Has Technology Made Estate Agents Smarter or Just More Passive? Why True Property Expertise Still Matters in a Digital Age

The internet was meant to revolutionise the property industry.

In an age of algorithms and AI, the real estate world has become increasingly automated. From slick CRM platforms to instant valuations and social media property tours, technology has redefined how agents market homes.

Email, online portals, digital CRMs, and automated marketing tools have certainly transformed how agents operate - speeding up processes, improving access to data, and enabling broader outreach.

But in this rush to embrace tech, an important question lingers:

Has the digital age truly made agents more effective - or simply more reactive?

Have these tools truly elevated the role of the estate agent, or simply enabled a new generation of lazy, less engaged ‘door openers’?

Before the digital revolution, estate agents had no choice but to actively sell. You picked up the phone. You knew your buyers. You had to make every connection count.

Property boards, newspaper listings, printed brochures, and shopfront windows were the marketing channels Your Rolodex and appointment diary were your CRM. Local knowledge, market intuition, and personal effort were everything and results were earned, not outsourced.

Today, many agents simply list a property, upload it to a portal, and then wait - one eye on their inbox, one ear on their phone, many with little knowledge of the property or the client other than what’s written in the property description or listing.

Tech has made life easier, but has it also made some agents complacent and less proactive?

With the rise of the “Property Influencer” in the era of social media, many ‘agents’ now spend more time curating their personal brand than focusing on the detail of a transaction.

Flashy reels, polished outfits, luxury cars, and motivational quotes fill our feeds - but behind the filters, how many actually understand the nuances of architecture, specification, planning, or the transaction process or are they simply great at marketing themselves?

There’s a growing trend of influencers who may excel at creating content but lack the depth of understanding that serious clients require.

This is where real experience becomes invaluable.

In Property, It’s not just Who You Know - It’s What You Know

In a world where visibility is easy to fake, genuine expertise is harder to find - and more valuable than ever.

Clients buying or selling high-value property don’t just need reach. They need results. And results come from experience - not just from knowing people, but from knowing the market inside and out.

Pricing strategy, buyer behaviour, off-market opportunities, legal and planning challenges, and the subtleties that affect a property’s value - these cannot be guessed, Googled, or glossed over in a TikTok reel.

The most effective estate agents still operate with the same mindset as those from the pre-digital era: proactive, detail-focused, client-led, and grounded in hard-won experience. They understand that AI, CRMs, and social platforms are tools and certainly have their place – but they are not a replacement for insight, raw experience, negotiation skill and market fluency.

The Takeaway

The best agents are not just influencers with a phone and a filter. They are advisors, negotiators, and dealmakers with a deep understanding of the properties they represent and the clients they serve.

At OQO London we embrace digital tools, AI and automation; but always in service of something far more valuable: delivering exceptional outcomes for discerning buyers, sellers, and advisors through seasoned and expert advice. 

Our priority is never visibility for its own sake - it’s results, discretion, and advice you can rely on.

So, while the industry continues to evolve, we stay grounded in what works. Because in our world, exposure alone doesn’t sell property — expertise does.