Rural Property Surveyor
The Work
Rural property surveyors (also known as land agents or agricultural surveyors) advise on the use, value, sale, purchase, management and development of land and rural property.
They may act as consultants or be contracted to manage several estates.
Land agents (known as factors in Scotland) fulfil a similar role. Farm management is a key function - managers supervise the day-to-day running of a farm, plan crop rotations, buy / sell livestock, maintain accounts and financial projections, and advise on legal matters.
Rural property surveyors also value property, machinery, crops and livestock for purchase/sale and for insurance, taxation and land and property leasing. They arrange auctions of farm property and produce, and organise all stages of an auction - valuing goods, preparing catalogues, arranging advertising and conducting sales.
They also plan and develop the use of land, including facilities for visitors, deciding how these can be provided while avoiding damage to local ecology or disruption to rural life.
Hours and Conditions
The working day is around 9am to 5pm, but farm seasons may require early starts / late finishes and weekend work. Travel includes visiting agricultural areas and attending auctions and meetings.
Though office-based, rural property surveyors may spend time outdoors, for example on farms, and conditions can be wet, muddy and smelly. On farms and forestry areas, safety regulations must be observed, and in forestry areas hard hats are worn.
Skills and Interests
Rural property surveyors should:
Training
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the only route to achieving chartered surveyor status.
There are four ways you can qualify as a chartered surveyor and achieve an RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), they are:
You complete the APC by having at least two years' on the job training; keeping a work diary and a record of practical training; giving a presentation; and passing an interview.
You may work for The RICS's Diploma in Valuation rather than for chartered status. You need at least five GCSEs (A-C) or five S grades (1-3) including English and Maths. Equivalent qualifications are accepted. Study for the diploma is by distance learning through Manchester College of Arts and Technology.
It is possible to also gain membership of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) - Faculty of Architecture and Surveying - (Formerly Architecture and Surveying Institute) with initial surveying qualifications but this will not give chartered surveyor status but may give chartered builder status.
To become a Licentiate member of the CIOB, candidates must achieve a relevant HND or HNC, then get at least one year's approved experience and pass the CIOB's exam and interview.
Rural property surveyors may work towards NVQ or SVQ Level 4 / 5 in Property Management or Valuation.
Opportunities
About 5,000 RICS registered members work in rural property surveying throughout the UK. Competition for jobs is intense, and promotion / advancement usually means moving to other areas of the country.
Many work as consultants in private practice advising clients consisting of tenant farmers, smallholders, local authorities, public authorities, lending institutions, insurance companies, or individual purchasers. A small number are employed exclusively to manage country estates.
Others act as land agents / factors, and are employed by individual landowners, public authorities or other land owning organisations such as the National Trust.
Salary
The figures below are intended as a guideline only.
New entrants may earn between £7,000 and £12,000 a year.
Experienced surveyors earn around £27,550+ a year.
Senior surveyors can earn more than £35,000+ a year.
Further Information
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Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Tel: 0870 333 1600
www.rics.org.uk
Chartered Institute of Building
Tel: 01344 630700
www.ciob.org.uk
College of Estate Management
Tel: 0118 986 1101
www.cem.ac.uk
