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.
The 10:47pm Vendor
Sunday night. 10:47pm. The branch has been closed for nearly three hours. The negotiators are at home, the valuer is probably watching something they recorded earlier, and the office phone is sending callers towards voicemail. But a homeowner has just decided they want to sell. They have been thinking about it for weeks. Perhaps they […]
A Week of Enquiries You’d Normally Never See
Sunday evening is when the week’s missed opportunities become easiest to see. The branch is quiet. The phones have stopped ringing. The negotiators have gone home, the valuer is not checking their diary, and the shared inbox is waiting for Monday morning. Meanwhile, homeowners are comparing agents, applicants are requesting viewings and buyers are finally […]
The Office Is Shut, the Market Isn’t
It is Sunday morning, around 8.30am. The office is quiet. The lights are off, the shutters are down and nobody is standing behind the front desk waiting for the phone to ring. But somewhere, a buyer is scrolling Rightmove over breakfast. A vendor is comparing three agents before the rest of the household wakes up. […]
Sunday Evening Is When Vendors Decide Who to Call
Sunday evening has a particular feel in estate agency. The phones are quiet. The office is shut. Most negotiators are at home, getting ready for Monday. But somewhere, a homeowner is sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop open, comparing agents before the week begins. They may have spent the afternoon looking at sold […]
Whoever Answers First on Saturday Usually Wins the Viewing
Saturday morning, 9.06am. One of your negotiators is opening up the branch. Another is already driving to a viewing. The branch manager is trying to answer a vendor’s question about feedback from Friday. At the same time, an applicant enquires about a property on Rightmove. They are not necessarily looking at just your property. They […]
Before the Long Weekend: Filling the Diary While the Office Is Shut
Friday, 4.47pm. The phones are still ringing, one negotiator is halfway through a viewing, and your valuer is trying to finish the last market appraisal before the bank holiday. Then a vendor submits a valuation request through your website. Nobody sees it. The office closes. The voicemail message goes on. The enquiry sits in an […]
What a Negotiator Does With a Full Monday Diary
Monday, 8.17am. The branch is open, the kettle is on and the negotiator has already got twelve things competing for attention. Three weekend viewings need feedback. A vendor is waiting to hear whether Saturday’s applicant is likely to offer. Two buyers have asked for second viewings. There is a valuation at 10.30am, a viewing at […]
The Friday Wobble: Catching a Chain Before the Weekend
Friday afternoon has a particular atmosphere in an estate agency. The phones are still ringing, removals vans are already booked, vendors are asking whether keys will be released before lunch, and somebody in the chain has just said, “We’re waiting for one final thing from the solicitor.” That sentence can mean almost anything. In my […]
The Buyer Who Never Had to Chase
Thursday, 4.17pm. The buyer rings the branch because they have heard nothing since the mortgage offer was issued. Their solicitor has not replied. The vendor is asking whether exchange is still likely this month. Somewhere in the chain, someone is waiting for someone else, and nobody can say exactly who. I know that call well. […]
The Voice Note That Updates Your CRM for You
Wednesday, 4.47pm. A viewing has just finished. The applicant likes the house, but not the kitchen. They are chain-free, have a mortgage agreement in principle and want to discuss an offer with their partner that evening. The negotiator makes a quick voice note in the car park: “Sarah and Tom liked the house overall, concerned […]