Meet the Land and Property Management Lecturers: Dr Mark Simcock

Name:

Dr Mark Simcock

Where did you study?

I studied Rural Enterprise & Land Management here at what was then Harper Adams Agricultural College, graduating in 1997.

More recently I completed a Professional Doctorate at the University of Salford, Manchester (2019) for my thesis entitled: Valuers of UK Agricultural Land: an assessment of their performance, decision making and use of comparable evidence

What are your professional qualifications?

Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers

Fellow of the Livestock Auctioneers Association

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

What is your job role at Harper?

I am currently the Course Manager for the Land and Property Management Programmes and am also a Principal Lecturer in Rural Land Management and Valuation.

What are your previous job roles?

Before coming to work at Harper I worked in rural professional practice in North Staffordshire (1997-2008) engaged in a full range of rural professional work.  This included carrying out valuation work,

I also worked as a Livestock Auctioneer selling livestock in the local livestock market in Leek on a weekly basis.

What is your specialist subject?

Valuation of Land and Property, although I also have an interest in Estate Management.

What is your favourite module and why?

That would have to be our Valuation modules.  I enjoy the professional challenge of trying to estimate what buyers would be prepared to pay for land and property and also looking at all the factors that could affect the value of land and property.

Why do you like working at Harper?

Our students.  I really enjoy the classroom environment where I can get to know students and work with them to enhance their, and my own, understanding of complex matters.  It is wonderful to see a group of students progress and develop through the course and finally graduate and progress with confidence into the profession.

What opportunities do you see for Harper LPM graduates?

In my view today, these are immense.  The demand for land has never been more competitive, whether that be for food production, for environmental mitigation/enhancement or for housing, and so the skills of the land manager in deciding on the best use for land have never been more needed than they are now.

Where can I get in touch with you if I have any questions about the LPM courses at Harper?

Via email at: msimcock@harper-adams.ac.uk