The Intermediary – September 2025 - Flipbook - Page 24
BUY-TO-LET
In focus
AI and automation:
Unlocking a new
era for lettings
T
he leings market
has long carried
a reputation for
inefficiency. Tenants
face slow response
times, landlords endure
void periods, and agency staff are
stretched thin.
At its core, the sector is still highly
fragmented, with processes that vary
wildly from one agent to the next.
This lack of consistency not only
frustrates tenants and landlords,
but also drives up costs and reduces
margins for operators.
Technology has always promised
to make things beer, yet until
recently its role in leings was limited
to digitising paperwork or moving
listings online. These were important
steps, but they didn’t fundamentally
change the experience.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and
automation offer the potential to
streamline operations, cut delays, and
deliver a more professional service to
all sides of the market.
The impact is already measurable.
Leing a property, which might
once have taken weeks of manual
veing and follow-up calls, can now
be handled with far greater speed
and accuracy. AI-led processes are
enabling some operators to reduce
leing times by around a third, largely
by automating checks, validating
offers, and matching tenants more
effectively to the right homes. The
outcome is fewer or shorter void
periods for landlords and faster access
to properties for tenants.
Maintenance – historically one of
the most painful parts of renting – is
another area where AI is proving
transformative. Industry-wide, it
is not uncommon for maintenance
requests to stretch on for weeks, with
the average resolution time siing at
22
The Intermediary | September 2025
more than a month. Automation and
AI-driven triage are changing this.
Early adopters are seeing resolution
times cut by almost a third, and the
ambition is to bring them down from
an average of 50 days to closer to 10.
By routing requests intelligently,
tracking contractors in real time, and
predicting common faults before they
occur, technology is helping to create
a smoother, more transparent process
for tenants and landlords alike.
Just as importantly, automation
is reducing the stress around
compliance. AI can ensure that
critical requirements such as gas
safety, electrical checks, and tenancy
renewals are tracked and actioned
automatically.
There are also operational
advantages. In a traditional agency
setup, a manager might comfortably
handle around 100 units before the
workload becomes unmanageable.
By automating repetitive tasks and
allowing AI to shoulder process-heavy
work, a single manager can oversee
closer to 500 units, while actually
improving the quality of service. That
opens the door to greater scale without
eroding customer experience.
The wider effects of these shis are
important. For landlords, faster lets
mean stronger yields and reduced
risk of costly voids. For tenants,
quicker responses and a more reliable
application process translate to beer
living standards. For agency staff,
it frees them to focus on building
relationships, supporting tenants,
and advising landlords. AI is enabling
people to do what they do best.
Marked improvement
These operational efficiencies are
already reshaping market dynamics.
By leveraging automation, operators
can integrate multiple businesses
SAM HUMPHREYS
is head of M&A at Dwelly
under one platform, achieving
consistency at scale. The result is
likely to be a more consolidated
leings landscape, with tech-led firms
taking a growing share of the market.
AI and automation open the
possibility of creating a fully
transactional rental marketplace, one
where the journey – from viewing
through to tenancy management
– can be conducted seamlessly on a
single platform. The leings industry
could start to resemble the best aspects
of both property portals and major
agencies, delivering convenience,
efficiency, and trust at every stage.
Of course, challenges remain.
Data protection, tenant privacy,
and the ethical use of AI must be
taken seriously. Trust is central,
and operators must ensure that tech
enhances rather than undermines
it. There is also the question of
accessibility. Human oversight and
support will remain vital. The future
will be AI working hand-in-hand with
skilled professionals.
For intermediaries, investors, and
the wider property market, AI is
no longer theoretical. It is here, it is
working, and it is already shiing the
economics of the sector. Those who
embrace it stand to build stronger,
more scalable businesses. Those who
ignore it risk being le behind.
By tackling inefficiencies headon, AI and automation are not just
streamlining operations; they are
reshaping the entire experience.
The opportunity is clear: to move
beyond fragmented, inconsistent
service towards a rental market that is
more professional, transparent, and
fit for the future. ●
