Commercial/residential surveyor : Job description

A commercial/residential surveyor deals with all aspects of residential and commercial property in both the private and public sectors.

Principal activities are related to valuing, managing and marketing property, and acting as an agent for clients who are purchasing, leasing or selling a property.

After initially working in acquisition, disposal, management and valuation of land and buildings, commercial/residential surveyors may specialise in development, investments, rating, planning or consultancy. Consultants may work in private practice, for a business with substantial property holdings, or within a local authority or other public sector organisation, or they may opt for self-employment.

Typical work activities

Commercial/residential surveyors generally specialise in either commercial or residential property, but the activities involved are mostly similar.

Typical activities include:

• valuing properties by applying expert knowledge and awareness of the local property market;
• taking accurate measurements of sites and premises;
• assessing the impact of a major development in terms of economic viability and environmental impact;
• purchasing land and securing funding;
• visiting sites at all stages of development, from green field to foundations and completed buildings;
• writing detailed reports on property for purposes such as rent reviews, investment potential, valuations for mortgages and other purposes, marketability and building surveys;
• negotiating with confidence, orally and in writing, on issues such as rents;
• selling and buying properties and sites on behalf of clients;
• applying appropriate law for landlord and tenant negotiations and enforcing health and safety regulations;
• assessing properties for business rates, capital taxation, acquisitions and disposals;
• in the case of surveyors specialising in investment: advising clients on the purchase and sale of individual investments and managing large property portfolios;
• in the case of surveyors specialising in management: managing all kinds of property on behalf of a landlord to meet the landlord's contractual obligations, ensuring compliance with the conditions of the tenancy, collecting rents and handling building maintenance and repair;
• in the case of surveyors specialising in development: working closely with other professionals such as highways and structural engineers, town planners and architects, in considering new developments.