News in 2025

Memorandum of Understanding between FIG Commission 9 and the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC)

26 February 2025, London, UK

Signed in the presence of the FIG President: Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Valuation Standards Committee (IVSC)

At the beginning of 2025, on Tuesday 26 February, in the presence of representatives of the FIG, the IVSC and the RICS in London, Westminster, the MoU between the two global organisations FIG and IVSC was signed by the Chair of the FIG Commission 9, Peter Ache, and the Chief Executive of the IVSC, Nicholas Talbot. The President of the FIG, Dr Diane Dumashie, witnessed the important first step towards closer cooperation between the two associations. ‘We are pulling together and in the same direction,’ said President Dumashie after the signing. ’We are glad, that we now have this MoU and we have to fill it with life now.’


Dr. Diane Dumashie, Nicholas Talbot, Peter Ache

‘Facing of the major challenges of our time, this is an important step towards the further development of real estate valuation towards more quality and transparency,’ said Ache in the subsequent discussion with Talbot, Alexander Aronsohn, Director of Technical Standards at IVSC, and James Kavanagh, representing Peter Ache as Chair of Commission 9 and RICS Director of Land and Resources in London. The signing took place at the RICS headquarters in London, Westminster. ‘We want to combine our interests at different levels and with this MoU we are creating a mechanism for high-level dialogue with the significant professional expertise of our members,’ said Talbot. Aronsohn and Kavanagh, who established the contact between IVSC and FIG, agreed that ‘we will start working together quickly’.



From left: Alexander Aronsohn, Grazyna Wiejak-Roy, Diane Dumashie, Nicholas Talbot, Peter Ache, James Kavanagh, Richard Grover

The first considerations have already been made in the subsequent intensive discussion. Improving the transparency of the real estate market, access to data and the intensive examination of the use of artificial intelligence played an important role in the subsequent discussion. The question of improving the valuation of agricultural and forestry land was also addressed.

The agreement now enables the joint use of resources to advance topics such as climate change, ESG/SDGs, market transparency, natural resources and new technologies. Another goal is to promote and apply the International Valuation Standards (IVS) and to exchange information with organisations such as the World Bank, the United Nations and the IMF. Both institutions are committed to the development, acceptance and enforcement of standards.

The MoU emphasises the importance of education, communication and cooperation. It came into force on 25 February 2025, is valid for five years and will be reviewed annually. As a declaration of intent, it is not legally binding, but it does strengthen international cooperation in the surveying and valuation sector.

 

 

Peter Ache, Chair FIG Commission 9
27 February 2025