Richard O'Boyle, PRUPIM

Richard O’Boyle is a qualified senior investment surveyor at PRUPIM. He took a degree in geography at the University of Liverpool and then also studied for an MA in property valulation and law there too.

How did you get your first graduate job in property?

My undergraduate degree led me to a career in property; I then decided to work in investment management from the client side. After work experience, I applied for graduate positions. Work experience and research really help in getting through to the later stages of interview; in hindsight, I didn’t research as much as I could have.

What do you do in your job now?

I’m responsible for the financial performance of clients’ leisure and retail property portfolios. My job is to maximise returns through asset management, predicting rental and capital growth and buying or selling accordingly. Clients can be individuals or institutions. My most memorable project was selling Prudential’s half-share in a shopping centre, worth over £300 million. This involved the typical selling process, answering queries; dealing with tax and complicated legal structures; and preparing marketing particulars. In a sense, it doesn’t matter how many zeroes are involved – the process is the same – but knowing a project is worth a lot of money adds personal pressure. Although this project involved late nights, working practices are generally flexible: it’s not a clock-watching mentality.

What will a graduate surveyor working in investment do?

As a graduate you will have your own small portfolio and assist a senior surveyor with their work. My first task was to complete rent reviews, and the support I was given gave me a good grounding. Throughout my APC, the more experience I gained, the easier I found it. Technical elements are in books but it’s through doing the job that you fully comprehend what’s going on.