Our history
We can trace our roots back over 100 years, but we were officially founded in 1919. Since the early days we have offered distance learning courses, initially through correspondence courses and most recently using our state-of-the-art virtual learning environment.
Since 1967 we have delivered our courses only through distance learning. We remain an entirely independent self-funded charity.
CEM milestones
- 1891 Richard Parry starts practice as a surveyor in Parliament Street, London. Parry (born 1866) was the eldest son of Albert Parry, Borough Engineer of Reading. He compliments his work as a surveyor by coaching pupils for the examinations of the Surveyor’s Institution
- 1919 Sir William Wells, in his presidential address to the Auctioneers’ and Estate Agents’ Institute proposes the establishment of a college dealing exclusively with estate management and related subjects
- 1919 The College of Estate Management (CEM) is founded under the auspices of the Chartered Auctioneers’ and Estate Agent’s Institute
- 1919 Purchase of 35 Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London, the original home of the College
- 1922 Grant of Royal Charter
- 1928 Coat of arms approved
- 1929 Associated with the Chartered Land Agents’ Society
- 1939 358 full time students, 480 evening class students, 3774 postal course students
- 1959 CEM develops its own Diplomas in Estate Management and Quantity Surveying
- 1964 The Chartered Societies recognise the College Diplomas as exempting qualifications
- 1967 CEM becomes associated with the University of Reading. Full time students became part of the University. Correspondence course students remain part of the College
- 1973 The College builds new premises on the University of Reading campus at Whiteknights
- 1977 Her Majesty the Queen grants her patronage to the College
- 1984 In-house teaching for companies is launched
- 1987 College Property Award is established to be awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the UK property sector
- 1988 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales accepts an invitation to become President of the College
- 1989 The College buys Shinfield Grange to provide additional teaching space
- 1995 Students in 80 countries
- 1998 Her Majesty the Queen relinquishes her patronage and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales becomes Patron of the College
- 2001 Launch of first CEM Virtual Learning Environment to provide course material electronically
- 2009 Launch of new Virtual Learning Environment
CEM principals (and date of appointment)
- Richard Parry (1919)
- B.W Adkin (1924)
- Colonel S.J. Worsley (1945)
- Robert Jardine Brown (1955)
- P.N Brook (1972)
- P.W Huntsman (1981)
- Peter Goodacre (1992)
- Dr Ann Heywood (2007)