Every surveyor remembers the primary time they walked into a property and realised one thing wasn’t fairly proper. Perhaps it was a set of paperwork that didn’t fairly match what was in entrance of them, or a ‘current refurbishment’ that was little greater than a beauty cover-up.
In these moments, the significance of the surveyor’s function turns into clear, not simply to the lender, however to the individuals who will at some point name that place dwelling or for traders seeking to maximise profitability.
Surveying has all the time been about greater than ticking packing containers or producing a report. It’s about being that all-important safeguard, guaranteeing properties are secure, transactions are sincere, and the mortgage course of maintains its integrity.
When a surveyor visits a property, they carry greater than a industrial duty; they carry a social and moral one. A buy-to-let property that fails primary requirements doesn’t simply pose a threat to a lender’s steadiness sheet or a landlord’s yield, it dangers exposing tenants to poor residing situations and undermines confidence within the wider market.
Surveyors are sometimes the ultimate checkpoint, ensuring a property is match not solely to lend towards but additionally as a secure, liveable place to stay. That responsibility extends past structural integrity and market worth; it additionally encompasses the integrity of the transaction itself.
This issues much more with fraud on the rise, with a lot of it hidden from view. The true scale of mortgage and property fraud is tough to pin down, however official figures solely inform a part of the story. Earlier this 12 months, consumer due diligence platform Thirdfort revealed that the FCA has recorded simply 17 enforcement investigations into mortgage fraud since 2018.
This strikingly low quantity virtually actually underrepresents the issue, particularly given how typically fraud includes solid paperwork, false identities, or manipulated earnings particulars designed to deceive lenders.
Property title fraud paints an much more troubling image. Open Property Group reported a 78% improve in instances over the previous 12 months, with £27m of property worth illegally transferred in 2024 alone. The majority of victims (86%) had been absent homeowners corresponding to landlords, abroad traders, or aged householders, individuals much less more likely to spot the warning indicators till it was too late.
Technology has a very important function in right now’s property market, serving to us make sooner, better-informed choices and create a wealth of progressive options. Systems and knowledge are sensible at detecting anomalies however, even with AI advances, they can’t all the time sense when a story doesn’t add up.
Fraud prevention
A surveyor’s bodily presence, by that I imply strolling by a property, asking the suitable questions and recognizing inconsistencies stays irreplaceable. Our function stays a human one, bringing judgement, accountability, and the flexibility to weigh up not solely monetary dangers but additionally social penalties. That makes us one of many strongest defences the market has towards fraud.
We aren’t merely producing valuations; we’re defending requirements, serving to to stop fraud, and guaranteeing properties are genuinely match for the individuals who stay in them.
As fraud grows extra subtle and housing pressures intensify, surveyors’ duties aren’t diminishing, they’re increasing. Every time we step into a property, we act as custodians of belief within the housing market.
That belief isn’t nearly numbers on a web page. It’s about figuring out that a house is secure, that a mortgage is reputable, and that the market continues to perform with integrity. And that, to me, is without doubt one of the most vital obligations we stock as a occupation.
Matthew Cumber is managing director, Countrywide Surveying Services
