Nick Maclean OBE RD FRICS was appointed as RICS president on 1 January, ready for the year ahead
Nick is bringing around 30 years of experience to the role of president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), having served as chair of the CBRE Middle East and North Africa Region.
He has also served as a Scottish trade envoy for seven years and has been a member of RICS for more than 20 years, both as a chair and on the Governing Council.
Nick Maclean has been the acting president since March
Potentially, not much will change for Maclean as he took the role of acting president in March 2025; now the title is official. Now-former president Justin Sullivan has been serving as an expert witness in a High Court case regarding a moth-infested mansion, keeping him from his duties.
RICS president, Nick Maclean, said: “It is one of the proudest achievements of my career to serve as President of the RICS, an organisation with such an incredible history and is synonymous with our industry. It’s such an exciting time for the RICS as it evolves to meet the fundamental reshaping of real estate driven by technology and sustainability and profound social, cultural and geoeconomic shifts. The role of the RICS as both an industry and consumer-facing organisation has never been more important.”
“Central to this work will be a focus on lifelong learning with RICS ensuring support for everyone who wishes to practice in our profession from fourteen to retirement and beyond. We know that persistent skills shortages across the built environment will increasingly constrain delivery which is why we must build and maintain a robust pipeline of talent whilst elevating the importance of professional standards in the public interest.”
“The housing crisis remains one of the most critical issues facing our Government and the country, with planning reform and accelerated delivery necessitating increasing reliance on professional advisors around land, viability, valuation, development and risk.
“2026 will see an acceleration in transition from net zero ambition to delivery, putting more pressure on professional expertise to manage climate risk, retrofit, resilience and long term value in the built and natural environment.
“Finally, permeating the full spectrum of the industry, the digital revolution will continue apace, with advances in AI, Data and digital tools changing the way and speed at which the sector operates. Professional standards, integrity and judgement in its application in the public interest is central to how we embrace change.”
RICS are working to make a difference for surveyors
In September last year, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors launched a survey regarding professionals’ thoughts on construction standards, in preparation for an updated release of the RICS Black Book.
The book contains guidance on several aspects of the profession, combining to create a global construction standard.
The standard is written by experts in the field, including Matt Thompson, an experienced technical author in surveyance, who also wrote the 10th edition of the RIBA Handbook of Practice Management, and other RICS members lending their expertise to the writing.
At the time, Amit Patel, RICS head of professional practice (construction), said: “For the first time, RICS is launching a Professional Standard on construction which incorporates updates that would normally be drip-fed over a ten-year period. We believe that this new model will enable professionals to update and improve their practice more swiftly and enable a more consistent framework for standards.
“I implore all construction professionals across the globe, whether RICS members or otherwise, to get involved and respond to this important consultation. RICS is committed to serving and improving the global built and natural environment profession, and it is our members and colleagues in connected fields that guide our professional statements, standards, and guidance.”
