At CAS International behaving ethically is at the heart of what it means to be a professional; it distinguishes professionals from others in the marketplace.

We following the ethics policies of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors RICS professionals demonstrate their commitment to ethical behavior by adhering to five global professional and ethical standards.

Be honest and straightforward in all that you do. This is one of our five professional and ethical standards. This standard includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviours or actions:

• Being trustworthy in all that you do.
• Being open and transparent in the way you work. Sharing appropriate and necessary information with your clients and/or others to conduct business and doing so in a way so they can understand that information.
• Respecting confidential information of your clients and potential clients.
• Don’t divulge information to others unless it is appropriate to do so.
• Not taking advantage of a client, a colleague, a third party or anyone to whom you owe a duty of care.
• Not allowing bias, conflict of interest or the undue influence of others to override your professional or business judgements and obligations.
• Making clear to all interested parties where a conflict of interest, or even a potential conflict of interest, arises between you or your employer and your client.

Maintain a High Standard of Service

Always ensure your client, or others to whom you have a professional responsibility, receive the best possible advice, support or performance of the terms of engagement you have agreed to. This standard includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviours or actions:

• Be clear about what service your client wants and the service you are providing.
• Act within your scope of competence. If it appears that services are required outside that scope then be prepared to do something about it, for example, make it known to your client, obtain expert input or consultation, or if it’s the case that you are unable to meet the service requirements, explain that you are not best placed to act for the client.
• Be transparent about fees and any other costs or payments such as referral fees or commissions.
• Communicate with your client in a way that will allow them to make informed decisions
• If you use the services of others then ensure that you pay for those services within the timescale agreed.
• Encourage your firm or the organisation you work for to put the fair treatment of clients at the centre of its business culture.

Act in a manner that promotes trust in the profession

Act in a manner, both in your professional life and private life, to promote you, your firm or the organisation you work for in a professional and positive way. This standard includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviours or actions:

• Promoting what you and the profession stand for – the highest standards globally.
• Understanding that being a professional is more than just about how you behave at work; it’s also about how you behave in your private life.
• Understanding how your actions affect others and the environment and, if appropriate, questioning or amending that behaviour.
• Fulfilling your obligations. Doing what you say you will.
• Always trying to meet the spirit of your professional standards and not just the letter of the standards.