What agencies want from AI

If you spend 5 mins on LinkedIn, you’d be forgiven for thinking every real estate agency is making software decisions based entirely on AI.

AI this.

AI that.

AI-generated everything.

The reality is a little more interesting.

In the latest edition of The Estate (subscribe here), we asked agencies a simple question:

“What would make you seriously consider changing software?”

The results surprised us.

34.62% selected workflows instead of tasks.

26.92% selected AI tools and functionality.

36.92% selected better support and service.

11.43% selected automation capabilities.

AI ranked highly, nobody can deny that.

But it didn’t come first.

Workflows did.

And that tells us something important about where agencies are right now.

Agencies don’t wake up thinking about AI

Most property managers don’t arrive at work thinking:

"I really wish I had more artificial intelligence today."

They’re usually thinking:

• How do I get through my inbox?
• Has that maintenance request been approved?
• Who’s handling that lease renewal?
• Did the owner get updated?
• What’s sitting overdue?

Sales agents aren’t much different.

They’re thinking about:

• Follow-up
• Appraisals
• Buyers
• Vendors
• Listings

The day starts with work.

Not technology.

Which means agencies often judge software based on a simple question:

“Does this make my day easier?”

That’s where workflows start becoming more important than individual features.

AI get attention, but workflows create momentum

AI is exciting because people can see it.

You ask a question.

It writes a response.

It summarises a conversation.

It drafts an email.

You get an immediate result.

Workflows are less glamorous.

Nobody takes screenshots of a workflow and shares it on social media.

But workflows determine whether work actually moves forward.

Think about a lease renewal.

Or a maintenance request.

Or a sales campaign.

The individual task is rarely the challenge.

The challenge is everything that happens before and after it.

Good workflows create momentum.

Poor workflows create friction.

Most agencies experience that every single day.

Agencies want AI that solves real problems

This is where the conversation becomes interesting.

When agencies say they want AI, they’re usually not asking for AI for the sake of having AI.

They’re looking for help with things that already consume time.

Things like:

• Reading long email chains
• Writing owner updates
• Summarising conversations
• Preparing OFI feedback
• Responding faster
• Finding information quickly

In other words, they’re looking for practical help.

The AI features generating the most interest across realestate right now tend to be the ones reducing mental load rather than creating entirely new ways of working.

Because most agencies aren’t trying to reinvent their day.

They’re trying to make it easier to manage.

Better support ranked alongside AI for a reason

This was probably the result that stood out most.

The same percentage of respondents selected:

• AI tools and functionality
• Better support and service

That’s worth paying attention to.

Because software decisions are rarely made on features alone.

Moat agencies eventually hit a moment where they need:

• Help
• Guidance
• Onboarding
• Troubleshooting
• Training

And when that happens, support becomes very visible.

A brilliant feature loses some shine pretty quickly if nobody knows how to use it properly.

The conversation is changing

A couple of years ago, software conversations often centred around:

• Digitisation
• Cloud access
• Automation

Now the conversation feels different.

Agencies are asking:

• How does this fit into my workflow?
• How much time will this save?
• Will my team actually use it?
• Does it help us stay organised?
• Can it reduce repetitive work?

AI absolutely forms part of that discussion.

But agencies are becoming more selective.

They’re looking beyond feature lists and focusing more on outcomes.

That’s a sign the market is maturing.

The best AI usually feels invisible

One of the most interesting things about AI is that the best examples often don’t feel particularly dramatic.

They simply remove a small piece of friction.

A property manager opens a conversation and immediately understands what’s happened.

A leasing agent generates OFI feedback in seconds.

A sales agent gets help drafting a follow-up email.

The work still happens.

The human still makes the decision.

The software simply removes some of the effort required to get there.

That’s where AI starts becoming genuinely useful.

Not because it’s impressive, but because it helps people get on with their day.

What agencies seem to be asking for

Looking at our survey results, the message feels pretty clear.

Agencies want:

• Better workflows
• Practical AI
• Stronger support
• Less repetitive work
• More visibility

They want technology that helps work move forward.

What's interesting is that AI didn't top the list.

That doesn't mean agencies aren't interested in AI, quite the opposite.

It suggests they're becoming more selective about where AI adds value.

Most agencies aren't looking for another feature to learn.

They're looking for fewer things to think about.

Less time spent searching for information, less manual follow-up, less repetition.

More confidence that work is moving forward, even when the day gets busy.

The software conversation is maturing.

A few years ago, it was about moving to the cloud. Today, it's about creating better experiences for teams and clients.

AI is becoming part of that future, but our survey suggests agencies still care just as much about the fundamentals.

Good workflows. good support and good visibility.

Because before technology can make work smarter, it usually has to make work easier.

Curious about how AI is being applied across Sales, PM and Lettings?

Explore Reapit's latest AI capabilities, including conversation summaries, suggested replies, and tools designed to reduce admin and help teams respond faster.

Book a walkthrough with our team today.