Unlocking AI in Lettings: What You Need to Know

The Zoopla Lettings Advisory Board (ZLAB) is here to cut through the noise, helping businesses tap into AI’s potential with a series of easy-to-digest guides and reviews – think of it as your AI cheat sheet.

But before we get started, here’s a little bit about us. We established the ZLAB to give dedicated support to the continuous improvement of the renter experience, as well as boosting efficiencies for agents operating in lettings and property management. The board is focused on emerging trends in the rental market and how Government policies and new technologies might shape the market. This is why we’re delivering a series on AI in lettings, and how it can support agents.

AI is shaking up industries, and lettings is no exception. From automating property management to elevating customer service, it offers game-changing possibilities for your business. In this article, we’ll dive into AI’s potential in lettings, how it can impact you, and the tools you can use to stay ahead. Plus, we’ll give you a sneak peek at the first in our AI review series.

But first, let’s quickly get acquainted with what AI is. It may sound like the latest buzzword, but AI has been evolving since the 1950s. Fast forward to today, and it’s not just a futuristic concept—it’s revolutionising industries. Key milestones like machine learning (1980s) and deep learning (recent years) have given rise to today’s powerful AI tools, enabling everything from voice recognition to image analysis. These advances have laid the groundwork for AI to make inroads into the lettings sector.

Worried AI will steal jobs? Don’t be. Those who embrace it will thrive, leaving behind those who don’t. AI isn’t here to replace humans but to handle routine tasks — like data entry, scheduling, and tenant screening — so you can focus on what truly matters: closing deals, nurturing relationships, and delivering standout service. Think of AI as your trusty sidekick, doing the heavy lifting while you take care of the big-picture stuff.

AI is already being adopted by suppliers to the lettings industry at pace. This is evident in enhanced screening checks of prospective tenants, automatic & engaging property descriptions, chatbots, maintenance schedules, and more. In time, you will see this play a bigger and bigger part in the services your suppliers deliver you, enhanced and ‘turbo-charged’ by AI.

As such, we are going to create a series of articles looking at ‘open market’ AI solutions and how these can be adopted to underpin and supercharge the day to day operations of running a lettings business. We will look at all solutions from a lettings perspective, but will be focusing on the core building blocks of any business. This will cover everything from content creation & marketing implementation, to recruitment & HR, diary & task management & efficiency, operations & business planning, market analysis, value creation, revenue streams and so much more.

In each article, we will explore a particular business area and a suitable AI product that helps solve the challenges it creates. We will look at how easy it is to use, how easy it was to embed in our agency (we will be trialling these products within Kristjan Byfield’s ‘base property specialists’), what we liked (or not), what we would do differently if we adopted it now with our existing knowledge and other products in the same marketplace that are also getting traction. All from a practical, hands-on, jargon-free perspective.

AI’s potential in lettings is huge, but it’s essential to understand both its strengths and limits. It’s not here to replace you, but to empower you, freeing you from routine tasks so you can focus on what you do best. Don’t hesitate to embrace this exciting tech—the future of lettings is bright, and with AI in your toolkit, you’ll be leading the way.