THE Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute(IAVI) has a new president, Aine Myler, who took over from Edward Careyat the association's AGM this week. A director of Cumiskey Myler Real Estate Alliance, she started her career during another recession in the 1980s.

She faces a challenging year with auctioneers under increasing pressure to keep going in what is a dwindling market. The IAVI goes on fighting the good fight for auctioneers, who along with bankers and politicians are hate figures (as well as victims of) the credit crunch. But will the IAVI survive to go on doing so?

Cutbacks and mergers are changing the face of the property and construction industry and the country's two biggest property professional bodies are about to get in on the act. The Society of Chartered Surveyors(SCS) and the IAVI are talking of merging. Their executive councils have agreed to circulate their 5,000-odd members later this week to get their thoughts about the plan.

For a start, a working party from both organisations is to be set up to examine the implications and to consider whether a pooling of resources and personnel would provide stronger representation for the industry.

Both organisations have been losing subscriptions over the past year because of widespread layoffs in the business and the closure of entire companies.

Both bodies run educational programmes for future professionals but one imagines that young people are likely to steer clear of the property business for the foreseeable future.

A merger would see a cutback in the staffs of both organisations and the emergence of a single boss.

The SCS is headed by youthful businesswoman Ciara Murphy, who is keen to drag the organisation into the 21st century. Over at Merrion Square, Alan Cookereigns over the IAVI where he is seen as a strong administrator. A deadline of June has been set for a decision on whether a merger should proceed. It will then be up to the members to say yea or nay.