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Rebecca Freeman nearly became a lawyer. A clearing phone call changed that, and she ended up in residential surveying instead. It turned out to be exactly the right fit. She built a career that now sits at senior leadership and risk at Legal & General Surveying Services. But the most important parts of that journey aren't on the CV.

In this episode, Nina talks to Rebecca about what residential surveying is really like to do. You're going into people's homes, often alone, navigating situations that no training manual fully prepares you for. She speaks openly about lone working, personal safety, and why the profession needs to take both more seriously. She also talks about emotional intelligence as a practical skill, not a soft one, and what it actually takes to do this job well over a long career.

This is the kind of conversation the profession needs more of.

What We Cover

• How a clearing phone call led Rebecca into surveying instead of law
• Why residential surveying suited her from the start
• Starting out at Countrywide and learning the job in Bath
• Mentorship, MRICS and building a long-term career in the profession
• How the 2008 crash reshaped day-to-day working life
• The shift from paper to digital and early surveying technology
• What residential surveying reveals about people and how they live
• Lone working, personal safety and the support surveyors actually need
• Emotional intelligence and handling difficult situations on site
• What AI and technology might change, and what will always need a human

Guest Links

Rebecca Freeman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-freeman-frics-98312019/

Legal & General Surveying Services: https://www.legalandgeneral.com/surveying-services/

Women in Residential Surveying: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13733915/

Useful Links

LionHeart: https://www.lionheart.org.uk/

Guest Bio

Rebecca Freeman is a residential surveying leader with more than 20 years’ experience in the profession. She is Risk Director at Legal & General Surveying Services and previously spent 22 years with Countrywide Surveying Services, building her career from graduate surveyor through to senior leadership. Rebecca is also the founder of Women in Residential Surveying, where she has been championing better support, visibility and practical conversations around the realities of working in the profession. Her background spans residential valuation, surveying operations, risk, training and professional development, with a particular interest in lone working, resilience and the future of residential surveying.

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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Adam Bailey was there when drones first entered the built environment, and he's watched the entire industry evolve around him.

As Head of Specialist Surveys at Earl Kendrick, Adam joins Nina Young to talk about how drone technology has transformed the way surveyors work, why regulation and professional standards are being outpaced by poor practice, and what AI actually means for the future of the profession.

From photogrammetry and thermal imaging to the very real risks of cutting corners with technology, this is a conversation about where surveying is headed and what it takes to do it properly.

What We Cover

• How Adam Bailey became one of the first drone surveyors in the UK
• The evolution of drone surveying technology since 2013
• Drone regulations and CAA requirements
• Insurance, compliance and operational risk
• Why professional surveying knowledge matters in drone inspections
• AI in surveying and the future of automated inspections
• Drone photogrammetry and measured surveys
• Common mistakes surveyors make with drones
• Thermal imaging, building performance and retrofit surveys
• The importance of education and professional standards in surveying tech
  
  

Guest Links

Adam Bailey: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/adambaileydronesurveyor

Earl Kendrick: https://earlkendrick.com/

Useful Links

Air Safety Map: https://airsafetymap.com/

CAA Drone Guidance: https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/

Atoll Done Management System: https://atollds.com/

Moonrock Drone Insurance: https://www.moonrockinsurance.com/

Global Drone Training: https://globaldronetraining.com/

Geo Business: https://www.geobusinessshow.com/

Digital Construction Week: https://www.digitalconstructionweek.com/


Guest Bio

Adam Bailey is Head of Specialist Surveys at Earl Kendrick and has been working in the drone surveying sector since the early days of commercial drone use within the UK built environment industry. Originally coming from a background in block management and surveying, Adam founded one of the first specialist drone surveying businesses focused on property inspections and building surveys. He has also been involved in shaping standards and industry discussions around drone operations, safety, and regulation. Adam specialises in drone inspections, photogrammetry, thermal imaging, and surveying technology, with a strong focus on professionalism, compliance, and education within the sector.

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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In this episode, Nina Young speaks with Adrian Tagg about the changing world of building surveying education, the growing impact of AI, and why surveying remains one of the most future-proof professions.

The conversation explores how universities are adapting to AI, why practical learning still matters, and what makes building surveying such a resilient profession in an increasingly automated world. Nina and Adrian also discuss outreach, attracting younger people into surveying, and the importance of developing evidence-based judgement that technology simply cannot replace.

What We Cover

• Moving from the military into surveying
• Why building surveying is so diverse
• Sustainability and energy efficiency in practice
• The shortage of surveyors across the industry
• Outreach work with schools and young people
• Career changes and mature students in surveying
• AI and its impact on education
• Why surveying still relies on human judgement
• Professional accountability and client responsibility
• The future of surveying education

Guest Links

Adrian Tagg’s Email – a.tagg@reading.ac.uk

Useful Links

University of Reading Building Surveying page – https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/2026/surveying-and-construction-management-ug/bsc-building-surveying

Guest Bio

Adrian Tagg is an Associate Professor in Building Surveying at the University of Reading and a practising chartered building surveyor. Alongside academia, Adrian continues to work within industry and has extensive experience across building pathology, professional practice and surveying education. He also served as lead author for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors guidance note on Planned Preventative Maintenance. Adrian is passionate about professional standards, applied learning, and encouraging more people into 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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