Against the background of increasing pressures on land and other finite natural resources, the increasing demand for food and other land based commodities, and the prospect of ever tightening margins, Rural Surveyors and Land Managers are likely to be in increasing demand for their ability to add value and advise on the ever changing opportunities available to landowners.
That said they are likely to face stiff competition from other professionals moving into the sector, and will be required to develop new skill sets. Still that is nothing new - how many of us trained 20+ years ago, would have envisaged the range of work and areas we are required to advise on today!
I can foresee a demand for both specialists engaged in particular sectors of the rural economy, and interestingly, general rural practitioners able to provide the "one stop shop" to advise on a wide range of opportunities and direct clients to more specialist support as necessary. The concern is that with increasing values at stake and the drive to manage risk, newly qualified surveyors are not able to build the same range of experience as in the past, which may limit their ability to advise, and for that matter to sustain enthusiasm for their chosen career, over an ever longer working life?
John Robertson - 12 years ago
With the ever increasing complexity and volume of legalisation and regulation, coupled with the need for estates to explore all opportunities, both income generating and engaging with the wider population, Land Agents and Estate Managers are likely to be the fulcrum upon which Estates will rely on - more and more.
Alan Faulkner - 12 years ago
I agree with previous comments - the need for Rural Property advisers will continue, probably on an upward trend, but the nature of the work they are asked to undertake will change considerably.
Many rural land and business owners are becoming more self sufficient (and using their own unqualified staff), and this will increase as younger generations move into the business or out of land entirely. I suggest this represents a falling demand for "assistant level" work - much of which can be done by non specialists, but a steady demand for senior staff and partners who can really add value. In its turn, potentially a problem for business planning and succession in professional firms?
The skills of land agents will be as much in demand as ever, but there will be many others competing for the work. Will RICS qualification still be widely seen by landowners and managers as the necessary qualification for managing or even for valuing rural land and property? There will be many other professions and advisers competing for the work, much of which will be delivered on-line. Surveyors and land-agents need to show that we have strenghts which others cannot match, and the capacity to offer an integrated approach to land management, possibly a joint-professional approach with solicitors and others encompassing all the legal and regulatory issues.
We also need to be seen to advise on new areas of business as they arise, and to develop new business models to tackle them. How many farmers and landowners, for instance, see 'land agents' as the first port of call for advice on energy efficiency and renewable energy, how many are prepared to pay up-front fees when they are confronted by a proliferation of 'free advice' ?
Mark Morison - 12 years ago
Looking at the regulatory change we have seen over the last 10 years gives us a good measure of what we can expect to see in the next 10 years in my view. Take the technical input needed in many planning applications today compared with a decade ago.
Despite government attempts to cut red tape I think rural clients will need specialist assistance more and more. Rural surveyors will need to adapt and ensure they can deliver depth of specific knowledge and experience. These will be challenges biggest for smaller firms and sole practitioners without specialist departments.
I think there will always be a need for a limited number of traditional Land Agents - the sort of work that Land Agents of Charlie's and my generation were trained to do, managing large landed estates, but I think that sort of work will decline.
What will be required are property professionals that can represent the interests of owners of rural property over a wide - and seemingly ever widening - area of interests.
I guess that as long as there is land there will be a need for Land Agents. Over the next ten years or so I expect Land Agents will continue to be required to defend private landowner's rights against ever increasing management regulation. One aspect which will be interesting to witness is how environmental protection measures stand up against the need for food production as populations expand over time - albeit that may take more a little more than 10 years.
neil ridley - 12 years ago
This is a tough one 10 years is a long time, my instincts tell me land and property are shot and that the agent has to wise up to 21st century living. Those that are able to communicate with new tools and price themselves competitively will be ok.
My assumption is based on the euro project continuing to act like a drag anchor and the level of debt will not be a whole lot better in 2022. The next 10 years will see a dominance of socialist politics in Europe and Britain.
There is a presumption that things will get back to normal, the normality is lots of poor people and youngsters out of work and a few unelected elitists holding onto the euro project taking the world down with them.
Will this boil be lanced in 10 years? It has already been going for 4 years and it has steadily become worse. The longer it goes on with nothing being done and enlarging employment welfare problems so the political extremes will get more voice. Until the bankers ( which is to say the elite and their supporters) stand up say sorry and mean it, then the role of agents and the systematic feedback loop will continue to fail in communication.
As the Queen put it so well -If it was so big why didn't anyone see it coming.
Agents by their nature are optimists but they have not seen the iceberg, because they ain't looking - like old Nelson. But there was only one Nelson, and he could.
With litigation seemingly on the increase I suggest that wealthy people who own land will want to ensure that their assets are under correct agreements and will continue to seek help. However the internet opens up the availability of information and thus the reliance on land agents for this will be less in demand. However there is no subsitutue for local knowledge!
