What Happens When Your Competitor Can Do Twice the Work? | Sam Smith, PropServ

If the agency down the road could manage twice as many properties without doubling its staff, how would you compete?

Sam Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of PropServ, joins me to explore how AI and automation could change the economics of estate agency—and why independent owners need to pay attention.

We get into the practical business of property maintenance: chasing contractors, gathering quotes, keeping landlords informed and the jobs that swallow your team’s day. Sam explains how PropServ approaches those problems, where automation can help and where people still need control.

But the bigger debate is what you do with the time and money you save. Cut fees to win market share? Or improve your service, protect your margins and build a more profitable business? Sam and I don’t see every angle the same way.

We discuss:

• Why your CRM doesn’t need to do everything—and why your systems need to talk to each other.
• What AI-led agency acquisitions could mean for independent competitors.
• How to introduce automation when your team is resistant.
• Why better contractor accountability can transform maintenance.
• The danger of turning greater efficiency into another race to the bottom on fees.

A frank conversation about technology, competition and building an agency that can grow without every extra instruction creating more work for you.