Summary

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the property industry.

In this episode of This Is Surveying, Nina Young speaks with Christopher De Gruben, chartered surveyor and Head of AI and Property at Artefact. Chris works at the forefront of AI adoption in real estate, helping major property owners and investors implement data and AI strategies across Europe and the Middle East.

They explore what AI actually means for surveyors, where the real opportunities are, and why parts of the surveying profession may face major disruption.

Chris also shares insights from co-chairing the working group behind the new RICS Responsible Use of AI standard. The discussion covers disclosure, materiality, and how surveyors can safely integrate AI into their workflows.

The episode also tackles the debate around AI and the APC process, and why discouraging candidates from using AI may risk pushing the next generation away from the profession.

If you want to understand how AI is reshaping surveying, property valuation, and the built environment, this is a conversation you do not want to miss.

What We Cover

• Chris’s international career and how he moved into AI and property
• Real-world examples of AI being used in property companies today
• The difference between AI assistants and AI analysts
• Over 300 potential AI use cases in property businesses
• The RICS Responsible Use of AI standard
• Understanding materiality when using AI in surveying work
• Why AI should not replace the surveyor’s professional judgement
• Concerns about AI restrictions for APC candidates
• The impact of AI on junior roles and surveying careers
• How the UK property industry compares to Saudi Arabia

Guest Links

Christopher De Gruben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/degruben

Useful Links

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – https://www.rics.org

Surveyors UK – https://www.surveyors-uk.com

Guest Bio

Christopher De Gruben is a chartered surveyor and Senior Director and Head of AI and Property at Artefact. He advises major property investors and developers across Europe and the Middle East on large-scale data and artificial intelligence programmes. His work focuses on modernising property operating models and embedding AI into real estate businesses in practical ways.

Chris also plays an active role in shaping the surveying profession. He serves as Vice Chair of the RICS Professional Group Panel Board and co-chaired the working group responsible for the new RICS Responsible Use of AI standard. He is also co-authoring new guidance on AI in valuation.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

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Summary

In this episode of This Is Surveying, Nina Young speaks with Jordan Turner, senior lecturer at the University of the Built Environment. Jordan shares his career journey from residential property to commercial surveying and academia, and explains why sustainability and EPC reform are central to the profession's future.

They also explore skills shortages, education pathways, and the need to make surveying more visible to young people.

What We Cover

• Career journey from residential agency into commercial estate management
• Why industry experience strengthens surveying education
• EPC reform challenges and inconsistencies
• Retrofit pressures and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards
• Behavioural impacts and policy gaps
• Home buying reform and upfront information
• Skills shortages and attracting new surveyors
• Residential surveying education pathways
• Knowledge transfer from experienced professionals
• Collaboration across the surveying profession

Guest Links

Jordan Turner LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-50748a17b

Useful Links
University of the Built Environment – https://www.ube.ac.uk

Guest Bio

Jordan Turner is a senior lecturer at the University of the Built Environment with a professional background spanning residential property, estate agency, property management, and commercial estate management. He is currently undertaking a PhD focused on sustainability and energy performance in the built environment. Jordan is passionate about improving EPC frameworks, strengthening educational pathways, and bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world surveying practice.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn

Summary

In this episode of This Is Surveying, I’m joined by Elliot Goulding, QS recruiter and Director of ProBuild Recruitment.

We talk about the current state of quantity surveying recruitment in the UK, why flexibility matters more than ever, and how AI is already reshaping construction businesses.

If you’re a quantity surveyor, a hiring manager, or a student looking to enter the profession, this conversation will give you practical insight into what is happening right now and what could be coming next.

What We Cover

• Why QSs are one of the hardest roles to recruit in construction
• The shift towards freelance and flexible working
• How employers can retain commercial teams
• The risk of a mid-level skills gap
• AI in surveying and construction
• Using automation to improve efficiency
• Hard Hat AI and digital transformation in construction
• The impact of regulation and Gateway delays
• Market outlook for 2026

Guest Links

Elliot Goulding – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotgoulding/
ProBuild Recruitment: https://probuildrec.com/

Useful Links

Hard Hat AI: https://hardhatai159.com/

Guest Bio

Elliot Goulding is a specialist QS recruiter and Director of ProBuild Recruitment. With over 16 years in construction recruitment, Elliot works closely with main contractors and subcontractors across the UK, focusing on quantity surveying and commercial management roles from graduate to director level. He launched ProBuild Recruitment just before COVID and has since built a reputation for strategic hiring advice, market insight, and long term partnerships with construction businesses. He is also the founder of Hard Hat AI, a service helping construction firms use AI and automation to improve efficiency and stay competitive.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

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Summary

Suzanne Hill, business strategist for AI and founder of AI for SMEs, joins me to talk about AI at a strategic level. We look beyond shiny tools and explore how AI will change business models, client expectations, and the future of surveying and construction firms.

What we cover

• Suzanne’s journey from construction into AI
• Why AI is 80 percent strategy and people
• The risks of jumping into tools without direction
• Data ownership and client behaviour
• How AI could disrupt traditional surveying and construction roles
• What firms need to be thinking about now

Guest links

• Suzanne Hill on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannehill1/

Useful links

• UCD (University College Dublin) – https://www.ucd.ie/

Guest Bio

Suzanne Hill is a business strategist specialising in AI and the construction sector. She is the founder of AI for SMEs and has over two decades of experience working with construction companies across the UK, Ireland, and internationally. With a background in construction and strategy consultancy, Suzanne helps businesses understand how AI will impact their business models, revenue streams, and long-term competitiveness. She is also a keynote speaker and advisor to senior leadership teams navigating digital transformation.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

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Summary

Lewis Denbow, chartered building surveyor at Harris Associates, joins me to share his journey from an electrical apprenticeship into building surveying. We talk about apprenticeships, the APC, communication skills, and why the trades could play a huge role in solving the surveying skills shortage.

