If you’ve been following UCEM for a while, it’s likely you’ll have heard of Annabel Huffer.
Annabel has remained a vocal and active participant in the built environment since graduating from UCEM in 2023 – the year she won two awards at the 2023 Built Environment Apprenticeship Awards. Along with her role as Senior Building Surveyor at Knight Frank, she is also Vice Chair and Junior Liaison Officer of the Southampton Property Association and Vice Chair for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Matrics Hampshire and Isle of Wight. As if that wasn’t enough, Annabel has reached out to almost 500 young people in her role as an RICS Inspire Ambassador.
Annabel has an extremely busy and active schedule fuelled by unwavering passion and enthusiasm for her craft. However, the path she took to where she is today was, at the time, an uncommon one.
Earlier this year, we visited her former office in Fareham, Hampshire – a beautiful location and a far cry from the bustling metropolitan buildings we’ve become accustomed to in our alumni visits – to find out what brought her to the built environment and why she is so passionate about both the sector and the apprenticeship route.
I’m passionate about making sure people have the opportunity to network.”
Annabel last spoke to us for our Be Part of the Change campaign. Since then, she’s continued engaging at industry events and providing support to others in the sector.
“The biggest thing that’s happened since then is that I spoke at the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to provide an update on RICS Matrics and what we’ve achieved nationally in the last year,” she told us. At the event, she shared the stage with the likes of Tina Paillet, President of RICS, and Sybil Taunton, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at RICS. Recently, Annabel has also been appointed to the RICS Matrics UK Board.
“RICS Matrics is about providing a platform for early career surveyors to influence the profession and have an opportunity to network and gain support as they move into their careers. We support people, right from students at university through to apprentices, trainees, graduates, and those that have been qualified for up to 10 years. I was really privileged to have the opportunity to speak at AGM, and it was a great experience.”
Providing support to people who are new to the industry is something that Annabel is passionate about, having found it to be invaluable during her own beginnings in the built environment.
“I personally found the first year of my apprenticeship difficult because I was new to the industry. I was trying to juggle work and studying. Once I joined the committee with a trusted colleague who supported me, I began to recognise the value of networking. I’m passionate about making sure that people have the opportunity to network, because the career development you get from it is amazing.”
Annabel’s father is a General Practice Surveyor, RICS Fellow, RICS Registered Valuer and RICS Registered Property Receiver, and she notes that seeing him interacting with others gave her an early impression that networking was an important aspect of working in the sector.
“I used to see him going to all of these events and meeting people – it always seemed like a great aspect of the industry. But it wasn’t until I had actually been working for a year or so that I quite understood the importance of it. It’s not only for directors – it’s for all the people who are starting out too.”
The stability of income in the built environment and having an exciting career ahead of me was very appealing.”
While her father’s background ultimately helped steer her towards the built environment, Annabel had different plans when she was younger.
“I loved dance and drama, and always considered that as something I would like to do”, she told us. “But the stability of income in the built environment and having an exciting career, shaping the world we live in, was very appealing to me.”
Annabel wasn’t made aware of the vast opportunities in the built environment when she was in school. However, a conversation at college served as an introduction to the idea of degree apprenticeships – something that, at the time, was still a relatively new concept.
“We had a visit from a university at my college, who mentioned apprenticeships, and I was interested. The only downside with them was having to relocate, which, when you’re a school leaver, is quite a big step. It’s not supported in the same way it is with traditional students, where you’d have halls – you had to find your own accommodation and pay for it.”
When it came down to deciding on a career path, Annabel was initially torn between law and the built environment. She ultimately credits the influence of her father for helping her make her decision.
“I had considered becoming a lawyer, but the contract side of my job today scratches the itch I had for that profession. Even though my father is in a different area of the industry, this is what made me decide to work in the built environment. With him there, I knew a lot more about it, and the accessibility of apprenticeships was also a big factor.”
When I realised that I could get a degree without student debt, without having to go and have a traditional student life, I was sold. I just knew I didn’t want to do those things.”
Annabel, now aware of the apprenticeship route, set her mind on the built environment. Yet unlike today, when apprenticeships are considerably more established, she found the lack of awareness about this path left her with little support.
“My college was very university-focused, and as someone that didn’t want to go to traditional university, I sort of dropped off the radar,” Annabel told us. “At the time, I just don’t think the apprenticeship route was understood.
“There wasn’t much appeal to me in going to university. I enjoy going out and socialising, but to go and spend so much money on that was never appealing. Instead, I went on two ski seasons, and that was satisfying for me.
