Founded in 2012, Sesame Bankhall Valuation Services (SBVS) was established as a collaboration between the home survey specialists, SDL Surveying, and the support services provider for financial intermediaries, Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG).
We provide market-leading survey and valuation services directly to consumers, as well as via intermediaries and estate agents on a referral basis.
SBVS also provides panel management services to a range of lender clients, supporting them to manage their risk, deliver exceptional service, and improve quality.
Specialises in bringing together intermediaries from across the financial advice community and has long standing relationships with a range of lender clients.
Pioneered the panel management approach in surveying, which marked a move away from local branch managers valuing properties for mortgage purposes.
A joint venture, powered by SDL Surveying’s market-leading surveying and valuation business while maximising the strength of SBG’s relationships within the lender community.
Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG) was formed in 2009 by bringing together industry-leading businesses, before becoming part of the Aviva Group in 2014. Today, SBG continue to deliver sound financial performance, whilst investing in the market with new propositions and initiatives.
SBG includes Sesame Network, PMS Mortgage Club, and Bankhall Compliance Support Services for directly authorised firms. SBG is the largest distributor of intermediated mortgages in the UK operating across the above core brands.
In 2021, SBG completed 259,533 mortgage cases at a lending value of £49.7bn, representing 11.4% of the UK mortgage market.
Established in 1989, SDL Surveying is the UK’s largest independent provider of mortgage valuations. The business works with most major lenders in the UK and manages c.208,000 valuations per year. In 2010, SDL were the first surveying firm to introduce iPad technology to drive productivity, manage risk and improve service delivery for lenders.
In addition to lender valuations, SDL also completes a range of private home surveys directly on behalf of consumers. SDL fulfils its valuation and survey requirements via a mixture of employed surveyors and an external nationwide network of local independent chartered surveying firms.
Stephanie Charman
Strategic Relationships Director at Sesame Bankhall Group
Stephanie has over 27 years’ experience in financial services. Her current responsibilities include strategic management of all lender, provider and wealth partner relationships to ensure SBG offer a best of breed mortgage and protection proposition. Prior to her roles at SBG, Stephanie was Head of Mortgage & Insurance at Mortgage Intelligence for 15 years and started her financial services career as a mortgage adviser for Barclays.
Stephanie Charman
Strategic Relationships Director at Sesame Bankhall Group
Stephanie has over 27 years’ experience in financial services. Her current responsibilities include strategic management of all lender, provider and wealth partner relationships to ensure SBG offer a best of breed mortgage and protection proposition. Prior to her roles at SBG, Stephanie was Head of Mortgage & Insurance at Mortgage Intelligence for 15 years and started her financial services career as a mortgage adviser for Barclays.
Steve Harris
Chief Finance Officer at Sesame Bankhall Group
Steve is a qualified chartered accountant (FCA) with more than 20 years’ experience of the life insurance market. He has experience in senior finance roles including Distribution and Product Finance Director, Strategic Finance, Commercial, Group FP&A as well as Chairman of a Pension Trust. Steve is particularly skilled in creating and delivering commercial solutions through being a problem-solving business influencer.
Steve Harris
Chief Finance Officer at Sesame Bankhall Group
Steve is a qualified chartered accountant (FCA) with more than 20 years’ experience of the life insurance market. He has experience in senior finance roles including Distribution and Product Finance Director, Strategic Finance, Commercial, Group FP&A as well as Chairman of a Pension Trust. Steve is particularly skilled in creating and delivering commercial solutions through being a problem-solving business influencer.
Giles Smith
Technical Director
Giles qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor in 1989, starting out in private practice across the South of England, before stints at C&G and Lloyds. Having joined the SDL Surveying business in 2007, Giles now fulfils the role of Technical Director and has an overall responsibility for surveyor audit.
Giles Smith
Technical Director
Giles qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor in 1989, starting out in private practice across the South of England, before stints at C&G and Lloyds. Having joined the SDL Surveying business in 2007, Giles now fulfils the role of Technical Director and has an overall responsibility for surveyor audit.
Claire Lydon
Client Relationship Director
Claire is responsible for looking after SBVS’s existing clients, as well as being a key contact for prospective lender partners. Having joined SDL Surveying in 1996, Claire has a wealth of industry experience and has been integral to the growth of both the SDL Surveying and SBVS businesses over the last 26 years.
