RICS Young Surveyor of the Year 2021. Finalist: Kevin Keane, MRICS
Outstanding achievement Client satisfaction Team player Innovation – thought leadership Ambassador to the profession Winning statement
Outstanding achievement. Kevin is an experienced operational surveyor, completing mortgage valuations, Home Reports and surveys across Stirlingshire. When the nationwide lockdown prohibited property inspections and 80% of the workforce was placed on furlough leave, Kevin was one of few surveyors retained as part of the exclusive 'Green Team', conducting desktop valuations, responding to post-valuation queries, and collaborating with clients to sustain the housing market. ‘I am extremely proud of my contribution. I was able to reassure clients of our focus on customer care and the wellbeing of all colleagues and customers. I also supported more vulnerable surveying colleagues, many of whom were extremely anxious about the personal and professional impact of the pandemic’. Achieving his MRICS accreditation in June 2019, Kevin is a highly respected member of the surveying community and has honed his knowledge to reach the peak of his career as an operational surveyor. He has decided to apply his experience to support those with aspirations towards Chartered status, becoming a Technical Partner with the Learning and Development team. However, Kevin’s passion for surveying extends beyond the day job, as he mentors APC candidates outside the business. He is also a founding member of the Group Inclusion and Diversity Forum for LSL Property Services plc, representing the interests of surveyors in the LGBTQ+ community. Kevin balances the demands of a job he loves with caring for his husband, Daniel, who lives with Multiple Sclerosis. ‘Daniel is undoubtedly my inspiration to embrace every opportunity and be the best version of myself’.
Client satisfaction. Kevin embodies the e.surv spirit in his determination to exceed expectations. On one occasion, he visited a new build site late afternoon to conduct an urgent valuation for a customer who was due to complete on the purchase the following day. He worked late into the night to finalise and submit the valuation report, much to the appreciation of the mortgage lender, mortgage applicant, and housebuilder. Through this professionalism, reliability, positivity and warmth he has established and maintains close and productive working relationships with estate agents in and around Stirling. Jacqui Mackenzie is Branch Manager of Your Move in Stirling: ‘I have been an estate agent and branch manager for over 16 years and have worked alongside many surveyors in that time. Without hesitation, Kevin is the most accommodating and obliging surveyor I have encountered. Whether it’s doing that little bit extra to make our vendors feel confident and valued or supporting me and my team to provide a better service, he is always knowledgeable, accountable, flexible, passionate and understanding, and always with a smile.'
Team player. Kevin is an invaluable member of the operational surveying community, whose passion extends to driving operational and cultural change and improving the employee experience for his colleagues. He was elected to represent the interests of his team on the e.surv Colleague Engagement Forum (CEF), a role that involved extra-curricular collaboration and discussion to find practical solutions to a range of issues. ‘My experience with the CEF was hugely rewarding. I was able to unite the team through shared experience, particularly during the pandemic when many colleagues felt isolated. Through exposure to a broad range of issues, I evolved as both a colleague and an employee, but also as a person.’ This experience galvanised him to form the Group Inclusion and Diversity Forum, representing the diverse interests of his colleagues across e.surv and the LSL Group. ‘As a gay man in an increasingly progressive profession, I am fiercely passionate about engendering a more inclusive workplace culture. It is so rewarding to work with people from diverse ethnic backgrounds and different part of the business, all of whom share the same determination to create a more positive working environment.’ Ninita Reed, Chair of the Inclusion and Diversity Forum commented on Kevin’s contribution: ‘I am impressed by Kevin’s drive and dedication. He is passionate about inclusion and fairness, manifest in his contribution at meetings during which he speaks honestly, positively, and constructively about the issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. He is a hugely popular member of the forum, very much respected by others.’
Innovation – thought leadership. In a business that has challenged the prevailing approach and pioneered new ways of working, forward-thinking and change-minded surveyors are critical to the development of new processes and systems. Kevin has been instrumental as an early adopter of new technology, applying his insight and expertise to critique new software and support the introduction of new practices. During and post-pandemic, evolving restrictions meant the constant review of safety and wellbeing protocols. Kevin’s role on the Colleague Engagement Forum and his natural inclination to support his colleagues saw him canvassing colleagues to assess a level of comfort with new working practices. Fundamentally however, it is Kevin’s tenacity and drive to raise awareness of the issues and represent the interests of diverse communities that differentiates him from his colleagues. He uses his platform and profile inside and outside the business to champion the interests of female surveyors and those within the LGBQ+ community. He has also taken personal responsibility for several projects initiated by the Group Inclusion and Diversity Forum, including ‘Development and Succession’ and ‘Disability in the workplace’.
Ambassador to the profession. Kevin’s passion for surveying is contagious and he is committed to inspiring the next generation of surveyors. To engage with the surveying community and provide the wider market with insight, he regularly posts on social media and has achieved a sizeable following using the hashtag, #SurveyorKev. Through these channels, he shares photographs, explains defects and showcases construction types, achieving a phenomenal level of engagement. In 2020, Kevin was invited by Marion Ellis to record a podcast for The Surveyor Hub online community, raising his profile amongst experienced and fledgling surveyors. ‘I became aware of an underrepresentation of surveyors from the LGBTQ+ community sharing their specific experiences. To encourage others, I decided to share aspects of my personal life and have since become actively involved with the LGBQT+ surveying community.’ Residential surveying remains a male dominated profession and Kevin has long championed the viability of a career in surveying for women. He uses his profile to promote equality, helping to drive positive change and visible representation. Sophie Vale is a Chartered Surveyor and worked directly with Kevin for several years: ‘To support our APC cohort, Kevin set up a WhatsApp group and regular video chats. As remote workers, it helped us study together and really bonded us as a group. The support was invaluable. Kevin was always there, encouraging and make us laugh. We remain the best of friends and he is still encouraging me to progress. He is a wonderful ambassador for the profession and very deserving of this recognition.'
Winning statement. Kevin sets the standard for the forward-thinking, collegiate, and customer-focused surveyor. Elaine Devlin is an Area Operations Manager with e.surv / Walker Fraser Steele: ‘Kevin exemplifies professionalism. He places the requirements of his colleagues, customers and our lenders clients at the top of his priorities in every interaction. He is a true advocate, not only for our business but the profession, sharing regularly through social media his drive to review and challenge our approach to residential valuations in the modern world. Kevin is the most self-motivated and selfless person I’ve worked with. He is an instrumental mentor for new trainees/graduates into our business, developing them through to successful submissions to the RICS. He also mentors outside the business, offering external APC candidates support and guidance.’
Winning statement. Kevin’s achievements are set against the backdrop of supporting his husband in his battle with Multiple Sclerosis. ‘Daniel has inspired me since the day we met. He has lived with MS since he was 15, waking one morning to find he could neither see nor walk. His story is one of extremes but watching him endure treatments with dignity, passion and energy and advocate for others prompted me to do more. ‘During my APC, Daniel had an optical neutitus, losing his sight for a year. I was working full time, covering the loss of income and taking days off to go to the hospital while juggling the commitment of the APC programme. The support of my friends on the programme was invaluable. ‘Daniel and I take nothing for granted and live one day at a time. When I stop to think about how far I have come in my career, it only inspires me to push forward, develop myself, question the status quo, and strive for a better, more inclusive working environment for all.’