Last Tuesday, 11th November 2025, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) hosted its annual Harris Debate. Professionals gathered at RICS headquarters in London and also online to hear experts discuss an ethical dilemma which is both challenging and pressing: the topic of ethical surveying during a housing crisis. When the need for housing is urgent and delivery is difficult, how can professionals ensure that the public is provided with homes which are truly fit for purpose?
A lasting legacy
The opening speech for this year’s event was given by Nicholas Maclean, Acting President and Acting Chair of the RICS Governing Council. In it, he explained the origins of the Harris Debates – which were set up to recognise Jonathan Harris’s unique contribution to RICS and also to the field of lifelong learning.
Maclean highlighted how Harris, in his role as RICS President in 2000/2001, was responsible for RICS going international. This move transformed the organisation’s membership. Today, one third of its members are overseas. Harris also spearheaded the provision of affordable, high-quality CPD for the industry, helping to ensure the continuation of high professional standards. Maclean noted how significant this was, with CPD being important to RICS and its future.
Compassion and innovation
“Innovation extends far beyond technology … the true driver of innovation lies in our ability to ask the right questions for the public good.”
Dr Wei Jang
The Harris Debate 2025 keynote presentation was delivered by Dr Wei Yang, Chairman of the Digital Task Force for Planning, Chairman of Wei Yang & Partners, and Member of The New Towns Taskforce. In addressing the question of how to balance the urgency of housing delivery with ethical responsibilities, she explored the value of partnering innovation with compassion.
Dr Jang commented that ‘Beyond every statistic there’s a life’ and she urged the industry to act from a place of compassion when designing and building homes. She stated the case for system innovation and for focusing on ‘places with purpose’. She also championed cross-disciplinary collaboration and commented on the need for a long-term national strategy. As her presentation came to a close, she highlighted the importance of embracing creativity, integrity and hope.
Getting the balance right
Each year, the Harris Debate is chaired by Lord Bichard of Nailsworth KCB. For this event, he opened the panel discussion by reflecting on the theme of ‘balance’. He highlighted the issue of balancing different needs – such as the needs of clients and the needs of the public. As the panel discussion progressed, the challenge of balancing commercial interests with social and environmental interests was raised, as was the challenge of balancing the need for national infrastructure with local priorities.
On the panel were Charlotte Neal, Director of Professional Practice and Research at RICS; Faraz Baber, Chief Operating Officer at Lanpro and Member of the London Mayor’s Housing Mission Board; Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chief Executive Officer at L&Q Group; and Joey Aoun, Director – Net Zero and Sustainability Lead at Savills Investment Management.
Additional themes tackled by the panel included: the longevity of housing units; the issue of vacant homes; the need for strategic, long-term thinking; the missed opportunities of Section 106; and the concept of housing that is ‘good enough’. Alongside the many difficulties, it was acknowledged that good work is already being done in various places – in particular, by forward-thinking councils where projects start and end with the community.
In his final thoughts, Lord Bichard highlighted the need for placed-based action and for professionals to work together on the big priorities, united by a common purpose.