A surface property measuring apparatus includes a control unit (300), configured to control operations of a roughness measuring instrument (230) and a relative moving mechanism (250), including: a measuring force command module (320) configured to output a measuring command; and a measuring force control module (400) configured to control the direction and magnitude of the measuring force, wherein the measuring force control module (400) instructs a measuring force application unit of the roughness measuring instrument (230) to generate therein the measuring force whose magnitude and direction are designated by the measuring force command when a displacement speed of a measuring arm is equal to or slower than a predetermined threshold, and the measuring force control module (400) instructs the measuring force application unit to generate therein a force in a direction in which the distal end of the measuring arm is raised upwards when the displacement speed of the measuring arm exceeds the predetermined thres
