Letting agents who do not embrace artificial intelligence (AI) risk falling behind their competitors, according to former ARLA president Sally Lawson. Lawson, who founded Agent Rainmaker, believes that AI adoption is accelerating within the lettings sector.
Lawson advises agency owners to use AI to reduce administrative workloads, rather than expecting it to replace experienced staff. She highlighted that AI can assist with routine enquiries and appointment booking, freeing up staff to focus on client relationships and business development.
She cautioned against viewing AI as a replacement for human judgement. Lawson stated that AI will not build trust, educate prospects, or lead teams through regulatory changes like the Renters’ Rights Act. Instead, she argues it can provide agencies with more time to focus on these human-led aspects of their work.
Lawson anticipates that the gap between agencies effectively using AI and those resisting it will become increasingly noticeable over the next year. She emphasised that the main benefit of AI is to free up staff time, not to replace jobs.