Every week I receive an email, a pop-up or a product update telling me the same thing: AI is here to do my job.
Apparently, I no longer need to describe a property - AI will do that. I don’t need to value a home - there’s an algorithm for that too. I don’t even need to talk to clients anymore - AI can handle enquiries, book viewings, and negotiate offers.
Call me old-fashioned, but I’m not convinced that’s a good thing.
Let’s be clear - I’m not against tech. We’ve always embraced tools that make us more efficient. But there’s a difference between using tech to assist and using it to replace.
Take AI-generated valuations, for example. Our CRM provider has been shouting about its latest upgrade – a tool that uses historical sales data and algorithms to predict property value. Sounds clever. But is it actually accurate or helpful?
In reality, many of these automated valuation models are overvaluing homes — sometimes significantly. They pull in broad data, miss the finer details, and churn out figures that might look impressive on paper but don't reflect what's happening on the ground. We've seen inflated valuations mislead sellers, set unrealistic expectations, and ultimately lead to disappointment when offers come in nowhere near the price AI promised.
It’s no surprise. These systems don’t walk through the property. They don’t pick up on wear and tear, location quirks, or the difference between a dated kitchen and a top-end renovation. They certainly don’t understand the local buyer mindset or seasonal shifts in demand. All things that we account for when we’re advising a seller.
When we’re pricing a property, we’re not just reading off a spreadsheet. We’re considering the family who spent thirty years renovating it. We’re looking at local demand. We're walking through it, noticing the sunlight in the kitchen at 10am and the garden's condition after a rainy spell. These things don’t show up in an algorithm - but they make all the difference when it comes to price.
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And the human side of selling doesn’t stop there.
AI might be able to estimate a sale timeline, but it can’t sit with a seller who’s downsizing after losing a partner. It can’t reassure a nervous buyer who’s about to commit their life savings. It can’t walk into a property and feel when the asking price is slightly off.
Even the best-trained AI doesn’t understand the subtleties of a tough chain, the price renegotiation situations, or the difference between a “maybe” and a “definitely not” when a buyer says, “We’re still thinking about it.”
And let’s talk about those AI-generated property descriptions. They’re fast, yes - but they often miss the point. You end up with bland, repetitive copy that might mention the square footage but completely ignores what makes the home special.
At Shinerocks, we don’t just list the facts - we tell the story.
We actually know about property in Purley, Croydon and Greater London.
We’ve sold the neighbours’ houses.
We understand what local buyers are looking for.
That context - that local knowledge - is what gives our clients confidence. It’s what builds trust. And it’s what consistently gets our sellers better results.
Now, I know what some people are thinking: “Won’t AI get better over time?” Probably. It’s learning fast. But I still believe that moving home is a human decision. People want guidance, not just data. They want experience. And they want to talk to someone who’s walked the walk, not a chatbot trained on last year’s listings.
There’s no question that AI will continue to influence our industry.
Some of it will be useful - even game-changing. But we need to be cautious about how far we let it go. Because if we hand over too much to the machines, we risk losing what makes estate agency valuable in the first place: relationships, trust, and local insight.
For sellers, that’s more important than ever. If your home is misvalued by £20,000, you might not even get viewings - let alone offers. And if your agent is relying on AI to do the pricing, the marketing, and the follow-up, then what exactly are you paying them for?
At Shinerocks, we’re proud to say we still do things properly. Yes, we use tech to help us work smarter, but never at the expense of personal service.
Every valuation is done by a real person who knows the local market.
Every negotiation is handled by someone who understands how to read the room.
Every seller has a dedicated point of contact from the day they list to the day they move.
That’s how we’ve always worked, and that’s how we’ll continue to work. Because in an industry built on people, relationships will always matter more than algorithms.
Thinking of selling? Let’s talk it through - no bots, no jargon, just honest advice. Contact us.
Call 020 8660 2010 or email enquiries@shinerocks.co.uk to book your valuation today.