Valuation surveying: Your guide to becoming a valuation surveyor

Specialising as a valuation surveyor

As you develop your career and become a chartered valuation surveyor you will likely operate across an array of asset types, employed in both the public and private sector. The most typical asset classes include commercial, residential and rural property.

Some valuers practice exclusively in one of these areas, while others deal with a wider variance of property and asset types. At RICS, we broadly group these as three different specialisms:

machinery and business assets
residential survey and valuation, and
valuation.
How to be a valuation surveyor

Starting at the entrant level, RICS is fully committed to taking steps to tackling barriers to entry, and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the valuation profession, with a particular focus on attracting a diverse group of new entrants to its membership.

In case a career in valuation surveying sounds like the job for you, you?ll find a range of different ways you can become a valuation surveyor. They include:


University degree

Postgraduate conversion course

Apprenticeship
RICS valuation surveyor pathway

To qualify as a valuation surveyor through RICS, you?ll have to embark on your RICS valuation surveyor pathway. This will teach you a number of technical competencies to assist you in your career and will supply you with a world-renowned qualification in your chosen area of specialism.

Technical competencies include:

accounting principles
property finance and funding
valuation of businesses and intangible assets
compulsory purchase and compensation
leasing and letting
sustainability
landlord and tenant, and
loan security valuation.

The pathway for valuation surveyors includes both RICS associate (AssocRICS) level and full chartered status (MRICS). To qualify being an associate or chartered member, you will have to pass a series of assessments.


RICS associate qualification
This can be the entry-level RICS qualification.  Additional resources  includes you the chance to progress your job and gain full chartered status. In order to be eligible, you will require either:

12 months of relevant experience and a relevant bachelor?s degree
24 months of relevant experience and another higher/advanced/foundation qualification, or
4 years of relevant experience (no qualifications required).

RICS chartered qualification
Most people curently have surveying-related qualifications and work experience, meaning an RICS chartered qualification is the most common way to qualify. To be eligible you will require either:

relevant experience and an RICS-accredited degree
5 years of relevant experience and any bachelor?s degree, or
a decade of relevant experience operating at a sophisticated level by seniority, specialisation, or in academia.

For RICS members, there's the opportunity to apply for Valuer Registration: a risk monitoring and quality assurance programme that ensures all valuation surveyors meet the Global Standards outlined in debt Book. Find out more about Valuer Registration and how to apply here.

Essential skills for valuation surveyors

Personal skills may also be essential for a career as a valuation surveyor. You may already have some of these skills when you?ll also have the chance to build up them as your job progresses. The following are key skills required of valuation surveyors:

understanding of data and analytics for more complex investment valuations
fantastic numerical skills
a good knowledge of building technology for residential valuers
communication skills, both written and verbal
negotiation skills
ability to be considered a great team player and keep maintaining working relationships with colleagues and clients
good understanding of the market
a knowledge of sometimes complex ownership structure of assets or liabilities
commercial awareness, and
legal and regulatory knowledge.
Valuation surveyor salary: Just how much could you earn?

How much you can earn as a valuation surveyor varies widely and can depend on several factors, together with your choice of employer, specialism and location. Your qualifications, skills and experience may also play a big element in your potential earnings.

The common salary for a valuation surveyor is between �45,000 and �48,0001, while graduate and entry-level positions will offer an income of around �23,000 to �30,000. Securing chartered status may take your wages to over �70,000 per annum, while those that qualify as RICS Fellows can earn more based on their experience and seniority. This is before performance-related bonuses and a car allowance, pension, private healthcare and life insurance.