Over the next few weeks, we will be catching up with a number of finalists shortlisted for this year’s RICS Young Surveyor of the year awards.
As proud sponsors of the Building Surveying category, GoReport are privileged to find out more about the career path of these inspirational young professionals and share valuable insights into how they got to where they are today and what they believe is the future of surveying.
It was great to speak to Christopher J Leach BSc (Hons) MRICS ACIArb from TMD Building Consultancy Ltd.
How did you begin your role as a surveyor?
“In brief, I knew I wanted to become a chartered surveyor back in 2007. I started looking for a RICS accredited course and went on to complete a building surveying degree at London Southbank University (LSBU) and was awarded the RICS Student of the year award at LSBU - a huge honour. This gave me a great foundation to start building upon with work experience. During the course we were encouraged to find a summer placement, where I started contractor-side. This is where I started my surveying journey and gained experience as an assistance surveyor. Upon completion of my degree, I joined a Central London general practice (Anderson Wilde and Harris) whereby I was carrying out general building surveying duties as well as gaining exposure to neighbourly dispute and valuations. Gaining such a broad experience so early on in my career, was invaluable. That was my steppingstone onto a larger practice, global firm – Knight Frank. I was part of their Residential Building Consultancy division in Hungerford and Oxford, working with high net-worth clients based in the UK and overseas.
It was then part of a natural career progression to move on to a multidisciplinary practice, Ridge and Partners LLP which is well known nationally. Skip forward five and a half years , I now work for TMD Building Consultancy, who specialize in building surveying, architecture and project management.”
What motivates you as a surveyor?
“I think in the profession, holistically, its meeting different people and working on various projects, no two days are the same. Surveying is a fantastic career, which offers diversity and it’s always very interesting and engaging. Also having the opportunity to work on a project from inception, through to completion, and seeing the changes of spaces and being happy with the results is always very satisfying.
Additionally working with junior surveyors, helping them progress their APC and learn different skills is also extremely rewarding."
What is your ultimate career goal as you see it today?
“I plan to continue what I'm doing in terms of engaging with surveyors, contributing to the surveying community and providing CPD events particularly those earlier on in their career. As throughout my career, I haven’t always had or wasn't aware of the support and the networking opportunities available. Therefore if I can help, even in a small way, other surveyors gain more exposure to these then that’s my little win.
I am part of the RICS Matrics Oxford Committee which has quite the wide demographic, ranging from secondary school all the way up to 10 years post qualification. For instance, this afternoon I was at Oxford Brookes University along with peers from RICS Matrics Oxford, giving a talk to the first-year students during the first week of their surveying course. It was a great opportunity for us all to offer some insight as to what it's like in the profession and provide a run through of the APC process and RICS.
In terms of general career progression, my aim is to continue to work my way up in my current practice, where I have more and more influence. Finally, my longer-term goal, is to become a Fellow member of the RICS.”
What do you do to stay relevant in the industry?
“One way I like to stay relevant is by attending and arranging CPD and networking events. Staying up to date and agile with regards to relevant technologies is also important to make sure that I work efficiently, whether it's in the office or on site. Using a tablet and bespoke solutions can definitely be beneficial, in terms of efficiency and standardisation.
Being part of RICS Matrics Oxford and working with candidates going through their APC, I've learnt this works two ways, whereby I'm sharing my experiences but also, I learn a great deal from them too.”
What advice would you give to individuals who are pursuing a career in surveying?
“Go for it. Surveying is extremely varied, there is something for everyone. I would advise individuals who are working towards chartership, like any aim, have at least one mentor/counsellor and a support network. If your company doesn’t have other APC surveyors, then utilise contacts through the RICS or your local RICS Matrics. Alternatively, additional support is available. Separate to my building surveying career, over the last couple of years I have been an APC consultant. As a consultant I provide APC candidates that extra bit of support through the process. Whether that's through mentoring, or putting them through their paces, doing mock interviews and question answer sessions, in preparation for their APC assessment.
It's also important to understand what you're good at, which areas of surveying you enjoy and even the things that you don't particularly like so much! Ultimately you may choose to do this career for 20, 30, 40 years, so its important to enjoy it.”
What do you believe is the future of surveying?
“In brief, I think having the ability to be flexible and agile, are key to the industry and the future of surveying.
As a building surveyor, I think it is important to continue to focus and develop building standards, in particular fire safety and sustainable technologies. But, also to continue to use and invest in Building Information Modelling (BIM)”
How has the adoption of digital solutions in surveying benefited your career so far?
"Over my career to date, access to technologies which improve consistency and accuracy in collecting and sharing data has increased. Whether it’s utilising a tablet to record on-site data, using a drone to safely and cost effectively access areas that you couldn't previously without scaffolding, or using a 3D scanner collecting millions of points in seconds. All of these tools have been utilised more and more throughout my career as they have become more accessible. I think they all add a huge amount of value and also creates efficiencies which then provide value for money to clients and importantly provides a higher standard of service.”