RICS Business catches up with Carolyn Milburn, land agent and chartered surveyor with George F White.

Carol, 39, lives in rural Northumberland and lists her hobbies as her horses (Barney and Sarah), the outdoors and sailing. 

Q. Describe your work
I am primarily involved in the management of privately owned rural estates, which are rather varied. For example, one consists of let farms and houses located mainly on the urban fringe, while another is a sporting estate that includes pheasant shooting, deer stalking and fishing.

Another consists of upland farms and is owned by a charity. The objectives of the estates are similarly varied, so the management of them must be tailored accordingly.

I also carry out professional work including compensation claims, planning, environmental schemes, and farm and general business economics, as well as having responsibility for the company’s lettings department.

Q. How would a typical working day pan out?
On arrival at the office in the morning, there are always things to organise and chase up, repairs to coordinate and so on.

I may then go out to one of the estates I manage and have a meeting with the owners to seek instructions and report progress on work being undertaken.

I may attend meetings with surveyors from utility companies, conduct a site visit to put together a claim or set off to undertake an environmental survey.

My time in the office is spent putting these claims together, dictating letters, preparing reports and dealing with correspondence.

Q. What is the most interesting aspect of your work?
I have a varied job and cases are always different, so you are always learning new things.

Q. And the most challenging?
I do recall one day when I worked in Anglesey. I was told late one afternoon that I had to arrange the removal of a chandelier, which had to be put back up a few days later – that was a challenge.

After it was successfully put back in its original position I discovered not only that people do that sort of thing as a professional career but also how much the chandelier was worth!

Q. What made you decide to pursue a career in property?
My property career is focused mainly on agricultural assets and the countryside, both of which are close to my heart. It’s great to have a career where I am a member of a professional organisation but which also fulfils my love of the countryside and gets me outdoors (but with a warm office to retreat to in the winter months).

Q. How did you get to this point in your career?
I always wanted to have a land-based career, but on leaving school I ended up working for solicitors, both in the North East and London.

Then one day I decided that I was bored and fed up. I could either decide to stop moaning and get on with life as it was or make a career change into something that I really wanted to do.

So I decided to do a BSc in rural enterprise and land management at Harper Adams University College, and then went to work on a private estate in Anglesey, North Wales, where I qualified as a chartered rural practice surveyor.

On moving back to the north of England I worked for a firm of chartered surveyors in Penrith before joining George F White in 2004.

It may surprise people to know that I was once an air stewardess, which proved to be an excellent way of learning how to deal with the general public!

Q. What is your greatest achievement?
Taking the plunge and deciding to pursue my career as a land agent. Achievement in my job is, for me, when you have a project for which you put everything and everybody in place and it all comes together successfully, with everyone working together well.

Q. What project has given you the greatest satisfaction?
When I worked on the estate in Anglesey we operated and ran Anglesey motor racing circuit. At the time we were seeking planning permission to extend the track, and there were lots of planning issues associated with the scheme.

The project finally got the go ahead and the circuit has now been developed into a multi-million pound investment.

Q. What are your views on RICS?
Being a member of RICS has certainly helped my career. However, I would like to see the organisation give more focus and emphasis to the rural sector.

Q. What is your favourite building?
The Taj Mahal. It exceeded my expectations and, for me, was perfect.

This article appeared in RICS Business, February 2006.