Against the background of increasing pressures on land and other finite natural resources, the increasing demand for food and other land based commodities, and the prospect of ever tightening margins, Rural Surveyors and Land Managers are likely to be in increasing demand for their ability to add value and advise on the ever changing opportunities available to landowners.
That said they are likely to face stiff competition from other professionals moving into the sector, and will be required to develop new skill sets. Still that is nothing new - how many of us trained 20+ years ago, would have envisaged the range of work and areas we are required to advise on today!
I can foresee a demand for both specialists engaged in particular sectors of the rural economy, and interestingly, general rural practitioners able to provide the "one stop shop" to advise on a wide range of opportunities and direct clients to more specialist support as necessary. The concern is that with increasing values at stake and the drive to manage risk, newly qualified surveyors are not able to build the same range of experience as in the past, which may limit their ability to advise, and for that matter to sustain enthusiasm for their chosen career, over an ever longer working life?
With the ever increasing complexity and volume of legalisation and regulation, coupled with the need for estates to explore all opportunities, both income generating and engaging with the wider population, Land Agents and Estate Managers are likely to be the fulcrum upon which Estates will rely on - more and more.
I agree with previous comments - the need for Rural Property advisers will continue, probably on an upward trend, but the nature of the work they are asked to undertake will change considerably.
Many rural land and business owners are becoming more self sufficient (and using their own unqualified staff), and this will increase as younger generations move into the business or out of land entirely. I suggest this represents a falling demand for "assistant level" work - much of which can be done by non specialists, but a steady demand for senior staff and partners who can really add value. In its turn, potentially a problem for business planning and succession in professional firms?
The skills of land agents will be as much in demand as ever, but there will be many others competing for the work. Will RICS qualification still be widely seen by landowners and managers as the necessary qualification for managing or even for valuing rural land and property? There will be many other professions and advisers competing for the work, much of which will be delivered on-line. Surveyors and land-agents need to show that we have strenghts which others cannot match, and the capacity to offer an integrated approach to land management, possibly a joint-professional approach with solicitors and others encompassing all the legal and regulatory issues.
We also need to be seen to advise on new areas of business as they arise, and to develop new business models to tackle them. How many farmers and landowners, for instance, see 'land agents' as the first port of call for advice on energy efficiency and renewable energy, how many are prepared to pay up-front fees when they are confronted by a proliferation of 'free advice' ?
Looking at the regulatory change we have seen over the last 10 years gives us a good measure of what we can expect to see in the next 10 years in my view. Take the technical input needed in many planning applications today compared with a decade ago.
Despite government attempts to cut red tape I think rural clients will need specialist assistance more and more. Rural surveyors will need to adapt and ensure they can deliver depth of specific knowledge and experience. These will be challenges biggest for smaller firms and sole practitioners without specialist departments.
I think there will always be a need for a limited number of traditional Land Agents - the sort of work that Land Agents of Charlie's and my generation were trained to do, managing large landed estates, but I think that sort of work will decline.
What will be required are property professionals that can represent the interests of owners of rural property over a wide - and seemingly ever widening - area of interests.
I guess that as long as there is land there will be a need for Land Agents. Over the next ten years or so I expect Land Agents will continue to be required to defend private landowner's rights against ever increasing management regulation. One aspect which will be interesting to witness is how environmental protection measures stand up against the need for food production as populations expand over time - albeit that may take more a little more than 10 years.
This is a tough one 10 years is a long time, my instincts tell me land and property are shot and that the agent has to wise up to 21st century living. Those that are able to communicate with new tools and price themselves competitively will be ok.
My assumption is based on the euro project continuing to act like a drag anchor and the level of debt will not be a whole lot better in 2022. The next 10 years will see a dominance of socialist politics in Europe and Britain.
There is a presumption that things will get back to normal, the normality is lots of poor people and youngsters out of work and a few unelected elitists holding onto the euro project taking the world down with them.
Will this boil be lanced in 10 years? It has already been going for 4 years and it has steadily become worse. The longer it goes on with nothing being done and enlarging employment welfare problems so the political extremes will get more voice. Until the bankers ( which is to say the elite and their supporters) stand up say sorry and mean it, then the role of agents and the systematic feedback loop will continue to fail in communication.
As the Queen put it so well -If it was so big why didn't anyone see it coming.
Agents by their nature are optimists but they have not seen the iceberg, because they ain't looking - like old Nelson. But there was only one Nelson, and he could.
With litigation seemingly on the increase I suggest that wealthy people who own land will want to ensure that their assets are under correct agreements and will continue to seek help. However the internet opens up the availability of information and thus the reliance on land agents for this will be less in demand. However there is no subsitutue for local knowledge!