The AI-Driven Rewiring of UK Estate Agency
Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
Real estate has historically been conservative, fragmented, and inefficient. A surge of startups, is introducing automation, data-driven decision-making, and better customer experiences. This wave is backed by billions in investment and global talent. The bottom line is that technology is forcing real estate to modernise.
Proptech represents massive disruption, but not evenly, the wave, roughly between 2015 and 2020, is seen as a turning point. It is expected to improve or replace traditional business models and affect residential, commercial, and multifamily sectors in different ways. However, many startups will fail, and the industry’s slow-moving nature will delay change.
From 2021 onwards we are of course in the AI arms race, as a result, disruption will be partial rather than immediate or complete. And there is tension between ‘old real estate’ and ‘new tech.’
Having met many Proptech founders, nearly 1,700 in the past nine years, there is a clear divide, where tech founders view real estate as inefficient, while industry veterans see startups as naive. There is also a generational clash, with millennials building companies and baby boomers funding them. This cultural resistance is a major barrier to change.
There is now an added dimension, Data, AI, and platforms will form the core of the future.
The present phase is driven by big data, AI and machine learning, a key threat and opportunity is that that real estate data should move from fragmented silos to shared platforms, which would dramatically improve efficiency and collaboration, but who would own the data gateway?
Which means that data infrastructure will therefore become the backbone of the UK Estate Agency industry.
As with any major technological shift, some incumbents will adapt and thrive, while others will be displaced. At the same time, new entrants such as startups and investors have a window of opportunity right now.
The industry is at a strategic inflection point.
It is becoming more diverse and global, and is at the same time reshaping how real estate businesses are built and operated. And AI is allowing smaller founding teams to cover far greater ground in a smaller span of time. The converse blocker always being that real estate will not change overnight, as despite the hype, real estate remains illiquid, complex, and highly localised. Many processes are customised and not easily standardised. As a result, change will be incremental but cumulative over time.
Technology, particularly data and AI will fundamentally reshape real estate, but progress will be uneven due to industry inertia, regulatory complexity, and immature technologies.
Practical implications for estate agencies in the UK
Here are the practical, operator-level implications specifically for UK estate agencies, focusing on changes to business models, margins, and competitive positioning. When I started in residential estate agency in the UK in the mid 1980’s – agents were the guides, pathfinders and high priests of the property journey, only we held the vital knowledge, what property assets were worth and would lease out for. And the general adoption of cloud computing of 2004 was two decades away, so paper and siloed data were industry watchwords.
Now estate agents, your traditional value, based on listings and access, is eroding, portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla, along with other digital platforms, already control distribution and demand aggregation. Consumers can now self-educate, compare options, and shortlist properties without needing an agent. As a result, acting purely as a middleman with listings is no longer defensible, and fee pressure will continue, creating a risk of a race to the bottom.
Agencies therefore need to shift from providing access to property towards delivering expertise and outcomes, particularly in pricing strategy, negotiation, and chain management.
Automation is already removing administrative work; this trend will quicken.
Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
(ULI) 2026 Proptech innovation challenge launches
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Europe has called for entries in the 2026 PropTech Innovation Challenge (PIC), inviting innovators from across the built environment and technology to enter their cutting-edge solutions addressing the environmental, economic and social resilience of real estate. The fourth edition of the competition, which is a Young Leaders led initiative with a focus on fostering innovation in real estate, reflects the mission of ULI to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.
Innovators are invited to submit their workable, scalable, and competitive solutions that promote resilient business models to support real estate in remaining viable and competitive while proactively identifying climate and social vulnerabilities and developing adaptive responses to them.
The focus this year is on durability across economic, environmental, and social pressures, with solutions reimagining how real estate integrates with different asset classes and functions to promote new ways of living and working. Innovations submitted can include both high and low-tech solutions such as hardware, software and business models, with the jury assessing them according to three criteria: potential impact, innovation and likelihood of adoption.
“The question of how we make our buildings, cities and communities resilient to the diverse risks and uncertainties that affect everyone is a central focus of ULI’s mission,” said Simon Durkin, CEO, ULI Europe. “There are important environmental and social factors that our industry needs to address, as well as value preservation, and awareness of the most effective and innovative solutions to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face is critical.”
“Driven by the enthusiasm and dynamism of our Young Leaders, the PIC initiative itself also exemplifies innovation, and over the last three years the competition has proven its significance and achieved great momentum, rallying many in the industry by connecting real estate with some of the solutions needed to support our places and our communities.”
The delivery of PIC is led by members of the ULI Europe Young Leaders Executive Committee, and this year comprises Marco Licari, Senior Energy Engineer, GreenGen and Fabienne Cézanne, Head of Marketing, Next Sense.
Marco Licari comments, “Real estate is being reshaped by new ways of living and working, requiring solutions that go beyond traditional asset boundaries. The real challenge is not just technological innovation, but the emergence of resilient business models that can integrate multiple uses, align incentives, and deliver seamless, end-to-end user experiences.”
Fabienne Cézanne comments, “Building on the momentum of previous editions, this year’s challenge reflects a critical shift in our industry. Resilient business models are no longer optional – they are essential to navigating economic, social, and climate pressures. I’m particularly excited to see solutions that rethink how real estate integrates across asset classes to deliver more adaptive, user-centric experiences.”
PIC runs in two phases, commencing with eight regional competitions for Austria, CEE (Poland and Czech Republic), France, Germany, Greece and Cyprus, Iberia (Spain and Portugal), Switzerland, and the UK and Ireland. The shortlisted finalists in each region will be invited to present to their national ULI PIC Jury Committees. Each of the regional winners will then be eligible to enter the pan European Grand Final of PIC in September 2026, presenting to the European jury. The overall European winner will then be revealed at the C Change Summit on November 5, 2026, in Dublin.
Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
OpticWise ‘The CRE control layer’
Week 44: Why Ownership of the Network Changes Everything
In this weekly series, we explore how the commercial real estate industry is being transformed by data and digital infrastructure. Guided by the principles in Peak Property Performance, we unpack a new idea every week to help owners unlock value, reduce risk, and future-proof their portfolios. Learn more about OpticWise and Bill Douglas, the authors of this series.
Most CRE owners believe they control their buildings.
They own the deed.
They control the leases.
They oversee operations.
But in many cases, they do not control the digital layer that runs the building.
And that changes everything.
The Hidden Power Structure Inside Modern Buildings
Today’s commercial properties are powered by interconnected systems:
- Access control
- HVAC and building management systems
- Surveillance cameras
- Energy management platforms
- Tenant Wi-Fi and managed connectivity
- Smart sensors and IoT devices
All of these rely on one foundational element: the network(s).
If ownership does not control the networks, they do not control:
- The flow of data
- System integrations
- Vendor access
- Security posture
- Future monetization opportunities
The network is not plumbing. It is the control layer.
Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
