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General Practice Surveyor

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General Practice Surveyor Career Details

General practice surveyors are concerned with the management, valuation, buying, selling and development of land and property, working in both the private and public sectors.

Typical activities include:

negotiating the deals connected with buying, selling and renting property
acting as agents buying and selling property and land on behalf of clients
assessing environmental impact and economic viability of development
valuation of land and property
compiling reports for purposes such as valuation for mortgages, rent reviews and investment potential
advising on property values, land acquisition, tenure issues and associated legislation.

General practice surveyors may specialise in:

development - working with other professionals such as town planners, architects, highways and structural engineers to consider new developments and their financial implications
management – managing property on behalf of a landlord, collecting rents, dealing with maintenance and repair and ensuring compliance with tenancy agreements
investment – advising clients on buying and selling of individual investments or managing large property portfolios
working for the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) valuing property on behalf of the Government, local authorities and public bodies for the purposes of business rates, capital taxation, acquisition and disposal.

Working Environment

Most work a minimum 40-hour week. In the private sector extra hours, including weekends, are often required to meet deadlines, visit sites or meet with clients. Working hours in the public sector are normally regular.

Surveyors work in offices and on site (which may involve being outside in all weathers), and spend time visiting clients. Assessing sites and properties can be physically demanding, involving climbing and bending.

A driving licence is usually essential.

General Practice Surveyor Related Skills

To be a general practice surveyor you need:

excellent oral and written communication skills and negotiating skills
analytical skills
the ability to work as part of a team, and to develop and maintain working relationships and contacts with other professionals
commercial awareness
good numerical skills.

General Practice Surveyor Career Opportunities

Within the public sector general practice surveyors are employed by regional development agencies, local authorities, hospital trusts, universities and central government departments.

In private practice surveyors are employed in the commercial or residential property sectors. In the commercial sector employers include large surveying practices, house building companies, property developers, financial, pension fund and insurance organisations and organisations such as retail chains, banks, and utilities such as railways. In the residential sector, surveyors work for large national chains of estate agents, or major regional firms.

After qualifying, surveyors can move into specialist areas such as auctioneering of land, property or plant and machinery, valuation and auctioneering of fine arts and antiques and surveying of minerals. Please see the 'Valuer/Auctioneer: Fine Arts' and 'Valuer/Auctioneer: Land and Property' profiles for more information on these careers.

Further Career Information

If you would like to know more about a career as an General Practice Surveyor related facts, statistics, articles and websites.

Career Steps

Not quite sure about a career as a General Practice Surveyor? Try our step-by-step career guide to reaching your chosen career.

Career Courses

Not quite qualified to be a General Practice Surveyor? Take a look at Postgraduate General Practice Surveyor courses, Undergraduate General Practice Surveyor courses, our course browses or use our search form and find courses which will help you on your chosen career path.

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