Chris Maugeri MRICS and Patrick Craig MRICS of Colliers International discuss cross-border valuation activity, the growth of Colliers' business practice, the need for a global view on standards, and the value of the RICS membership.

Marc Thompson predicts that real estate investors will experience weakness in income property prices over the next five years due to the long process of clearing the market of distressed and foreclosed real estate debt. Most banks with large real estate loan positions on its balance sheets will be managing their existing positions in real estate collateralized loans.

Get a sneak preview of the June 22 RICS & IPTI webinar by listening to our latest podcast with speaker RICS Fellow Peter S. Brooks of Ernst & Young.

Elizabeth Belenchia, MRICS, president of Carroll Properties Corporation in Spartanburg, South Carolina, explains how her neighborhood revitalization project, a collaboration with Clemson University, was set up as a pilot program to be replicated around the country. It includes sustainable elements, micro-loan programs, and faith-based institutional support.

Elizabeth Belenchia, MRICS, president of Carroll Properties Corporation in Spartanburg, South Carolina, tells the RICS Americas Property World podcast about taking a leading role in the revitalization of part of her hometown -- and how other RICS members may do the same.

Estimating construction projects using Building Information Modeling (BIM) software significantly improves efficiency and results in improved value for clients. BIM provides three-dimensional building models and maps specific components to material, labor and equipment cost data. This sophisticated process is seeing more use in projects each quarter. In an exclusive RICS Americas Property World podcast, Andrew Mann FRICS, Managing Director for U.S. operations of Gardiner and Theobald Inc., explains the classifications of projects that utilize BIM, and how to produce the basic documentation for bidding on projects. As a construction economist and expert in project and cost management, with particular experience in large construction projects, Mr. Mann shares best practice from project estimating throughout the development activities.

According to the RICS Global Real Estate Weekly Comment, in the United States, foreclosures are preventing price gains in housing market. Existing home sales increased 6.8 percent in March and RICS suspects the April figures will continue this positive trend on the back of better pending home sales.

A number of RICS member firms were selected to manage the construction of the World Trade Center Memorial, including Bovis Lend Lease Ltd., a global firm operating in 30 countries. In a brief interview with RICS Americas, Colin Parkes, MRICS, of Bovis Lend Lease's New York office, discusses some of the exceptional features of the Memorial as well as the challenges he's encountered in managing the project.

In part two of their discussion, Alan and Barden discuss which arts trends have been overheated and are now cooling off, and what happens when Alan comes across an unexpected art find in a college's basement.

In part one of their discussion, Alan Fausel FRICS and Barden Prisant FRICS talk about changes in arts appraisal, how large donations to schools and other institutions are becoming popular among some collectors, and how high-profile divorces can be an interesting challenge for appraisers who are duty-bound to value works without bias.

Bruce Kellogg FRICS talks with Steve Wolfe, RICS Americas Director of Operations, about OSCRE: the Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate -- and why XML matters to the commercial real estate business.

How has appraisal become globalized during the last few years and how will RICS and the Appraisal Foundation work to bring international standards together to help the economic recover? Newly elected Foundation Chairman David Wilkes talks with RICS CEO Louis Armstrong.

How has appraisal become globalized during the last few years and how will RICS and the Appraisal Foundation work to bring international standards together to help the economic recover? Newly elected Foundation Chairman David Wilkes talks with RICS CEO Louis Armstrong.

Alexia Nalewaik MRICS CCE affirms the necessity for performance audits and provides key factors for their successful execution. Traditionally, public sector audit has been systems-based, focused on financial accountability and fiscal regularity. The need for accurate accounting of Federal expenditures in the United States was institutionalized by the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950, which required internal audit functions to be established in Federal agencies. The accounting was considered to be satisfactory if it demonstrated that transactions were formally authorized, and reported accurately.

Council chairman Simon Taylor FRICS tells us why the Construction Management & Project Controls Council is working with RICS members and other member organizations in North America to improve standards.

An update on the Canadian housing market comes next week with the release of building permits data for December due out on Thursday, February 4th. The recent upturn in building permits should also be reflected in continued improvements in housing starts into 2010.

Afra Raymond MRICS, managing director of Raymond & Pierre Ltd., explains how changes to the tax code in Trinidad and Tobago will impact the construction industry. Raymond also details the findings of a recent commission established to investigate inefficiency in the public construction sector.

Don Dorchester FRICS, interim chairman of the RICS Americas Valuation Council, speaks at the IAAO conference in September 2009 on the application of basic principles to deal with the distressed market conditions.

Bruce Bingham FRICS makes the case for RICS being the best opportunity to unify the valuation profession. The goal is to make valuation standards consistent across industries and borders.

Brian Glanville FRICS answers the question, "What does it mean to be a member of RICS?" Brian has many years experience as a leader in the valuation field and explains how RICS brings together the best people in his and other property professions, worldwide.