When you commission a home survey with a market valuation, or a standalone RICS valuation for any purpose, it's important that the person producing it is a RICS Registered Valuer. This guide explains what that accreditation means and why it matters.
What Is the RICS Registered Valuer Accreditation?
The RICS Registered Valuer designation is a specific accreditation from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, granted to RICS members who have demonstrated the competence and experience required to carry out formal valuations in accordance with RICS standards.
To become a RICS Registered Valuer, a surveyor must:
Once registered, Registered Valuers are listed on the RICS public register, which you can search at rics.org. This provides transparency and accountability — you can verify that the person producing your valuation is genuinely registered.
Why Does It Matter?
Professional accountability: RICS Registered Valuers are bound by the RICS Valuation – Global Standards (Red Book). This sets out mandatory requirements for how valuations are conducted, what must be included in the report, and how conflicts of interest are managed. If a Registered Valuer fails to meet these standards, they can be subject to RICS disciplinary action.
Legal recognition: RICS Red Book valuations are recognised by courts, HMRC, lenders, and other statutory bodies. They carry weight precisely because they are produced by a qualified, registered professional following a defined standard.
Independence: A RICS Registered Valuer is obligated to provide an independent, impartial opinion of value. They cannot act where there is a conflict of interest.
What Happens If the Valuer Is Not RICS Registered?
A surveyor who is not a RICS Registered Valuer can still comment on value (for example, within a survey report), but they cannot produce a formal RICS Red Book valuation. If you need a valuation for legal, financial, or statutory purposes, you need a RICS Registered Valuer.
If you receive a survey report that includes a valuation figure, check whether the surveyor is a RICS Registered Valuer. Some surveyors include informal valuation comments in survey reports without the formal RICS Red Book status — these may not be accepted by lenders, HMRC, or courts.
Adam Whitehouse: RICS Registered Valuer
At Volarex, Adam Whitehouse is a RICS Registered Valuer. This means:
When you instruct Volarex for a home survey with valuation, you get a single document that is both a thorough building condition report and a formal RICS valuation — produced by the same person who visited your property.
Checking RICS Registered Valuer Status
You can verify whether a surveyor is a RICS Registered Valuer using the RICS Find a Surveyor tool at rics.org. Simply enter the surveyor's name or firm and confirm their registration status before instructing.
Contact Volarex to discuss your valuation or survey requirements — we're always happy to explain what we can offer and why RICS registration matters.