Building the Future: e.surv calls for industry collaboration to tackle surveyor skills shortage
Following new data from RICS highlighting an ongoing shortage of qualified surveyors across the UK, e.surv Chartered Surveyors is calling on the wider property and finance industries to take collective action in addressing recruitment and accessibility challenges within the profession.
The shortage of surveyors has been a longstanding concern, with many firms facing an aging workforce and a wave of planned retirements. Yet across the sector, there are encouraging signs of progress – driven by collaborative investment in training and alternative qualification routes.
As one of the UK’s largest providers of residential surveying and valuation services, e.surv has made significant strides in opening up the profession to new talent. Over the past decade, the company has supported more than 500 trainees in achieving AssocRICS accreditation, through both its Graduate Trainee Associate Surveyor Programme and its partnership with the Sava Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation.
These initiatives provide accessible pathways for both graduates and career changers, helping to strengthen diversity and sustainability across the workforce. Since 2016, e.surv’s average field surveyor age has dropped from 54 to 45, a reflection of the company’s long-term commitment to investing in people and future skills.
Matthew Siddons, head of recruitment at e.surv, said: “The skills shortage in residential surveying is real, but so is the progress being made. A few years ago, our profession was at risk of losing too much experience too quickly. Today, we’re seeing that focused investment in people and training can make a real difference.
“Helping individuals achieve professional accreditation isn’t about lowering the bar; it’s about removing unnecessary barriers. By working together as an industry, we can attract new talent, support development, and ensure surveying remains a vibrant and future-ready profession.”
e.surv’s structured learning programmes combine technical education with mentorship from experienced professionals, ensuring that new entrants gain both the practical and professional skills needed to thrive in a changing housing market.
The company also emphasises that it cannot act alone. Many corporate firms are now introducing structured trainee pathways, demonstrating a shared responsibility to evolve and support new talent rather than waiting for market forces to correct themselves. These initiatives represent long-term investment in people and skills, and they offer long term rewards for the trainees.
As the industry looks ahead to potential home buying and selling reforms, e.surv is urging collective action across corporate firms, training providers, and professional bodies to sustain progress and secure the next generation of surveyors.