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Why Estate Agents Still Matter (Even in the Age of AI)
July, 2025

Why Estate Agents Still Matter (Even in the Age of AI)

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.

 

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You can also call us on 020 8660 2010, or email enquiries@shinerocks.co.uk.


 

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Purley, Croydon & Surrey

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Recent Testimonials

Dear Paul and the ShineRocks team, Thank you! We are delighted that we successfully completed on the sale of The Garth, 12 Welcomes Road on Friday, and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, Claire and the team for all your excellent work on our behalf. We really appreciated your proactivity, frankness, responsiveness and good...

Mr & Mrs F

Very professional, responsive and delivered on promises to the tee

Mr G

Worked hard to find possible buyers. Very professional and friendly staff. Drove the completion by liaising with all parties when things threatened to go pear-shaped. Very satisfied customer

Mrs H-W

Having tried a couple estate agents to sell our house, with no result, we tried ShineRocks. Paul Shinerock was realistic in his valuation, which others had not been and we had a number of viewings. A Christmas present was accepting a very good offer. Unfortunately, the buyer dragged his heels and then at the point of exchange decided to...

Mr P

A great service offered by both Paul and Claire. Sometimes the best thing an agent can do is to convince you to accept an offer and to encourage you to pay more to get the house of your dreams. Had Paul not convinced me to accept the offer on mine I would not have moved. Claire moved heaven and earth to enable me to purchase a property through...

Mr & Mrs W

Very helpful, pleasure to work with, and they offer a great service

Mr L

My house purchase was very complicated, ShineRocks handled it very professionally

Mr H

Claire was our estate agent and she was incredibly professional, always available and kept us completely up to date. A pleasure to buy and sell with

Mrs P

Exceptionally professional and helpful and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend ShineRocks

Mr P

Excellent service over a period of several months. Always at hand to offer advice and their expertise. Highly Recommend Shinerocks and thank you for all your help

Mr A

I was very pleased with the service - professional yet caring

Mrs L

Very professional and excellent service in a complicated situation which resulted in a positive result. We have purchased 2 homes from Paul in the last 14 years. Claire is remarkable and kept us fully up to speed

Mr P

Very friendly. After a slow start we got on very well and achieved our objective. Particular thanks to Claire

Dr L

Hi Caire, Can you say a massive 'thank you' to Paul for coming to see me. He really gave me some things to think about that had just not crossed my mind. Swapping the bathroom and middle bedroom and adding a bathroom to the main bed room made so much sense, I've got Alan coming over on Saturday to cost it up! I'll definitely...

D

We have recently purchased a property through shinerocks and can honestly say the service we received from Claire was exceptional. She kept us updated regularly and liaised tirelessly between solicitors, vendors and the other agents in what became a difficult and frustrating chain. She was both professional and personable, and we always felt...

M & C

Claire, You're an absolute star! Thank you so much.

Mr and Mrs W

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for your assistance and facilitation of the purchase of our property, and I would relish the opportunity to work with you again in future endeavours.

CT

Just want to say a big thank you for all your help and support.  I know you were not our estate agent but we really felt supported and coached through the whole process and I can't thank you enough. 

M, J &A

Paul, Claire and all the team at ShineRocks have always acted with the utmost professionalism and in my experience have been the best estate agency I have ever encountered.  

Mr D

Dear Claire, Thank you so much for making our dream home come true.  Invitation to the house warming is guaranteed! Much Love

R & N

Hi the ShineRocks Team Would like to say thank you for a great service in completing on our house.  We are totally blessed, we feel so lucky.  Your team with friendly voices were very proactive in updating us.  Paul you have a good team around and to say the least, you have some charm. You are a very nice bunch of people to...

L M

We would like to also comment upon the superb level of professionalism shown by the staff at ShineRocks. Having been to other block bookings we must say that this one was handled to so well. Additionally the advice given regarding parking was most helpful. We will certainly keep an eye out for other properties marketed by you. Kindest...

Mr and Mrs H

Dear Paul How very happy I am to be the lucky chap that has been given the privilege to buy and live in the elegant property. Thank you again for the excellent service provided by ShineRocks. Yours sincerely 

Mr R

Thanks for all your attention - I am impressed with your service and will recommend you to friends. Kind regards 

Mrs A

Dear Paul This is amazing! Thank you and your team very much. Whatever happens now, I know that you all did a fantastic job in achieving this - its unbelievable. Many thanks Kindest regards 

Mrs D

Terrific news. Thank you Paul. With all thanks for your support and help during this process. All best wishes 

Mr H

Thank you so much for all your help with our house move. We appreciate the hard work you put in to finally get us to an exchange date. Your calm approach and sense of humour throughout really helped. Thanks again, 

Mr and Mrs G

Thank you so much for all your work on selling our home. It is much appreciated. Best wishes 

Mr and Mrs R

Thanks again for everything that you have done to get our new home. God bless you. 

Mr and Mrs P

Dear Claire and the 'team' at ShineRocks for all of your help and patience with our purchase.  Best wishes

K and L

Dear Mr Shinerock, thank you so very much for valued advice last Saturday; your remarks and suggestions have certainly got us thinking of the best way to turn! Best wishes

V and K

Dear Paul We are at last beginning to see some order in our new home and have time to catch breath. The move was challenging to say the least as we were downsizing dramatically and had too much to fit in prior to having an extension to create two more rooms and allow us to convert an existing one into a utility room. We would like to take...

G and S S

Good morning Claire, I have been meaning to e mail you since Monday just to say thank you! Mum and I are extremely grateful for all the time you have given us and we really do value your advice and guidance.  We have been in contact with a lot of agents, in fact probably all of the main estate agents around the area and ShineRocks...

S and M

Dear Paul, Well, we got there in the end! Although it was long, complicated and at times, a very stressful journey, we appreciate the help of you and all your team in finally getting us over the finishing line. Best regards

B

Thank you for everything you've done. I couldn't have got through this without you. Putting up with every difficult situation in such a kind way. Thank you so much. 

Mrs P

Paul, Claire and all the team at ShineRocks have always acted with the utmost professionalism and in my experience have been the best estate agency I have ever encountered.

Mr H