ICMS Property Masterclass Connects Students with RICS and Industry Professionals

Trust, professional judgement and ethical practice were at the centre of a recent ICMS Property Masterclass, where representatives from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) joined senior industry professionals and ICMS alumni to prepare students for the realities of working in the property industry. 

For students studying the ICMS Bachelor of Property (Development, Investment and Valuation), the Masterclass provided an opportunity to connect their degree studies with the professional expectations they will encounter beyond the classroom. 

Candidates and Early Years Engagement Specialist at RICS Bianca-Maree Delkou introduced students to the global professional body, the role it plays across the built environment and the pathways available to graduates interested in pursuing RICS membership and Chartered status. 

Her message to students was to start building their professional identity and networks while they are still studying: 

“It’s really important that you put yourself out there, take that step forward and you actually go and network with others,”she said. 

RICS student membership is currently free, giving students access to professional resources, events and networking opportunities. 

Ms Delkou told students that those connections can have tangible career benefits. She recalled university students attending a RICS networking event who connected with a member and secured a cadetship through the encounter. 

She also explained that professional development does not end with graduation. RICS members are expected to continue developing their knowledge throughout their careers through Continuing Professional Development (CPD). 

Why Ethics Matters in Property

Professional competence was only part of the conversation. 

Delkou  explained that ethics and professionalism are fundamental to the RICS assessment process. Candidates working towards Chartered Membership are assessed on both their technical and professional competence. 

She told students that failing the ethics and professionalism competency means failing the overall assessment, regardless of how strongly a candidate performs in their technical areas. 

Agree Advisory Commercial Property Investment & Leasing Principal and RICS Chartered Member Clive Prime MRICS then brought those standards into a real-world property context. 

“People will pay you money to look after their interests because they trust you,” he told students. 

“If buyers don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. If clients don’t trust you, they won’t hire you. And if employers don’t trust you, you can’t get a job.” 

Drawing on more than 25 years in commercial property, Prime discussed ethical decision-making, conflicts of interest, professional competence and the responsibility property professionals have to their clients. 

He also encouraged students to recognise the limits of their expertise and continue building their knowledge throughout their careers. 

“The key point I wanted to make is ethics is not just about ethics. It’s about delivering a quality service,” he said. 

Professional Judgement in an AI World

The discussion also turned to artificial intelligence and what increasing use of AI could mean for graduates entering the property profession. 

Prime encouraged students to use AI intelligently, while warning against allowing it to replace the work and experience required to develop genuine professional competence. 

“If you don’t do the work, you don’t develop the competency,” he said. 

He recalled spending time early in his career walking around Sydney looking at office buildings and recording tenants on a clipboard, an exercise that helped him develop detailed knowledge of the market. 

“Do the grunt work. It’s really important.” 

For students preparing to enter an industry built around professional advice and judgement, the message was clear: technology can support professional practice, but professionals remain responsible for understanding their work. 

Almost Four Decades of Property Experience

Students also heard from CivicIPN Chief Risk and Business Operations Officer John Woods, who brought almost four decades of valuation and business operations experience to the Masterclass. 

Woods began his career as a trainee valuer in 1986 and has since worked across government valuation, banking, risk and business operations, including 16 and a half years at NAB. 

His property market update took students across commercial, residential, industrial, retail, development and specialised assets, demonstrating the breadth of opportunities within the profession. 

“If you want to be a valuer, this can give you a great scope into a lot of things,” he said. 

His own career provided a practical example of how property knowledge can lead into different sectors and roles over time. 

ICMS Alumni Return to Share Career Lessons

The Masterclass concluded with Property Insider: Real Career Advice from ICMS Alumni, hosted by ICMS Professional Placement and Alumni Manager Natalie Harrison. 

ICMS alumni Maaz Goda, Founder and Director of Maaz Goda Real Estate, and Edward Sheill, General Manager at Building Durability Group, returned to campus to speak about their career journeys and the lessons they have learned since graduating. 

Their different paths, from real estate entrepreneurship to property, construction and building remediation, reinforced the breadth of careers available across the property industry. 

Connecting Property Students with the Profession

The Masterclass is part of ICMS’s industry-connected approach to the Bachelor of Property (Development, Investment and Valuation), bringing students into direct contact with professional bodies, practitioners and alumni working in the sector. 

Alongside their academic studies and Work Integrated Learning (WIL), opportunities such as the Property Masterclass give students another way to understand how what they learn at ICMS translates into professional practice. 

For this Masterclass, the focus extended beyond where a property degree can take students. It explored the kind of professionals they will need to become once they get there. 

As Prime’s message made clear, knowledge and technical competence matter, but so do judgement, ethics and trust. 

Disclaimer: Information in this article reflects the ICMS Property Masterclass and the information presented by speakers at the time of the event. Views and market commentary attributed to guest speakers reflect their individual perspectives. Professional membership, certification, registration and licensing requirements vary according to career pathway and may change over time. Students and graduates should confirm current requirements directly with the relevant professional body or regulator. Please note, to become a Certified Property Valuer, separate professional accreditation and registration requirements apply, which are governed by relevant industry bodies and regulators. These requirements are not provided by ICMS and must be undertaken externally.