Rory Morrison-Low  - Galbraith Cupar

I undertook a placement with the Rural Team in the Cupar office. During the two week placement, I got involved with a wide range of work which included getting out of the office taking part in a farm valuation, telecoms mast inspections, preparing records of condition and crop walks for establishing compensation due. I also spent time in the office where I experienced the desk based side of being a land agent such as finding land ownership.

The Galbraith team were extremely helpful, giving up a large amount of their valuable time to explain different aspects of their profession. This experience has broadened my knowledge of the property industry as a whole and will be invaluable in supporting my studies at the University of Reading as well as informing my decision on future career options. 

Charlie Fox- Galbraith Galashiels

I spent a year in the Galbraith Galashiels office from July 2017 to 2018  assisting Mike Thompson with the day to day management of a number of rural estates throughout the Borders and Lothians. 

The role of the firm varies substantially between each client; for some we manage only the residential portfolio and for others we oversee forestry and inhand farming. I was expected to assist Mike in all areas although a large amount of the job focussed specifically on residential management.

I have managed to learn a lot regarding traditional management. It was extremely beneficial to observe someone with Mike’s level of experience in rural management. I enjoyed the diversity between the Estates; the attitudes and objectives of the different clients was very varied meaning Mike and I had to adapt our management accordingly. 

I was very impressed with the standard of in-house training on offer: the APC and graduate training days were well organised and extremely educational. I was also impressed with the quality of the GIS training which I was frequently able to make use of. 

 

Rose Nash – Galbraith Castle Douglas

I spent a 7 week period - as opposed to the standard 4 week block – with the Castle Douglas office working with both the rural and residential team. 

Within my first week I attended the Galbraith marquee at the Royal Highland Show and represented the firm with my own branded name badge and gilet. This was a good opportunity to network and make connections, as well as build up my confidence as I was communicating with staff members of all levels as well as clients.  

Whilst working with the residential team I accompanied staff on client visits to carry out market appraisals, drew floor plans and assisted with writing up sales particulars. I enjoyed gaining an understanding of the full process which is undertaken when putting a property on the market.

Whilst I was in the rural team a lot of my time was spent assisting with farm valuations. One of my highlights was travelling to Cumbria to carry out a valuation of a large dairy unit. This was a process I got to follow from start to finish which made clear the skills and knowledge required to carry out a valuation efficiently.

Overall, my 7 week placement at Galbraith was very interesting and enjoyable. It highlighted that no two days are the same within the job and that there is a good mix between being in the office and out on site visits.

 

Mairi Macdonald – Galbraith Stirling 

As a third-year student studying Rural Business Management at SRUC, Edinburgh I joined the Galbraith Stirling office for my summer internship taking on a variety of tasks both in and out with the office which allowed me to gain a fuller experience of what being part of the Rural team involves.

A large amount of my time at Galbraith was spent working with Robert Taylor the partner in charge of AMC agency and it was extremely interesting to see the process from application to receiving a loan offer for a client. I gained an understanding of how important it is to listen to clients and build up a picture of what they are wanting to achieve through investment and that having a first hand understanding of the industry is key to this.

My internship at Galbraith was valuable and thoroughly enjoyable, helping me decide a career in this sector is the path I would love to follow.