Will AI Kill Off Estate Agents?

Earlier this year, I appeared on the always excellent World Class Agency Podcast hosted by Sam Hunter of Homesearch and Preston-based agent Mark Worrall.

I like these guys. They ask questions with intelligence and listen with intent.

Talking of intelligence, one of the topics we touched on was Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The guys always kick off the podcast with the question, “What does a world-class agency look like to you?”

This is my fourth appearance on their show, and each time, my reply to that question has evolved.

This time around, I answered with one eye on the future, “From a content marketing and communication point of view, world-class agents will need to be more human in the future.”

AI will play a big part in our lives as it develops and is relied upon more and more.

It poses threats and opportunities for everyone, including content creators and estate agents.

But by being more human, I think and hope we can give ourselves the best chance of success in the future.

Sam asked for some examples of my thinking around how agents (and indeed any business owners) could ‘be more human’.

Here are five ideas I’ve come up with:

1. Keep asking yourself and your team, ‘what can we do that AI can’t?’.
2. Use the telephone more than ever – have chats, catch up with people and wean yourself off the digital addiction many of us (me included) are living with. Why email when you can call? Use video messaging services like Loom and BombBomb more.
3. Get up from behind your desk and go meet people. This is a BIG one. When I used to work in public relations, it was called ‘pressing the flesh’. Shaking hands, making eye contact, listening to others. The example I used was making sure your agency is involved in or at least attends local events. Donating money is valuable; donating time is priceless. 
4. Seek out wow moments during your clients’ experiences with your agency. These can be as simple as a thoughtful handwritten card to thank a client for using your service.
5. Use AI. That may sound counter-intuitive but it can and will automate a lot of monotonous tasks – AKA the donkey work. The time saved by not having to do these tasks can be invested into the above ideas and provide more personal expertise, time and care. 

Next week I’ll be writing about the five AI tools we use to help run our business and how estate agents can introduce them into theirs.Thanks for reading.

 Jerry