SDL Surveying

What SDL Surveying does

SDL Surveying Limited, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Chilwell, Nottingham, is the UK's largest independent provider of mortgage valuations, handling over 200,000 cases per year for major UK lenders and operating through a nationwide network of RICS-qualified surveyors. The company runs under two legal entities, SDL Surveying Limited and Sesame Bankhall Valuation Services Limited, and serves a hybrid customer base of institutional mortgage lenders (who directly instruct valuations) and individual home buyers (who purchase consumer-facing surveys).

The core technology stack centers on the proprietary Survo digital report platform, which digitises RICS Level 2 Home Survey output into interactive, multi-device reports with photographic evidence, and an iPad-based survey environment that network member firms are required to use to maintain quality and process standardization. SDL holds ISO 27001:2013 (information security), ISO 9001:2015 (quality management), and RICS Tech Partner credentials, and its assessors are registered with Elmhurst Energy and TrustMark, supporting both surveying and energy-related service lines.

Commercially, SDL monetises through five professional services revenue streams: lender-instructed mortgage valuations (primary), RICS Level 2 and Level 3 Home Surveys to consumers, specialist independent valuations (probate, Help to Buy, Shared Ownership), Energy Performance Certificates, and PAS 2035 Retrofit Services. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer acquisition (phone, website quote, webchat, WhatsApp) with two indirect channels — a referral programme for estate agents and mortgage brokers earning commission on survey referrals, and a capacity network of independent surveying firms operating inside SDL's iPad workflow. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Name

SDL Surveying

Legal name

SDL Surveying Limited

Website

https://sdlsurveying.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SDL Surveying is the UK's largest independent mortgage valuations provider, handling 200,000+ cases per year for major lenders and offering RICS home surveys, independent valuations, EPCs, and retrofit services to home buyers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Property Surveying Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Appraisers (531320)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Property Valuation: Appraisal Management (AMC) & Appraiser Networks (FSALALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal (commercial/residential) (FSAEAHAJ), Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal Advisory (FSAEAJAI)

Keywords

• Residential property surveying
• Mortgage valuation services
• RICS home surveys
• Energy performance certificates
• Retrofit assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chilwell

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Valuations: SDL Surveying conducts mortgage valuations on behalf of major UK lenders. Surveyors inspect properties and provide reports to lenders to confirm property value for mortgage purposes. This is the company's primary business, positioning them as the UK's largest independent provider of mortgage valuations.
2. RICS Home Surveys (Level 2 & Level 3): Direct-to-consumer home survey reports including Level 2 Home Surveys (HomeBuyer Reports) and Level 3 Home Surveys (Building Surveys). Reports provide detailed property condition assessments for home buyers. SDL's Survo platform delivers interactive digital reports.
3. Independent Valuations: RICS-qualified surveyors provide independent valuation services including Shared Ownership valuations, Help to Buy valuations, and probate/inheritance valuations directly to consumers.
4. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs): Domestic Energy Assessors conduct EPC assessments required for property sales and rentals. Valid for 10 years, these certificates rate property energy efficiency from A to G.
5. PAS 2035 Retrofit Services: Accredited professionals provide retrofit assessment and coordination services to improve property energy efficiency, fulfilling the complete PAS 2035 retrofit journey including assessor, coordinator, designer, and evaluator roles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SDL Surveying is the UK's largest independent provider of residential property surveying and valuation services, delivering RICS-compliant home surveys (Level 2 and Level 3), independent mortgage valuations on behalf of major UK lenders, and specialised property valuations (Help to Buy, Shared Ownership, Probate). The company also provides Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and PAS 2035-compliant retrofit services through a nationwide network of RICS-qualified surveyors, with reports delivered via the proprietary Survo interactive digital platform.

