The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published its first-ever global skills report for the surveying profession, revealing widespread and growing talent shortages across the sector.
According to the report, 90% of surveyors say their area of work is being affected by a lack of skilled professionals. Nearly one-third describe the shortage as “critical,” citing serious impacts on project delivery and productivity. A further two-thirds call the situation “moderate” but warn it is deteriorating.
The most severe shortages were reported in Building Surveying and Quantity Surveying — disciplines essential to housing delivery, infrastructure development, and decarbonisation efforts.
Two-thirds of surveyors identified an ageing workforce and high retirement rates as key drivers of the crisis. Respondents noted that new entrants are not arriving fast enough to replace those leaving the profession.
More than half said the shortage is limiting work capacity and output, while 40% reported rising costs. Over one in four flagged a slowdown in innovation across the built environment.
Despite mounting pressures, surveyors expressed strong optimism about the role of digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI). Around 60% of respondents said they were positive about AI’s potential to improve efficiency and outcomes in the sector.
Concerns over job losses or being overwhelmed by technology were largely dismissed, particularly among younger professionals. Two-thirds of those aged 17–34 reported confidence in the sector’s digital future. However, a separate RICS study on AI adoption in construction revealed that while optimism is high, implementation remains limited.
Surveyors highlighted advanced digital skills, data analytics, and big data management as top training priorities — alongside expertise in decarbonisation and financial management.
When asked about solutions, surveyors pointed to:
+ More apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities
+ Better promotion of surveying careers
+ Upskilling existing professionals
+ Stronger collaboration between academia and industry
RICS acting president, Nick Maclean, said: “The results speak for themselves – there is an enormous demand for surveyors, and the profession is swiftly advancing with the pace of technological change. These are immense opportunities for both a new generation of surveyors and for existing professionals to upskill across the exciting landscape of technological change.
“Closing the skills gap is a crucial part of delivering the 1.5 million new homes target, as well as the essential infrastructure improvements that the government has committed to in its ten-year strategy. RICS continues to listen and act on the advice of its members, leading the profession into the future.”
This is hardly surprising.
Around the naughties I applied to join the RICS to become a Chartered Surveyor. Although I had 3 A-Levels and 6 O-levels I did not have O-Level maths so was refused admission. I joined ISVA (who subsequently merged with RICS) who seemed to be less pedantic. I passed my Part I. When I took my Part II whilst working full time I passed half the exams first time. I had to take the full exam again and passed most of the ones I failed and failed most of the ones I had passed and would have had to take the exam yet again! It was this pedantry that put the surveying profession back a generation. It took ages for RICS to take a more sensible approach to its residential sector by which time many people who would have liked to become surveyors looked elsewhere for their careers.
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