There has been no shortage of discussion about artificial intelligence in the property sector over the last couple of years. Every part of the industry is asking what AI means for their business, their people and their customers.
As time progresses, I think we need to move away from AI as a talking point and start looking at it as an operational tool. For agents in particular, the opportunity is not necessarily about introducing the most advanced technology. It is about identifying where teams are losing time, where prospective tenants are experiencing unnecessary delays and where small inefficiencies ultimately affect occupancy, tenant satisfaction and revenue.
The starting point should not be about the technology itself, but the problems it can solve. AI should not be adopted simply because it is new but used where it can make a measurable impact. A good example is property viewings, where coordinating qualification, availability, access and follow up can create a significant bottleneck for agents. Vinny’s recent pilot with Allsop Letting & Management automated this process at The Chapters estate in Ely, allowing suitable applicants to qualify, book and securely access a property without an agent being present. Within just over a week, 30% of the available units had been leased, while agents were able to focus their time elsewhere.
Another clear area where AI can add value is in the volume of repetitive tasks that are part of the parcel when dealing with tenants. Responding to enquiries, answering common questions, qualifying applicants, coordinating views and following up with prospective tenants are all essential parts of the process. But they can also consume a significant amount of team’s time. The issue is not that these tasks are unimportant, however, they do not always require the expertise of the person carrying them out.
This is becoming even more valuable as tenant enquiries grow in volume and complexity. As AI makes it easier for tenants to draft detailed enquiries and complaints at any hour, agents can also use AI to help summarise lengthy messages, identify key points and issues, and determine what needs an immediate response and what can be handled through a standard process. This gives agents a faster way to understand what requires actions, helping them respond more quickly and consistently as the volume of tenant communication increases.
A team’s time is most valuable when they are building relationships, handling complex issues, understanding what tenants or applicants really need and progressing deals. The bigger opportunity is to connect these individual tasks into a more joined up process. AI has the potential to help agents manage that journey more consistently, while giving teams greater visibility of what needs attention and when. If an agency takes too long to respond, there is a real risk that a prospective tenant will simply move on.
The same applies internally, if agents are spending large parts of their day chasing information, arranging appointments or carrying out repetitive checks, that is time they are not spending progressing applicants and winning new instructions.
The next phase of proptech should be less about having another piece of software and more about technology becoming embedded into the way a lettings team operates. The most useful AI will be technology that works quietly in the background, helping teams respond faster, reduce manual work and focus their attention where it has the greatest commercial value.
For agents, the question shouldn’t be “what can AI do?” but “where are we losing time and how can AI help us solve this?”. This shift in mindset is likely to be far more important than any individual AI feature.
Johnny Siu is co-founder and CEO of Vinny.