Claire Lydon
Client Relationship Director
Claire is responsible for looking after SBVS’s existing clients, as well as being a key contact for prospective lender partners. Having joined SDL Surveying in 1996, Claire has a wealth of industry experience and has been integral to the growth of both the SDL Surveying and SBVS businesses over the last 26 years.
Rachel Griffiths
Head of External Operations
With a career in property and financial services spanning over 20 years, Rachel is passionate about building trusted business partnerships. Having joined SDL Surveying in 2016, her role encompasses identifying, maintaining, and growing third-party relationships to scale the firm’s surveying capacity and home survey sales.
Rachel Griffiths
Head of External Operations
With a career in property and financial services spanning over 20 years, Rachel is passionate about building trusted business partnerships. Having joined SDL Surveying in 2016, her role encompasses identifying, maintaining, and growing third-party relationships to scale the firm’s surveying capacity and home survey sales.
John Grieve
Head of Internal Operations
Having joined SDL Surveying in 2012, John has over 15 years’ experience in the property and financial services industry. Today, his role focuses on managing SDL Surveying’s call centre operation and upholding the business’ excellent SLA performance, which has been key to increasing the firm’s market share in recent years. He is also responsible for surveyor recruitment.
John Grieve
Head of Internal Operations
Having joined SDL Surveying in 2012, John has over 15 years’ experience in the property and financial services industry. Today, his role focuses on managing SDL Surveying’s call centre operation and upholding the business’ excellent SLA performance, which has been key to increasing the firm’s market share in recent years. He is also responsible for surveyor recruitment.
Simon Jackson
Managing Director
Simon is Managing Director at SDL Surveying, having joined the business in 2007. Simon has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry having worked in various roles at HSBC, before progressing to become COO of Aon’s retail division and subsequently Operations Leader at Egg.
Simon Jackson
Managing Director
Simon is Managing Director at SDL Surveying, having joined the business in 2007. Simon has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry having worked in various roles at HSBC, before progressing to become COO of Aon’s retail division and subsequently Operations Leader at Egg.
Ian Fergusson FRICS
Chief Surveyor
With over 35 years of experience as a surveyor, Ian fulfils the role of Chief Surveyor at SBVS. Ian also has a wealth of experience contributing to committees, task forces and working groups within the surveying industry. Notably, he was previously Chairman of RICS Scotland and a longstanding member of the RICS World Regional Board (UK & Ireland).
Ian Fergusson FRICS
Chief Surveyor
With over 35 years of experience as a surveyor, Ian fulfils the role of Chief Surveyor at SBVS. Ian also has a wealth of experience contributing to committees, task forces and working groups within the surveying industry. Notably, he was previously Chairman of RICS Scotland and a longstanding member of the RICS World Regional Board (UK & Ireland).
We work in partnership with our network firms and back them to grow their businesses. We share success with our people and back them to progress towards personal goals.
We create a better future for consumers by progressing mortgage transactions efficiently. We create a better future for our people by investing in their wellbeing and development.
We always give our customers the best advice and do the right thing by them. We act with integrity towards our colleagues and do the right thing in difficult situations.
We believe that a career in the surveying and financial services industry should be an attractive choice for all, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding any acts of aggression, discrimination, or abuse. This policy applies throughout our offices and to any employee carrying out our business in any other location.
We’re passionate about giving something back to the community and those in need of our support. Our people engage in a range of challenges and fundraising initiatives throughout the year; in FY22, we raised a whopping £18.5k for charities close to our hearts, including Mind, The Trussell Trust and LionHeart.
We’re passionate about giving something back to the community and those in need of our support. Our people engage in a range of challenges and fundraising initiatives throughout the year; in FY22, we raised a whopping £18.5k for charities close to our hearts, including Mind, The Trussell Trust and LionHeart.
At SBVS, we recognise the need to limit global warming to under 1.5 degrees centigrade as set out in the Paris Agreement. Our principal focus is therefore on our carbon dioxide emissions, which are measured and reported on annually in our audited accounts.
Our policy is to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Environmental objectives and initiatives are in place to reduce our overall carbon dioxide emissions by 15% per annum, even after the planned growth of our business. A programme of initiatives is in place to achieve this:
