Members from across Europe share their views on RICS membership and the benefits of being part of a dynamic international network of chartered surveyors:

Austria

 “Acquiring real estate in Poland, looking for service providers in the Czech Republic and Germany, discussing cooperation opportunities at MIPIM - the letters MRICS after your name open many doors. They also help establish immediate confidence you would otherwise spend years earning.”
Herwig Teufelsdorfer MRICS, RICS Österreich Chairman, General Manager, Bank Austria Real Invest Asset Management GmbH, Austria

“The fact that the Vienna real estate market has become increasingly interesting for international property funds has amplified the need for experts who are able to evaluate property in accordance with international standards. An appraisal based on the standards of RICS is a guarantee of quality. Therefore RICS Austria is making efforts to constantly improve the education and further training of its chartered surveyors.”
Mag. Detlev Gross FRICS, Certified and Sworn Surveyor, Vienna, Austria

Belgium

"Becoming a chartered surveyor is by all means a proof of perseverance in professional excellence. Clients know that and are themselves more and more involved in our professional organisation. Being a member of RICS opens the door to the globalising real estate world."
Guibert de Crombrugghe FRICS, Managing Partner, de Crombrugghe & Partners, Brussels, Belgium

“Although RICS Belux is not generally as widely known as in the UK, I notice that more and more people are showing an interest in our organisation. By delivering high-quality work and helping others to join, the Belgian organisation will also grow and increase in importance, which in the long term will lead to a greater appreciation of our profession and a more professional property market.”
Peter de Groot MRICS, Managing Partner, MODUS EXPERT, Brussels, Belgium 

Cyprus

"I use the RICS logo because it signals authority, legitimacy and authenticity of professionalism."
Guido Kapiris MRICS, GM Kapiris, Nicosia, Cyprus

"We use the RICS logo because it suggests a high standard of quality in servIces offered by our company."
Filios Sarris MRICS, Filios Sarris Associates Ldt, Nicosia, Cyprus

Czech Republic

"Chartered surveyor status provides clients with confidence in my expertise and professional integrity particularly when dealing with international investors, foreign banks, and financial institutions who seek valuations in accordance with the RICS Red Book valuation standards. In this field RICS is recognised as a leading worldwide authority."
Jonathan Fothergill BSc (Hons) MRICS, Head of Investment, Knight Frank, Prague, Czech Republic

France

“Through preference we choose to employ chartered surveyors at ATIS REAL International as their professional qualification is not only recognised by a respectable global Institution but also stands for offering the best advice to clients in regards to their personal and more importantly their most fundamental business needs. Being a chartered surveyor also stands for respecting others and enabling them to take maximum benefit from the expertise you offer.”
Alain Béchade FRICS, Executive Committee Chairman, ATIS REAL International, Paris, France

“The term chartered surveyor has today become a label of international quality around the world and for the employer it is a guarantee of expertise which has considerable added value. It assures the strict respect of a professional code of conduct in the way that assures universal language and analytical methods. In short, it is a high level qualification that has already proved that it can advance the profession and individuals careers.”
Gérard Devaux FRICS, CEO, Europe d’HAMMERSON, Paris, France

Germany

“Many of our business partners in Germany are internationally active and expect professional service geared to their special needs. The trend towards internationalisation will have a significant influence on the service profile of real estate professionals in Germany. As members of RICS we are well prepared for domestic and global competition.”
Sascha Hettrich FRICS, Managing Partner Germany King Sturge GmbH

”The high standards international investors expect with regard to the supplementary services of a business transaction such as site and market analysis and due diligence call for consultants with a broad profile. They must be aware of these standards, must have a good knowledge of the local and national market, be part of a professional network and continuously improve their knowledge and abilities. To be a chartered surveyor and member of RICS is a quality standard guaranteeing the highest integrity and professionalism – Success is Chartered.”
Carl O. Stinglwagner FRICS, Managing Director, STIWA Immobilienmanagement & Consulting Chartered Surveyors, Munich, Germany

Hungary

"When I started working for DTZ in Central and Eastern Europe in 1997 my RICS qualification was a pre-requisite. Working in an emerging market really brings home the importance of the RICS core values and rules of conduct. Utilising such standards has undoubtedly assisted me greatly in my daily business life both with local colleagues and in dealing with a wide range of international clients."
Chris Naylor FRICS, Regional Director, Mosaic Property, Budapest, Hungary 

"The 5-letter qualification on the business cards of RICS members tells more about the holders' expertise and professional integrity than anything else, and it becomes more and more appreciated in Hungary as well.”
Krisztián Hornok MRICS, Managing Director, DTZ Hungary, Budapest, Hungary 

Italy

"I am very pleased to become part of this elite of professionals and to be able to contribute to the continued innovation of values of the profession, together with other members, towards greater transparency and competitiveness within our market."
Lorenzo Ferrante MRICS, CEO, Abaco Team Consulting, Italy

"Being an RICS member signifies the capacity of expression in a single international language, based upon the co-division of ethical and deontological aspects, by way of the application of common standards."
Leo Civelli FRICS, CEO REAG, Italy

"The RICS logo has appeared on my business cards since 1994, when I was accepted by the Institution as a Fellow member which at that time did not exist in Italy. This designation is a certification of professionalism which is accepted everywhere with favour."
Alberto M. Lunghini FRICS, Reddy's Group SpA , Italy

"In the field of investment management, RICS acts as a strong knowledge base, provides a code of conduct and valuable networking opportunities all of which are recognised in many nations and facilitate cross-border financial analysis and investment. Belonging to RICS gives us additional credibility especially when negotiating with foreign investors who are not familiar with local professional figures."
Feliciano Carabellese MRICS, Real Estate Property Manager, Pioneer Investments, Italy

“How we professionally conduct ourselves determines how we are regarded by our customers, our communities and our colleagues.
Wishing to do the right thing, as opposed to doing what we have a legal right to, is what integrity is all about. Getting results while maintaining the highest ethical standards is what will make you stand out from others and it is indeed what will make you a Member of the RICS ."
Luciano Capaldo FRICS, RICS Europe Chairman, AG²L Consultancy, Italy

Netherlands

"When property markets are at a crossroads, you need the best advisors available, the ones with up to date market knowledge and strict ethical standards.
RICS members fit this description perfectly, be it for valuation or investment advice."
Peter J. Keller MRE MRICS, RICS Nederland Chairman, Director property management, Vesteda

“Today in Amsterdam, tomorrow in Berlin, later this week in London. How could I do business without my international RICS colleagues?
Drs. Jan Berghs MRE MRICS, Board Member of European Investment Group AG, Maastricht, Netherlands

“As a real estate advisor and entrepreneur, I get a huge thrill from defending the interests of every deal as keenly and effectively as possible and bringing a task to a perfect conclusion. What’s also needed are knowledge and expertise, intelligence and creativity, genuine power of persuasion, respect and honesty. Trust - this is something you have to earn. The many chartered surveyors I have met or asked to help me all have these qualities. A valuable club to be a member of - together we make our field of expertise more professional and even more interesting.”
Ing. Theo Overbeeke MRE MRICS, Managing Director, Overbeeke Onroerend Goed, Gouda, Netherlands

Poland

"RICS membership entails commitment to a high standard of professionalism, conduct and lifelong learning. As the hard earned nature of the qualification becomes understood in Europe, so more professionals aspire to become chartered surveyors, more companies employ chartered surveyors and more clients demand their services."
Chris Grzesik FRICS, CESB Board Chairman, Polish Properties, Poland

“The RICS qualification is a global quality standard that carries considerable added value when working on international projects as it assures our clients that they are receiving the best possible service."
Malgorzata Cieslak MRICS, Manager Corporate Finance , PricewaterhouseCoopers, Warsaw, Poland

Spain

"Membership of RICS makes us stand above the mass of unqualified property dealers. It stands for professionalism, experience and above all ethical working on behalf of clients. With international representation, the worldwide property buying clientele recognise that they are dealing with an organisation that is more than just the individuals working in that office."
Campbell Ferguson FRICS, Survey Spain, Marbella, Spain

"At CB Richard Ellis, we believe that our international success is due to the extensive training and professionalism of our professional team. That is why I recommend all our employees to become RICS members: an internationally recognised qualification that guarantees our clients maximum levels of professionalism and training."
Mark Clifford MRICS, Consejero-Director, CB Richard Ellis España, Spain

"The chartered surveyor qualification, as a specialised professional expert in all matters concerning property and construction, enjoys an internationally renowned prestige this being the reason that the most important companies the world over rely on chartered surveyors."
Juan Carlos Velasco MRICS, Project Manager, EC Harris, Madrid, Spain 

Switzerland

”The title chartered surveyor is an internationally recognised quality seal for real estate professionals. It guarantees an excellent education, extensive practical experience and high ethical standards. RICS membership is a unique platform facilitating the exchange of expert knowledge and providing access to international research. In Switzerland, chartered surveyors form a strong and reliable network“.
Andreas Loepfe MRICS, Zürich Versicherungs-Gesellschaft, Zurich, Switzerland