Two thirds of estate and letting agents now use artificial intelligence to write property descriptions, but very few use it in the stage where sales tend to collapse, according to a survey by property software firm Alto.

Alto surveyed 250 estate and letting agents. It found 67% use AI to write property descriptions, and 69% use AI regularly or every day.

Use is narrow. 85% of agents use AI for four jobs or fewer:

• property descriptions (67%)
• emails (53%)
• admin (37%)
• marketing and social media (35%)

Beyond those tasks the numbers drop sharply. One agent in ten uses AI to prepare a valuation, and one in 20 uses it for anti-money laundering and compliance checks. Only 4%, one in 25, use it for sales progression: the period of chasing solicitors, surveys and mortgage offers between an accepted offer and completion.

A fifth pulling ahead

The survey found that the most advanced 20% of agents use AI across the business. They use it to answer enquiries out of hours, spot homeowners likely to sell, keep compliance paperwork in order and track how the agency is performing. Those agents get around five hours a week back. Alto says that is almost four times what agents who use it only for writing are saving.

Agents remain wary. 76% worry AI will cost them the personal touch with clients, and 64% worry about it making mistakes. Even so, half expect to spend more on AI in the next 12 months.

Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson, chief executive of Alto, said: "The fifth who are pulling away have pointed it at the bits that actually decide whether your sale goes through: answering enquiries at 9:00pm, chasing solicitors, keeping the paperwork and compliance in order."

He added: "If you're choosing an agent, that's worth asking about. Not 'do you use AI', because they all do, but 'what do you actually use it for'."

Alto describes itself as the CRM used by more than a third of estate agents nationwide. The release does not say when the survey was carried out, how agents were selected, or how the time saving was measured.

Key facts

• Who: Alto, estate agency software provider
• Sample: 250 estate and letting agents (fieldwork dates not given)
• Headline figures: 67% use AI for property descriptions; 4% for sales progression; the top 20% save around five hours a week
• Concerns: 76% fear losing the personal touch; 64% fear mistakes

This story is based on a press release from Alto, submitted to Free Press Releases on 15 October 2026. More at altosoftware.co.uk. See also: Data & Surveys and how to send us your news.