The Intermediary – October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 90
T E C H N O L O GY
Opinion
Surveyors and
intermediaries:
The tech parallels
S
urveyors and mortgage
intermediaries are
working in markets that
look very different from
10, five, even three years
ago. Technology has
become increasingly central to how
we deliver valuations, surveys and
advice, but what hasn’t changed is the
importance of human expertise. The
real question isn’t whether we adopt
new tools, but how we use them to
enhance the work we already do.
Surveying demonstrates this shi
clearly. Full property inspections will
and accountability, factors which
no algorithm can replicate. This is
especially important at a time when
buyers are more cautious, asking more
questions, and seeking reassurance at
every step of the property journey.
Mortgage intermediaries will
recognise these same dynamics in
their own work. Advisers today rely
on sourcing platforms, affordability
calculators, customer relationship
management systems (CRMs), and
even open banking feeds. These tools
make processes quicker and more
transparent, but clients still want
The benefits of technology, guided by a human touch
always have their place, but digital
solutions play a growing role in the
process. Data-led decision engines,
enhanced desktop valuations,
and guided virtual inspections are
speeding things up without lowering
standards. From our perspective,
the aim is not to reduce the role of
surveyors, but to free them to apply
their judgement where it adds the
most value.
For me, this balance between
efficiency and scrutiny is crucial.
Clients and lenders expect faster
outcomes, but they also need
confidence in the result. That
confidence comes from the surveyor’s
eye for detail, local knowledge,
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The Intermediary | October 2025
more than automation. They look
for reassurance, interpretation,
and tailored guidance. Technology
provides the framework but it’s
the adviser’s knowledge of the
market, understanding of individual
borrowing circumstances and
successfully interpreting lending
criteria that makes the advice so
meaningful and highly valued.
The parallels are striking. Surveyors
use desktop valuations and virtual
inspections to deal with lower-risk
properties, reserving time for complex
cases. Advisers use automation to
handle routine admin steps, focusing
their expertise where client needs are
more nuanced. In both professions,
MATTHEW CUMBER
is managing director at
Countrywide Surveying
Services
the value lies in applying judgement at
the right moments.
Looking ahead
New technologies – from artificial
intelligence (AI) to richer datasets –
will continue to shape the market.
But success will not be defined by who
has the most advanced systems, it will
be defined by how well we integrate
them into our work without losing
sight of the fundamentals: delivering
outcomes that are quick, consistent,
accurate, transparent and grounded in
human insight.
For intermediaries, this means
something more than keeping pace
with technology. It means being
proactive in guiding clients through a
homebuying process that is becoming
increasingly data-driven and complex.
Advisers are in a unique position
to highlight the value of surveys,
explain why lender and customer
needs sometimes diverge, and show
buyers how informed choices protect
them in the long run. This ability to
connect the dots between mortgage
advice, property condition, and
risk awareness is what truly sets
advisers apart.
Surveying and mortgage advice
may sit at different points in an everevolving housing journey, but the
winning formula remains the same:
smart use of technology, combined
with trusted professional judgement.
Surveyors and intermediaries who
get that balance right will not only
serve their clients beer but will also
help shape a property market that
is faster, more resilient, and built
on confidence. ●
