An insight to the APC Graduate Programme at Christie & Co
For this blog article, we spoke to two of our recent APC graduates, Conor Ray and Chris Rutter for insights into their pathways to becoming MRICS Chartered Surveyors and their jobs at Christie & Co. We would like to praise the hard work and effort both colleagues have put into attaining their chartership and wish them every success in their career paths as qualified Valuers here at Christie & Co.
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Conor Ray BBusSci MSc MRICS – Chartered Surveyor, Corporate Hotel Valuation, London
Conor joined Christie & Co in 2017 as a graduate, with no property background whatsoever. “After spending three years working mostly in the Pubs & Restaurants Consultancy team, I decided I wanted to understand how other parts of the business worked and bolster my knowledge of the wider property sector, so I looked into undertaking a part-time Master’s in Real Estate through the University College of Estate Management (UCEM),” he says. “I discovered that I could simultaneously study a Master’s degree and complete my APC via a structured training programme, so with the support of Christie & Co and funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, I began studying and completing my APC.” This was a resource that Christie & Co had yet to tap into and now presents an opportunity to find further talent from a diverse pool of candidates.
During his training, Conor gained experience in our Pubs & Restaurants Agency team and Corporate Hotels Valuation team. When reflecting on his experience he said, “My time in agency exposed me to a wide range of assets and transaction scenarios – from a mooring licence to an historic nightclub re-purposed to a destination pub with rooms. Within the valuation team, I was also lucky enough to inspect a golf club in south east England, a hotel in Jersey and other quirky assets in and around London – no day is the same! Although a particular highlight to date has been having the opportunity to co-inspect a luxury lodge in one of Europe’s prime skiing resort destinations.”
Whilst he was a welcome addition to both teams, it is fair to say that he certainly found his wings in the Corporate Hotels Valuation team and has proved an invaluable asset. Working along some of the sector’s most specialist surveyors, Conor has thrown himself wholeheartedly into the world of hotels, rapidly gaining experience and knowledge of the market. “For anyone in a similar position, I would definitely recommend this approach to acquiring RICS Chartership if you have limited property experience and want to enter the industry” he says.
We look forward to seeing Conor flourish as a fully-fledged Chartered Surveyor, continuing in the Corporate Hotels Valuation team, covering the UK and Europe.
Chris Rutter BA (Hons) MSc MRICS – Chartered Surveyor, Valuation Services Team, Glasgow
Like Conor, Chris' pathway to become a surveyor was a little unorthodox - starting his career firstly in the payroll world, before opting for a career change to property. He went on to undertake a Master’s degree in Real Estate & Planning at Heriot-Watt University. During his studies Chris undertook a placement with the Leeds Valuation team at Christie & Co, before joining our team in the Glasgow office as a full-time graduate in May 2022 and commencing his APC journey.
During his two years of structured training, Chris had exposure across all of Christie & Co’s sectors, including hospitality, medical and care, learning from seasoned surveyors with second-to-none knowledge of the specialist Scottish markets. His role has taken him the length and breadth of Scotland and often over the border as well. When asked to elaborate on his experience he said, “I was involved in over 120 inspections ranging from rural community pharmacies all the way up to five-star luxury hotel, golf and wedding venues. A highlight was assisting with the valuation of a former equestrian-led venue that had developed into a boutique hotel and wedding venue. The owner had ambitious plans to continually develop their income streams, making it an exciting and insightful experience to be part of those discussions firsthand. I also had the opportunity to experience working with the agency and consultancy arms of the business which really enriched my understanding of the services we provide to our clients.”
On passing his APC, Chris said, “I cannot fault the support and guidance from my colleagues at all levels in the business during my training. One of my senior colleagues is also a RICS assessor which really helped to translate my on-the-job training to the APC process. I’ve had a positive start to my career at Christie & Co and I am looking forward to developing further with the business.”
Since joining Christie & Co, Chris has embedded himself firmly within the Valuation Team. His technological wizardry has made him an indispensable asset, having already helped to innovate the team's processes. Going forward, Chris will continue working within our Scottish Valuation team covering all our specialist markets and we look forward to seeing him thrive.
Join the Team
At Christie & Co, we pride ourselves on our successful APC scheme. We provide an all-encompassing training scheme, with industry leading surveyors, working in exciting and specialist sectors (from arenas to zoos and more).
We are currently recruiting nationwide and if you are interested in joining our team, be it as a Graduate, Placement Student or as a Chartered Surveyor please get in touch with our recruitment specialist Diana Gil at diana.gil@christie.com.