There is a clear shortage of well-trained QSs today, as the list of any agency will illustrate. Last week, after trying to get my equity partner to defect, an agency asked if he knew anyone else in the firm interested in moving.

An obvious solution is to allow a free flow of QSs from abroad, but our government struggles against this. As it doesn’t believe there’s a shortage, it’s difficult to get trainees through the system and almost impossible to get someone already trained. Other sections of the industry can source workers from the EU, but as there’s no tradition of quantity surveying in Europe, we can not. We welcome the RICS visa campaign and are glad you’re supporting it.

Michael Sullivan, partner, Rider Hunt

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