CELEBRATING A QUALIFIED SUCCESS

When you engage a professional, you would like to think that they hold the right qualifications for the job, writes Harry Downing.  But the plethora of professional accreditations can be confusing: is holding such a qualification a pre-requisite for being able to undertake that profession, or is it an ‘optional extra’ – and if so, how robust is the structure behind that qualification?

For some roles, such a professional qualification is legally required to do a job.  You can probably immediately name some of them (nurse or solicitor for example), but you might be surprised to learn that the gov.uk website lists 281 separate such ‘regulated professions’.

Separate from this legal licensing (but often overlapping with it) comes chartered status.  Originating from royal charters issued to professional bodies by the Crown, chartered status denotes a professional who has achieved a specific level of competence in their field, an achievement which is recognised by the award of a formal credential by a chartered body.

These chartered bodies have a responsibility to act in the public interest (rather than in the interest of their particular profession), ensuring that their members maintain professional and ethical standards.

In estate agency, responsible firms have been calling for years for the profession to be regulated, with the professional body Propertymark developing a range of rigorous qualifications as part of the process.  But as it stands, anyone can set themselves up as an estate agent without such qualifications, which is why it is so important when choosing a firm to ensure that it operates under the Propertymark aegis.

In commercial property there is a much more longstanding chartered set-up, with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, founded in 1868, now the global professional body for people working in the built environment, construction, land and property.

Becoming a Member of the RICS is a rigorous process.  The most common route is following up an accredited degree with at least two years’ postgraduate study while working in the profession. 

Achieving the qualification involves both passing an exam and demonstrating practical experience.  Maintaining it entails an extensive ongoing programme of continuous professional development.  I know all of this because I have just been admitted to RICS as a member, joining eight of my colleagues at Arnolds Keys in holding the qualification.

Unlike licensed professions, being a member of RICS is not essential in order to be able to carry out almost all commercial property-related matters (conducting ‘Red Book’ valuations is one of the few exceptions).  But the letters MRICS do guarantee a level conduct and competence, as well as trust, ethical standards and integrity.