Who can use the ‘Regulated by RICS’ designation
Currently, only UK practices which provide independent surveying services to the public can be regulated by RICS. As a result, these guidelines only apply to these practices.
Individual members
The ‘Regulated by RICS’ designation must not be used by individual members on any personal stationery such as business cards.
Professional practices
Professional practices in the UK must use ‘Regulated by RICS’ on their letterhead if they are registered for regulation. Currently, professional practices with offices worldwide can only use ‘Regulated by RICS’ on the letterheads of their UK-based offices.
Professional practices that are not registered for regulation (because they have fewer than 50% of RICS partners or directors and have decided not to be regulated) cannot use the ‘Regulated by RICS’ designation on any business stationery.
How to use the ‘Regulated by RICS’ designation
The new regulatory designation is not part of the RICS brand and you should not position it close to, or as part of, the RICS logo.
The size and position of ‘Regulated by RICS’
We recommend that you use the new ‘Regulated by RICS’ on your letterheads between 10 and 12 point type along the bottom left-hand side (see below). We would prefer you to reproduce the wording ‘Regulated by RICS’ in black, or in one of the existing three RICS primary colours. These are grey (PMS 432), purple (PMS 269) and blue (PMS 540).
We realise that, for some firms, positioning the designation this precisely may not be possible because of their own brand guidelines and image. In these cases, we would ask you to use sensible judgement and place it in a discreet position, but not close to the RICS logo.
As well as using it on your letterhead, you may want to use the new designation on other marketing and communication materials. The sentence helps provide a great deal of reassurance for the public and possible clients.
For examples on how this can be used on a number of communication items, please visit www.rics.org/newregulation
How not to use ‘Regulated by RICS’
Please downlaod the PDF in the upper right hand corner for a few examples of how you shouldn't use the new designation.
It’s crucial that you do not:
- make the designation too big like a headline;
- position it close to, or under, the RICS logo;
- place the wording ‘Regulated by RICS’ inside a panel or box;
- reverse the wording out of a solid or tinted background; or
- run it down the edge of a page.
The new designation is designed to be subtle, while showing the public that they can trust your firm to work to the highest ethical and professional standards. This positioning is deliberate so that the public see the designation as a legal requirement rather than a blatant marketing tool.
For more information on using ‘Regulated by RICS’, visit www.rics.org/newregulation, call +44 020 7695 1670 or e-mail regulation@rics.org
