decarbonise the built environment.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:Treating embodied carbon not as a one-time cost, but as a resource to be managed and amortised over a building's lifecycleThe MIPIM Challengers showcasing how younger professionals are driving creative solutions to decarbonise the built environmentThe importance of measuring and tracking carbon emissions throughout a building's entire lifecycleUpskilling professionals by developing consistent carbon pricing methodologies and creating career paths focused on carbon managementStrategies for measuring, reducing, and accounting for embodied carbonRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/James Fiskehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/james-fiske-bcis/Betsy Bradyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-brady-853348148/Ioana Orzeahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ioana-orzea-60637813a/

The final assessment can naturally set off nerves for many candidates preparing for their presentations, so this week’s RICS podcast is centred around calming nerves and preparing to perform at your peak. Offering perspectives from the candidate side and as an assessor herself, Michelle Parkes joins Ellie Sainsbury to share strategies to calm nerves ahead of your final assessment. If you would like to find out more about the range of local and global resources available to help you through your assessment journey, please visit our dedicated candidate support pages on the RICS website. This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:Michelle’s personal experiences with the assessment, on both sides of the panelTips on long-term preparation and short-term strategies to alleviate stress and nervesThe assessors’ roles being to help you perform your best, rather than to be imposingTools to help you practise, rehearse and self-assess your presentationResources discussed: LionHeart - APC SupportRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/RICS Candidate Supporthttps://www.rics.org/join-rics/candidate-supportLionhearthttps://www.lionheart.org.uk/

Whether it’s communication with stakeholders or with the public, the importance of a regulator is key to how firms operate in the built environment.In this episode of The RICS Podcast, Shannett Thompson (Kingsley Napley) and Chris Adler (RICS) join Nigel Clarke to explore the vital role of professional regulators, and how they interact with the regulated professions, with a particular focus on the Standards and Regulation Board, of which Nigel is the Chair. This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:The role of the regulator, and how it interacts with the professional bodyHow the SRB differs from other regulatorsHow regulators stay relevant to those leading the profession forwardRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/Nigel Clarkehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nclarke/Shannett Thompsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/shannett-thompson-0039046a/Chris Alderhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-alder-b528822a/

There are incredible female voices at the forefront of surveying across the industry, but if we’re to see a more equitable industry, the issue of retaining talent is a vital one to solve.This essential episode of The RICS Podcast talks through some of the deep-rooted issues affecting DEI in surveying today, and we hear what initiatives might create a more inclusive environment for all as Kelly Canterford FRICS speaks with Kevina Kakembo MRICS and David Hourihan FRICS.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:Career progression barriers currently faced in the industry, from unconscious bias to pay disparities and limited representation in leadership rolesHow flexible working policies and supportive return-to-work programs are crucial for retaining women in the professionRepresentation and role models in leadership positions, and encouraging new talent to enter and remain in the surveying industryIntersectionality within gender discrimination, where other factors like socio-economic background, ethnicity, and family status compounds challengesThe holistic approach to cultural change, from unconscious bias training to mentorship programsRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:https://www.rics.org/uk/Kevina Kakembo MRICShttp://linkedin.com/in/kevinakakembo/Kelly Canterford MRICShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-canterford-mrics-52458a1/David Hourihan FRICShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhourihan/