The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Surveying Profession

This paper identifies the most recent and important advances in technology and shows how they are relevant to the surveying profession.

Recent years have seen advances in technology that have had significant impacts on all areas of the economy, and have changed the way in which we work, and indeed the nature of the jobs which we do. While the property sector is sometimes seen as being slow to embrace technological change, there is no doubt that most roles are being disrupted; the tasks that people undertake are being affected.

Using a sophisticated activity-based model, this paper identifies the level of impact that recent technological changes can be expected to have on specific roles carried out by surveyors. It contrasts this with the results of an exclusive survey of professionals conducted in 2016, which examined the opinions of people employed in different parts of the property industry on how they felt that roles within the industry would be affected. Together, these insights provide a fascinating viewpoint on how traditional surveying roles may change in the coming years.

This paper is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the future of the surveying profession.