Practical notes on AI automation
What we are seeing across UK estate agencies, law firms and accountancy practices — where automation earns its place, and where it does not.
Proof of Funds: The Documents That Always Arrive Late
It’s 4.48pm on a Friday. The vendor has accepted the offer, the memorandum of sale is being prepared, and the buyer says the deposit is “all sorted”. The negotiator asks for the bank statement and gift letter. “I’ll send them over tonight,” says the buyer. Monday morning, nothing. The vendor wants an update; the sales […]
The Two-Week Delay Caused by One Unsigned Form
At 3.40 on a Wednesday afternoon, a sales progressor gets a call from the buyer’s solicitor: the local authority search still hasn’t been ordered. The signed search authorisation is missing. It was sent to the buyer two weeks ago, but nobody spotted that it hadn’t come back. The buyer thought the solicitor had everything. The […]
The Saturday Offer That Couldn’t Wait for Monday
At 2.17 on a Saturday afternoon, a buyer calls with an offer. The vendor is on a touchline watching their child’s football match. Your negotiator is showing a flat, the branch is closed, and the voicemail says someone will call back on Monday. I know that exact tension from ten years in estate agency. An […]
Same Street, Two Agencies: What the Adoption Gap Looks Like Door by Door
Saturday, 10.06am. A vendor on the same street calls two local agents to ask about a valuation. At the first, a negotiator is between viewings and answers. At the second, the team is out, the phone rings through and the vendor leaves no message. That small difference can shape who gets invited round. I saw […]
The Valuer Who Arrives Already Briefed
At 10.15 on a wet Wednesday, I’m on the doorstep with my notebook and comparable evidence ready. The vendor opens the door, and the first useful thing I learn is that they need to move before the school term starts. They’ve already found somewhere, their buyer has a mortgage in principle, and their partner, who […]
Getting ID Checks and AML Records Into the Right Place, First Time
Tuesday, 4.47pm. An offer has been agreed, the memorandum of sale is being prepared and the negotiator is trying to pin down the buyer’s solicitor before everyone disappears for the evening. Meanwhile, the buyer’s ID documents are in an email thread, proof of funds is in a shared folder and the client record in Reapit […]
The Document Chase That Never Has to Happen Again
Thursday, 4.38pm. The memorandum of sale has gone out, but the buyer’s proof of funds is still missing. The solicitor is waiting for signed authority before ordering searches. Your sales progressor has already left two messages, and the vendor is asking whether exchange is still likely before the end of the month. I know that […]
Sunday Night Review: Enquiries You’d Have Missed
At 7.16pm on Sunday, 4 October, a homeowner fills in your valuation form while the children are finally in bed. At 7.41pm, a buyer asks whether they can view the three-bedroom house they found online next Saturday. At 8.12pm, another applicant sends a message saying they are ready to move, but need to sell their […]
The Enquiry Sent at 9pm on a Sunday
Sunday, 4 October. 9:02pm. Somewhere, a homeowner has finished dinner, opened their laptop and sent an enquiry to three local estate agents. They may have been thinking about moving for months. Perhaps a neighbour has just sold. Perhaps a change in work or family life has made the next move feel possible. They have looked […]
What Buyers Worry About on a Saturday
Saturday, 3 October. The office is quieter than usual, but the phones have not stopped entirely. A buyer has sent a message asking whether the chain is still intact. A vendor wants to know if the enquiries have been answered. Someone else is worried because their solicitor did not reply to an email sent at […]