I n my opinion, there are three books that all Chartered Surveyors should read. “Property and Money Paperback” (1998), by Michael Brett, “Real Estate Investment: A Strategic Approach” (2022), by Andrew Baum, and “Measuring America” (2002), by Andro Linklater.

The first two are wonderful in placing real estate at the centre of the business world by providing insights into the importance of property to society and commerce. But the third, with its misnomer of a title – as it is not just about America – is about the fundamental concept of enclosing space and creating ownership.

To paraphrase Linklater: “Measurement is fundamentally important as it allows the exchange of goods, services and space. It is almost as important to human society as language. It underpins co-operative activity, allowing economies to develop matching barter, cash and credit to whatever is owned by one person and desired by another.”

Measurement is a global necessity. In fact, when I was running international conferences, one of the best ground-breakers at the formal dinners was to ask each table – made up of numerous different nationalities – to identify things that are measured in the same units in all countries around the world. Some of the answers (I won’t tell you them all) are obvious, such as electrical current, measured universally in amps. Some are surprising, albeit obvious when considered, such as all air traffic control uses feet. Even in countries that use the metric for the normal measurement of length, all airspace must use imperial measurement wherever they are in the world, as a lack of consistency can lead to confusion and, potentially, disasters.

The measurement of property

Consistency is also at the heart of measurement for all properties, whether for sale, rent or valuation. We are not just talking about consistency in terms of the unit of measurement; consistency is also needed in the terms of reference about what is included and excluded from the area to be measured. These decisions on what is the appropriate basis of measurement need to be internationally accepted and aligned to ensure fairness and transparency for all stakeholders.