A rural practice surveyor, or land agent, values the assets of farms and estates. They buy and sell rural land, including farms, country estates, woodland and forestry plantations. They may specialise in agriculture, environmental regulations, forestry or in valuation work.

The Work

You could be:

• valuing land, property, crops, machinery and livestock
• assisting clients in buying and selling rural land or property, possibly by auction
• dealing with legal matters, such as planning regulations, land use regulations, environmental law and applications for subsidies and grants
• monitoring farm or estate accounts and advising on taxation
• advising on the possible development of land for other uses, such as leisure, specialist crop production or renewable energy
• keeping up to date with all UK and EU laws relating to land, agriculture and the environment
• keeping clients informed of any developments or problems in their business
• dealing with a broad range of clients and professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, farmers and gamekeepers.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:

• where you work
• the size of company or organisation you work for
• the demand for the job.

Starting salaries for graduate rural practice surveyors could be around £22,000 to £25,000 a year. Experienced surveyors can earn £30,000 to £34,000 or more a year. Chartered or Senior surveyors can earn up to around £60,000 a year, sometimes more.

According to the RICS and Macdonald and Company UK Rewards and Attitudes Survey 2018, the average annual salary for a rural surveyor is £43,916.

Conditions

• You will work from an office, possibly in a market town or rural area.
• You will also work outdoors in all weathers and on rough ground.
• You will probably have to work some evenings and weekends, depending on the demands of landbased tasks.
• You may have to travel and spend nights away from home, especially if you are responsible for more than one estate.

Getting In

You gain chartered or associate status by following one of the routes approved by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

• Studying a degree accredited by RICS followed by a period of supervised practical training (Assessment of Professional Competence).
• A degree in a related subject such as agriculture, rural business management, countryside management, business studies or geography is particularly useful.
• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and the University of Aberdeen offer RICS accredited courses in land and rural subjects.
• If your degree is not RICS-accredited you can do an accredited postgraduate qualification.
• You could enter a job with some subjects at National 5 and Highers and train on the job towards the AssocRICS qualification (associate member of RICS) for 4 years.
• Alternatively, if you have a HNC or HND you could get a trainee job and work towards RICS associate membership with two years of supervised training.
• Entry requirements for an HND are 2 Highers, and for a degree, 4 Highers. English and Maths are preferred.

In addition to the above:

• you usually need a driving licence
• you should have a genuine interest in the countryside and environment.

This is a small area of surveying and there are fewer vacancies than in other branches. Look for a job with individual landowners, commercial or industrial companies, local authorities, agricultural surveying firms or organisations such as the National Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

  Scotland

2019

4865

1.5 %

RISE

2024

4939

  United Kingdom

2019

60639

2 %

RISE

2024

61828

LMI data powered by EMSI UK

What Does it Take?

You need to have:

• business skills and a good understanding of the rural economy
• good organisational skills
• excellent communication and negotiating skills
• good analytical skills for interpreting and presenting data
• an understanding of the economic benefits of different crop varieties and animal breeds
• knowledge of UK and EU agricultural and land-use laws
• confidence
• sound judgement.

You need to be able to:

• make decisions, which may be unpopular
• plan ahead
• manage projects and see tasks through to the end
• communicate with a wide range of people
• work alone and in a team.

Training

• Once you have completed an accredited degree you would find employment as a trainee surveyor.
• To qualify as a chartered surveyor you would complete your Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) which is 24 months of structured training, consisting of on the job learning and assessment. This leads to RICS membership and the status of chartered surveyor.
• Chartered Surveyors have to complete 20 hours continued professional development (CPD) every year.

Getting On

• Once you have had some experience, you could move into consultancy work.
• You might perhaps go on to specialise in auctioneering.
• You might specialise in advising on the development of renewable energy in the countryside (see below - More Information).

More Information

The RICS publishes a list of accredited degree and postgraduate courses. As interest in the environment grows, the role of the rural practice surveyor could change. There might be more work in:

• advising on new regulations and practices to, for instance, encourage the development of alternative energy
• identifying sites suitable for wind farms or small hydro power schemes
• locating areas suitable for growing crops which could produce bio-fuels.

Video

Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.