Product overview

SDL Surveying is the UK's largest independent provider of mortgage valuations, handling over 200,000 cases per year with over 35 years of experience since establishment in 1989. The company operates nationwide through RICS-qualified surveyors offering a portfolio of surveying and valuation services. Core offerings include Level 2 and Level 3 RICS Home Surveys (available via their Survo interactive digital platform), independent mortgage valuations for lenders, and specialized valuations including Help to Buy, Probate, and Shared Ownership. Additional services encompass Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and PAS 2035-compliant Retrofit Services delivered by their nationwide team of Elmhurst Energy and TrustMark registered assessors. The company partners with major UK lenders and provides survey referral services for estate agents and mortgage brokers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Level 2 Home Survey

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Estate Agents and Mortgage Brokers (Referral Partners)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSDL Surveying operates a referral partnership programme for estate agents and mortgage brokers. Partners refer home buyers for surveys with SDL handling the service delivery. Partners earn commission with payment within 30 days of completion. This helps agents meet duty of care obligations to inform clients about survey risks.
• Independent Surveying Firms (Network Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSDL partners with independent surveying firms throughout the UK to expand capacity. Network members gain access to consistent mortgage valuation workflow, free CPD events, industry insights, training, and SDL's market-leading iPad technology. Firms must complete work within SDL's iPad environment to maintain quality standards.
• Major UK Mortgage LenderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSDL Surveying works with many major mortgage lenders in the UK as their instructed valuation provider. Lenders instruct SDL to conduct property valuations on their behalf when reviewing mortgage applications, providing SDL with significant volume of mortgage valuation work.
• Elmhurst EnergysupportingTechnology or IntegrationSDL's assessors are Elmhurst Energy registered, enabling them to provide accredited energy assessments and retrofit services compliant with industry standards.
• TrustMarksupportingTechnology or IntegrationSDL's assessors are TrustMark registered, providing homeowners and landlords confidence that retrofit work meets government-endorsed quality standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Rightmove: UK's largest property portal, serving as a top-of-funnel channel for home movers and an indirect driver of survey demand. Not a direct competitor to SDL but a key ecosystem participant influencing consumer home survey conversion.
• Elmhurst Energy: UK accreditation body and software provider for energy assessors. Although SDL is an Elmhurst Energy registered firm, Elmhurst is adjacent rather than competitive, providing accreditation and EPC/retrofit software to SDL's assessor network.

Broad incumbents

• LSL Property Services: UK listed property services group covering surveying, estate agency, and financial services. Its surveying arm offers lender valuations and home buyer reports at meaningful scale, making it a broader incumbent competitor to SDL.
• Savills: Global real estate services firm with a UK residential valuation and surveying practice. While broader and more focused on prime markets, it overlaps with SDL on high-value home surveys and lender-related valuation work.
• Knight Frank: Global real estate consultancy with UK residential surveying and valuation capabilities. Comparable to SDL on high-value property surveys and valuation advisory, though its primary focus is broader advisory services.

Emerging players

• SurveyorHub: Digital-first UK platform matching consumers to local RICS surveyors. Emerges as a technology-led competitor to SDL's consumer home survey funnel, although SDL maintains direct surveyor relationships and lender scale advantages.
• Homebuyer Surveyors: UK-focused home survey comparison and booking platform for residential surveys. Competes with SDL at the top of the consumer funnel for Level 2 and Level 3 home survey leads, but does not hold a lender panel of comparable scale.

Direct peers

• e.surv Chartered Surveyors: One of the UK's largest residential surveying and valuation firms, instructed by major lenders for mortgage valuations and offering home buyer reports. Directly competes with SDL on lender panels, surveyor network scale, and consumer home survey products.
• Connells Survey & Valuation: Part of the Connells Group, providing surveying and valuation services to mortgage lenders and home buyers across the UK. Directly comparable in lender panel work and consumer home survey distribution, with scale comparable to SDL.
• Countrywide Surveying Services: UK provider of residential valuations and surveys for lenders, brokers, and home buyers. Operates a comparable nationwide surveyor network with mortgage valuation and home buyer report offerings that overlap directly with SDL's product set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SDL Surveying