The Home Office has agreed to add quantity surveyors to the list of professions that are facing skills shortage. This means that UK companies ought to find it easier to obtain work visas for QSs from abroad.

The decision follows a long campaign by the RICS. Michael Sullivan, partner at Ryder Levett Bucknall and deputy chairman of the body, said: “Firms have struggled to recruit experienced UK and overseas QSs. Some large firms have had up to 60 vacancies each.”

He added, however, that the decision was not a long-term solution. He said the industry had to make quantity surveying more attractive as a career.

RICS figures show there were about 6,500 QS vacancies across the UK in January. Of these, 49% remained unfilled for more than six months.