“Traditional university of course has its place – it can give people the opportunity to gain independence and become the person they want to be. For me though, when I realised that I could get a degree without student debt, without having to go and have a traditional student life, I was sold. I just knew I didn’t want to do those things.”
Since completing her apprenticeship, Annabel has been a vocal advocate and champion of this pathway. At this year’s Built Environment Apprenticeship Awards, she was a member of the panel, where she told the audience:
"I don’t think enough people realise that apprenticeships are actually a viable and exciting option, and that they can accelerate your life… Not everyone can go to university, just as not everyone is necessarily suited for an apprenticeship, but both of these options need to be there for them to help them make the right decision for their career.”
What stood out to me about building surveying was the diverse range of projects you can work on.”
Annabel found herself drawn to building surveying – one of the most complex, varied and challenging professions in the built environment.
“It’s no secret that the skills shortage is a massive challenge for the sector, but this is especially true among Building Surveyors,” Annabel said. “They have an incredible amount of knowledge – they have to understand buildings in such a broad capacity and it’s a very specialist and technical area.”
“However, while there is that need to have specialist knowledge, what appealed to me most about building surveying was the diverse range of projects and properties you can end up working on.
“Depending on where you choose to work, you can be in the consultancy side, where the variety is huge, or the client side, where you’re working more closely with specific buildings and portfolios. You can also specialise in areas such as education, sustainability or heritage… you can become niche and do what really interests you. There’s so much freedom.
“For my work experience, I went to see an interesting building that had wonky floors, which was fascinating when I was 16. It showed me that each building is very different, and that, no matter how many buildings you see, you can always find something that you might not have come across before that will present a challenge.”
“Not every project is like this,” Annabel admitted. “There’s definitely a less glamorous side to the profession, but at that point I felt that I would be getting such valuable experience from the apprenticeship that I could take it in any direction I wanted.
“Ultimately, it was the variety that helped me decide on building surveying, and luckily, I wasn’t disappointed.”
This is why apprenticeships are so good – you get to learn and then apply that knowledge immediately.”
Annabel took a proactive approach to finding an apprenticeship, and through conversations with the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust, she became aware of UCEM. “It was one of the first institutions I came across and it resonated with me,” she told us. “The distance learning model was also ideal.”
There was another obstacle for Annabel, however. Her employer at the time, Eddisons (then Daniells Harrison Chartered Surveyors), a property consulting firm in Fareham, didn’t have any apprentices, meaning she effectively had to pitch the idea herself to the partnership.
“I had to pitch the apprenticeship to the partner in charge of building surveying. I gave them a business case with information about costs, setup, requirements… I had to convince them to go through with it and show them how they’d benefit.”
Annabel successfully pitched the apprenticeship and began her studies in 2019. Quickly, she observed a natural connection between her day-to-day work and her studies.
“My work reinforced everything I was studying – there would be times where what I’d read about the day before would be something I was doing the very next day. Other times, I’d be learning about something, and then a few months later, I’d get to see it in person.”
“This is why apprenticeships are so good. You get to learn and then apply that knowledge immediately – you don’t have to wait four years to have the opportunity. It also helped with my grades… the fact that I was applying that knowledge straight away.
“I got on well with the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) at UCEM. It’s such a big platform that, in the beginning, I did have challenges navigating it, but I eventually managed to find everything I needed.”
When asked what she wished she’d known before undertaking her apprenticeship, she points to being able to manage time.
"In the first year, I went in way too hard trying to write notes on everything when I really didn’t need to do that. As I progressed through my studies, I shifted to a more strategic approach.”
“I enjoyed distance learning, but I will say that it’s one of the reasons that apprenticeships aren’t for everyone. You need to be self-motivated, as you don’t have anyone to check in with every day. Ultimately, it suited how I worked – I could choose to study whenever was most suitable and based it around my job.”
“When I look back, a lot of my learning came from the workplace, but my studies gave me the technical knowledge on areas like contracts and law, which translated well to my role and complemented my experience.”
Thank goodness I had Jackie to support me in my last ten months, otherwise I would have been stuck.”
As she began to recognise the importance of networking in the sector, Annabel formed relationships with her fellow cohort of students.
“Each module had a Whatsapp group, so I got to speak to other students through there. I actually met Natalie, who became one of my colleagues at Eddisons, in one of these chats.
“I also established a network through RICS Matrics, which is why I’m working with them now to reach more universities – to stop students from feeling isolated and to help them build a network.”
