The RICS Podcast

Across the built environment, traditional centralised approaches to data management are being challenged by increasingly complex project teams, diverse data sources, and rising regulatory expectations around governance, transparency and accountability.
In this episode of the RICS Podcast, Ashley Stewart‑Noble is joined by James Garner FRICS, Head of AI and Data at Gleeds, to demystify federated data and explore what it means for surveyors accessing and interrogating information across multiple systems, teams and organisations, without the need to copy or move a single file.
This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:
What federated data is, and what its use really means for surveyors 
Why rapidly growing project data and tighter governance is moving federated data up the agenda at this point in time
The difference between federated analytics and federated learning
What surveying can learn from other sectors’ use of data
Why professional judgement, AI literacy and audit trails are essential to trustworthy use of federated data
James Garner FRICS: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesgarner1976/
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:
https://www.rics.org/uk/
RICS Podcast Page
https://www.rics.org/podcast/
Kieran Halliwell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhalliwell/

Recorded live at UKREiiF in Leeds, this week’s special episode of The RICS podcast features Lynda Rawsthorne FRICS, UK Government Head of Property Profession and RICS Governing Council member, to explore how surveying underpins the delivery of critical public assets.
Against a context of public spending scrutiny, rapid advances in AI & technology, and a growing skills gap, Lynda joins host Harry Chafer to examine the real social value created by surveyors.
They touch on, the evolving competency needs of the profession, and the RICS’s pivotal role for inspiring the next generation of professionals in the built and natural environment.
This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:
How Lynda has built a varied civil service career and why purpose keeps her in the public sector
The tangible social impact of work within the built environment 
What public scrutiny, gateway reviews and evolving net-zero standards mean for programmes like HS2 and other major builds
The future of surveying: skills, AI and the talent pipeline
Lynda Rawsthorne FRICS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-rawsthorne-bsc-ma-frics-fapm-fciob-fiwfm-chpp-98751919/
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:
https://www.rics.org/uk/
RICS Podcast Page
https://www.rics.org/podcast/
Kieran Halliwell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhalliwell/

Surveying careers do not always follow a linear path from school to university and into chartered practice - no two pathways are the same. 
In this week’s episode of The RICS Podcast, host Kieran Halliwell speaks with Lisa Cowie MRICS, Associate Director at FG Burnett, about her journey into commercial property via a non-traditional route. 
Their conversation explores how life experience, transferable skills and alternative pathways such as AssocRICS, apprenticeships and part-time study can support entry into the profession at any stage in life, contributing to a more diverse and resilient surveying workforce.
This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:
Lisa’s unconventional career journey to becoming an Associate Director and MRICS commercial surveyor
Transferable skills and non-traditional routes into the industry
Balancing study, work and family life while pursuing professional qualifications
Tackling skills shortages and widening access across surveying
How supportive employers, mentors and creative initiatives can raise awareness and attract more diverse talent into the built environment
Lisa Cowie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cowie-a417b3372/
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:
https://www.rics.org/uk/
RICS Podcast Page
https://www.rics.org/podcast/
Kieran Halliwell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhalliwell/

Despite sustained efforts to promote equality, the gender pay gap remains a persistent feature of the real estate and construction sectors, and headline figures alone rarely convey the full picture.
In this episode of The RICS Podcast, host Maria Wiedner MRICS is joined by Dr. Manuela Galetto and Dr. Fuk Ying Tse, as we step behind the statistics to ask what’s really driving the differences in pay between men and women across the sector and how bonus culture, billable hours, and undervalued “glue work” all shape outcomes. 
This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:
How real estate compares on gender pay vs other sectors and the national average
Complexity and limitations of gender pay gap data, and what can disproportionately swing the figures
The fundamental differences between the gender pay gap vs unequal pay 
Company responses and interventions to gender pay gap reporting figures
Valuing women’s work and “glue work” in the age of AI
Maria Wiedner MRICS
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariawiedner/
Fuk Ying Tse
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fuk-ying-tse-133112126/
Manuela Galetto
https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-galetto-b9bb64242/
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:
https://www.rics.org/uk/
RICS Podcast Page
https://www.rics.org/podcast/
Kieran Halliwell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhalliwell/

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are an essential part of the built environment, providing opportunities for young professionals to enter the industry.
In this episode of The RICS Podcast, industry leaders from the surveying and built environment sector share candid insights into the realities of running and growing small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Jennifer Hobart MRICS is joined by Dominic Doig FRICS, Zaman Sheikh AssocRICS and Sean Pearson AssocRICS to share how SMEs are adopting new technologies, balancing growth with quality, and innovating within the industry.
This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:
The unique challenges and opportunities of running and growing an SME in the built environment sector
Leadership, management skills, and effective delegation for sustainable business success
Adopting new technologies to improve efficiency and remain competitive
Sector-wide talent shortages and the role of SMEs in providing diverse training and career opportunities
Strong, long-term client relationships and maintaining high service quality in a competitive market
Dominic Doig FRICS
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-doig-a2b72b19/
Jennifer Hobart MRICS
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-hobart-mrics-b6954552/
Zaman Sheikh AssocRICS
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaman-sheikh/
Sean Pearson AssocRICS
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-pearson-65241442/
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:
https://www.rics.org/uk/
RICS Podcast Page
https://www.rics.org/podcast/
Kieran Halliwell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhalliwell/