Educating the Real Estate Valuers of Tomorrow – A Partnership Approach

Real estate education has evolved to reflect the increasing need to produce young graduates capable of responding to the changing needs and challenges of the global property market. The internationalisation of property markets and the recent economic crisis that has affected many established economies has placed a greater influence on professional bodies and the increased need for the regulation of industry to maintain high professional standards and practice. A key aspect of the professionalism needed is an awareness of the interdisciplinary nature of property decisions and the importance of establishing academic and professional alliances which will both inform and prepare students for the challenges of the workplace and the global economy. This paper focuses on how to educate future valuers through an academic and professional partnership approach. It identifies the importance of public and private sector collaboration in shaping the curriculum and bringing real life industry scenarios into the classroom. The paper emphasises the critical balance needed between theory and practice, with increasing importance placed on research informed teaching and real world assignments, thereby ensuring that the valuers of tomorrow have the multivariate skills sets needed to compete in a challenging industry.