Skip to main content

My Surveying Story: Sandra Nwachukwu

Written by: RICS Recruit
Published on: 22 Aug 2016

Sandra Quote 2

With this year’s Sociable Surveyor Awards approaching on 1 September, we spoke to Sandra Nwachukwu, one of last year’s winners, about her experience on this unique internship programme.

What attracted you to the property sector?

I have always been interested in real estate and the fact that it underpins our everyday life. People need property to live in, work in, store things in and sell goods from. One of the most important decisions people make in life is largely related to property. This is one of its attractions as an investment asset. It is the reason I left the financial sector to study at the University of Westminster with the goal of becoming a property surveyor.

Why did you decide to apply to Sociable Surveyors?

Sociable Surveyors offers a fantastic and rare opportunity to undertake a property internship, not only in the UK but internationally. It was an opportunity I was not going to pass up.

What was your internship with Sociable Surveyors like?

I won an internship to work at Savills’ offices in London and Tokyo. The experience was priceless. I gained valuable insight into Japan’s real-estate market and how property transactions are conducted. I was able to then directly compare this market with the UK’s during my time back at the London office.

How has your experience with Sociable Surveyors helped you in your current role?

The Sociable Surveyors scheme was the catalyst for where I am today. It presented an amazing opportunity for me to intern with one of the best real-estate firms in the world and experience property transactions in different countries. At the end of my internship I was fast-tracked to Savills’ assessment day, which led to my current role.

What has been a career highlight or your most interesting project so far?

I have worked on so many interesting and diverse projects at Savills that it’s hard to choose. If I was forced to name one, it would be a project in Africa in which I am currently involved – planning a new development area on the waterfront in Lagos, Nigeria. I investigated the local property market and its key players, during the course of which, I had the opportunity to visit the site and it was a very memorable experience.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

At the top of my field as a commercial investment surveyor.