The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is inviting expressions of interest from professionals and employers as it develops two new pathways to membership.

As the built environment continues to evolve, so too does the role of the modern surveyor. With growing emphasis on sustainability, data analytics, and retrofit solutions, RICS is responding by designing new professional pathways that align with these emerging priorities.

The organisation says it aims to ensure its membership routes remain relevant and accessible to those working at the forefront of the industry’s transformation.

The proposed new pathways are:

+ Residential Retrofit Surveying (AssocRICS)

+ Sustainability Advisory (Chartered Surveyor)

Through these new pathways, RICS adds that it hopes to welcome new professional communities to achieve coveted RICS member status, the world’s leading mark of professionalism in land and the built environment. This will also bring value to clients and the public by extending RICS assurance of competency and professionalism.

With the UK requiring 500,000 home retrofits per year by 2025 and one million by 2030 to meet net zero targets, there’s an urgent need for skilled professionals in the domestic retrofit sector. RICS is exploring the Residential Retrofit Surveying entry pathway for professionals specialising in retrofit services across six key roles: lead professional, assessor, designer, contract administrator, builder, and post retrofit inspector.

The Sustainability Advisory pathway will support professionals specialising in strategic sustainability advice within the built and natural environment. It will assess expertise in climate action, nature, circularity, and social value, with emphasis on governance, risk, finance, and systems thinking.

RICS seeks 30 candidates for the pilot round of assessments. The organisation will prioritise formal applications from those who have submitted expressions of interest, who meet RICS eligibility requirements in terms of experience and qualifications.

Interested parties may find more information about the pilots at this link.

Luay Al-Khatib, director of the Future Innovation Hub at RICS, commented: “Our built and natural environment require highly expert and ethical management. The professional skills and competencies of professionals are transforming to rise to the immense task of delivering a sustainable and low-carbon built environment and harnessing the power of data and technology effectively.

“The new membership pathways we are proposing will extend the reach of surveying, welcoming key professionals responsible for planning and managing the future of our cities and communities.

“We invite expressions of interest from employers and individuals for these pathways. Subject to demand, we expect to run our first pilot assessments in the first half of 2026.”