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

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn

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

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn