ABSTRACT
The exercise of estate management skills occurs within an environment shaped by the character of the organisation in which the surveyor works, the extent and quality of the information that is available and the nature of the relationship with the client. Statute and case law have in recent years resulted in a much more rigorous approach to the relationship with the client, in the taking of instructions and the consequences of both written and oral advice. Developments in technology have enabled information to be stored and handled in completely new ways, offering opportunities for more comprehensive and analytical forms of reporting to clients. The surveyor is therefore faced with not only new types of tasks but new ways of performing old tasks, and at the same time constant reminders of the need for the highest levels of technical competence and professional judgment. In meeting the needs of clients, whether in the public or private sector, surveyors are working in large organisations, with delegation and specialisation of function. No longer does an individual client receive advice from an individual surveyor; both now operate within some form of corporate structure. The giving of instructions, their acceptance, reporting and associated records are all more formal and less personal than in the past.
