Established in 1989, SDL pioneered the panel management approach in surveying, which marked a move away from local branch managers valuing properties for mortgage purposes.

Today, SDL is the UK’s largest independent provider of mortgage valuations. It works with most major lenders in the UK, managing c.220,000 valuations per year.

SDL was also an early innovator in technology. In 2010, it was the first to introduce iPad technology to drive productivity, manage risk and improve service delivery for lenders.

This innovation continued with the launch of its desktop valuation product, which removes the need for the surveyor to visit the property and allows a mortgage lending decision to be made within an hour. This significantly improves surveyor productivity, as well as providing a cost benefit for the lender.

In addition to lender valuations, SDL also completes a range of private home surveys directly on behalf of consumers. It offers three levels of buyer reports.

SDL fulfils its valuation and survey requirements via a mixture of employed surveyors and an external nationwide network of local independent chartered surveying firms.