Annabel benefitted from the support offered by UCEM as part of its apprenticeship provision. One person who was particularly supportive during her final year was Jackie Dabinett, Academic Support Tutor at UCEM who, at the time, served as Annabel’s Apprenticeships Outcome Officer.
“Thank goodness I had Jackie to support me in my last ten months,” Annabel said. “She really went through my diary with a critical eye; it was very helpful, otherwise I’d have been stuck. I did a presentation to her for my Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) as practice, and she helped me make sure everything was correctly logged. It was extremely helpful.”
As Jackie commented on her experience with Annabel:
“I took over as Annabel’s AOO in February 2023 when she was just 10 months short of completing her apprenticeship, and with just a few assignments to finalise. It was crucial that I got to know her quickly as my key role at that stage was to help her prepare for her APC. I introduced myself to Annabel and her Line Manager straight away, wished her luck with her final assignments and arranged our first meeting. In the meantime, I completed an audit of her off-the-job diary and highlighted some discrepancies that she needed to address to ensure that there would not be an issue with achieving the total hours by Gateway. In addition, I answered her questions on the Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements for the off the job and APC diaries. Annabel completed her studies, achieving a First Class Honours, for which she is rightly very proud.
“The focus of both formal and informal meetings/communications turned to ensuring that Annabel would be ready to apply and submit for her APC in September. I confirmed that she was on track to achieve the 400 days of experience, checked how some gaps in her experience were being addressed and on how she was progressing with her summaries of experience, gave her advice on the content of her CPD submission, and provided guidance on how to use the RICS Assessment Platform. I also confirmed that she had a suitable case study, as well as the opportunity for mock interviews, that she had some presentation experience and had completed her professionalism module. When there was a last-minute change in her counsellor I was able to provide the reassurance that she needed.
“All of this monitoring and checking ensured that Annabel was able to apply and submit as planned. Once she had done so we scheduled in time for her to present her case study to me, as a non-subject specialist, so that I could give her feedback on the presentation itself rather than the content.
“In December Annabel confirmed that she had passed her APC. There was no doubt in my mind at all that she would do. It was a pleasure to work with Annabel and I am pleased she feels my support contributed to her achievement.”
Annabel also got in contact with LionHeart – an independent charity that provides support for past, present and future RICS professionals and their families.
“LionHeart are fantastic – they provide excellent support to students and professionals in a number of areas. I ran an event with them for RICS Matrics and used them for support during my APC. I would highly recommend them.”
There’s no such thing as a typical day for a Building Surveyor!”
Annabel graduated from UCEM in 2023 with First Class Honours, before completing her APC and officially becoming Chartered. As she explains, there’s no such thing as a ‘typical day’ in her role as a Building Surveyor.
“My week is split between the office and being on site, but it varies. One week, I could be 100% in the office, and the next, I could be on site completing surveys 80% of the time."
“One day, I might be looking at an old building with a water ingress issue, or visiting a church that needs a survey. Then, the very next day, I might go on site to a new build development where I’m working with a contractor and undertaking valuations. There’s so much variety that talking about a typical ‘day-in-the-life’ is quite difficult!”
“It’s that split of working in the office and being outside that I enjoy most about building surveying. I do like being in the office and getting things done, like writing reports, but it’s also great to have this broken up with going out, interacting with people and seeing physical progress on a project.
“A standout project for me is actually one from my first day in the office. I worked on a big development of 86 houses and, when I arrived, they hadn’t even broken ground yet – it was just a green field. Over the course of my apprenticeship, we’d visit twice a month, and it was exciting to see it go from conceptual drawings and to a place where people were actually living. What’s more, you’ve got grateful clients at the end of it – it makes it all worthwhile.
“Every day and each project is different – that really sums up my role in general.”
I wouldn’t have achieved so much if I’d taken the traditional route.”
Since graduating and becoming Chartered, Annabel has continued to give back to the sector and inspire others to take the same journey. Looking forward, this will continue to be a priority for her, alongside gaining management experience and taking on more responsibility in her role.
“I would definitely recommend a career in building surveying,” she told us. “The breadth and variety of work, the types of people you get to work with and the skills you develop are the key selling points in my opinion. It’s a very technical field within the built environment, so if you like detail and understanding why things work and how buildings go together, it’s a good pathway for that.
“I’d also highly recommend the apprenticeship route. I think doing the apprenticeship has put me ahead – not just in my career, but with life in general.
“I used to feel like I was behind… life isn’t a race, but the things I’ve achieved – I bought a house this year – wouldn’t have been possible if I’d taken the traditional route.”