What we cover

• An unorthodox route into building surveying
• Degree apprenticeships and accessibility
• Lessons from the trades
• Communication and client relationships
• Project management and stakeholder management
• Advice for those starting out in surveying

Guest links

• Lewis Denbow on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewisdenbow/
• Harris Associates – https://www.harrisassociatesuk.com/

Useful links

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – https://www.rics.org/

Guest Bio

Lewis Denbow is a chartered building surveyor at Harris Associates, a national award-winning built environment consultancy. He entered the profession through an unconventional route, starting in the electrical trade before completing a degree apprenticeship and achieving chartership. Lewis now works across building surveying and project management, with a strong focus on communication, stakeholder management, and practical problem-solving.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

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Summary

Sarah Tanner, associate director at Stanley and Strong, joins me to talk all things party wall surveying. From her unconventional career journey to the realities of fees, disputes, and neighbour relations, this episode lifts the lid on one of the most misunderstood areas of surveying.

What we cover

• How Sarah became a party wall surveyor
• What triggers the Party Wall Act
• Consent, dissent, and what they really mean
• Party wall fees and what “reasonable” looks like
• Communication, conflict, and emotional intelligence
• Women in party wall surveying
• Advice for homeowners and surveyors

Guest links

• Sarah Tanner on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-tanner-40a57976/
• Stanley and Strong – https://stanleystrong.co.uk/

Useful links

• SurvPal software https://survpal.co.uk/
• Party Wall Surveying – https://fpws.org.uk/

Guest Bio

Sarah Tanner is an associate director at Stanley and Strong, a specialist firm of party wall surveyors. With over a decade of experience in party wall matters, Sarah entered the profession through an unconventional route, progressing from PA to surveyor with the support of strong mentorship. She is known for her practical approach, firm views on fair fees, and her emphasis on communication and collaboration in resolving disputes.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn

Summary

In this episode of This Is Surveying, Nina Young speaks with Rosie Wills, a chartered construction manager and ASSOC RICS surveyor based in North Devon.

Rosie shares her journey from over ten years in social housing into private residential surveying. We discuss damp and mould, peer review, Level 2 surveys, estate agent relationships, vendor surveys, pricing transparency, and why collaboration matters across the UK surveying profession.

This is a practical conversation about raising standards, reducing complaints, and building trust in residential surveying.

What We Cover

• Rosie’s route into surveying and chartered construction management
• Damp and mould expertise and building pathology
• The transition from housing to private practice
• Peer review between surveyors
• Understanding the RICS Home Survey Standard
• Working constructively with estate agents
• Vendor surveys and pre-sale strategies
• Transparent pricing and website improvements
• Complaints handling and professional risk
• Collaboration across UK surveyors

Guest Links

Rosie Wills LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-e-wills/
Nova Surveyors – https://novasurveyors.co.uk

Useful Links

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – https://www.rics.org/

Guest Bio

Rosie Wills is a chartered construction manager and Assoc RICS surveyor based in North Devon. She spent over ten years working in social housing, developing specialist expertise in damp and mould and building pathology. Rosie now works in private practice delivering residential property surveys, including Level 2 and Level 3 home surveys, alongside specialist defect investigations. She is passionate about collaboration, peer review, professional standards, and improving trust in the surveying profession.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

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Summary

In this episode I’m joined by commercial property surveyor and Property Elite co-founder Rachel Saint. We talk about APC pathways, the Senior Professional route, and why structured support matters so much for UK surveyors at every stage.

Rachel shares how she went from secretary to chartered surveyor, built a career in landlord and tenant and retail consultancy, and then pivoted into training surveyors across a huge range of pathways. We dig into the reality of the RICS APC, how to choose the right route for you, and what good mentoring and counselling actually looks like in practice.

What we cover

• Rachel’s unconventional route into surveying and early years in residential block management
• Moving into commercial property, retail consultancy and mixed use development
• Setting up Property Elite and the surge in demand for support during COVID
• How diverse the surveying profession really is, and why that makes APC complex
• Choosing the right APC pathway and competencies for your actual work
• The role and challenges of APC counsellors and supervisors
• Why structured support is harder in smaller or non-surveying organisations
• The three alternative RICS routes, including Senior Professional, and who they suit
• Senior Professional interviews, leadership and management-focused competencies
• Why valuation is both science and art, and why you still need to get out and see property
• Market myths about people “giving up” on APC, and why the picture is more nuanced
• Free resources and newsletters from Property Elite for APC candidates

Guest links

• Property Elite website: https://www.property-elite.co.uk/
• Rachel Saint on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-saint-1103b09/

Useful links

• LionHeart charity for surveyors: https://www.lionheart.org.uk/

Guest bio

Rachel Saint is a chartered commercial property surveyor with over 30 years of experience across landlord and tenant, retail agency, and retail and mixed use development. She started her career in residential block management before moving into commercial work, advising on shops, supermarkets and wider retail strategy. Rachel is the co-founder and owner of Property Elite, a specialist training and mentoring business that supports surveyors through RICS routes to qualification, including APC, Associate and Senior Professional routes. She now spends most of her time helping UK and international surveyors navigate pathways, competencies and assessments, and is particularly passionate about making the process accessible for candidates who do not have structured in-house support.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn