Irrespective of the state of the property and constructions markets, there is likely to be a large turn out for the annual dinner of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland in Dublin’s Burlington Hotel on February 7th.

Last year’s black tie event attracted more than 900 members and guests and with an ever-increasing number of distressed properties hitting the market, agents will be anxious to touch base with receivers and examiners, not to mention influential Nama executives. The scramble for sales instructions has become more intense than ever, particularly among big-name agencies anxious to maintain their pecking order and fee structure. Privately, they accuse competitors of undercutting fees to gain selling instructions. So far, the chartered surveyors have managed to steer clear of this race to the bottom. For how much longer?