How personal brand is becoming the new currency in estate agency

How personal brand is reshaping estate agency hiring in 2026

In this episode of devcast, Tommy Lambourne, Director of Estate Agency, Property Management & Mortgages, is joined by Ryan Doyle, Associate Director in our Estate Agency team, to unpack what's really moving the market this year. From the motivations behind a move (or the lack of one), to the rise of the broker model, to where AI actually fits into a people business.

Why are so many people staying put right now?

There's no shortage of reasons someone might want to leave a role: pay, a difficult manager, a lack of progression. But movement itself has slowed. Market uncertainty is doing a lot of the work. When conditions change from one week to the next, people sit on their hands rather than commit to a move, and the position on offer has to be genuinely compelling, with the right motivations behind it, before someone will take that leap.

Why has personal brand become non-negotiable for billers?

Renumeration and holiday allowance used to be the main pitch. Now, building a personal brand is what will really line an agent's pockets long term, particularly for anyone on the billing route rather than heading towards operational management. That doesn't mean everyone needs to be a social media natural. It means recognising your market, being willing to be outward facing, and choosing a business that will actively support and elevate that visibility rather than leave someone hiding behind the phone.

How is the Renters' Rights Bill changing commission structures?

The legislation is still bedding in, and its full impact won't be clear for another year or so. In the meantime, commission and cash flow are the two live concerns for estate agency businesses, many of which pay negotiators upfront for a tenancy they can only bill monthly. The strongest model emerging pays that negotiator for the first year, then moves to quarterly payments for as long as the tenancy continues, which gives everyone a real incentive to look after tenants properly.

Why is property management now the make-or-break factor in retention?

Good property management has always been in short supply, and it's about to matter more than ever. Expect closer collaboration between lettings fee-earners and PM teams, because both sides now have a stake in retention through the new remuneration structures. Where PM teams do the job well, that collaboration becomes a genuine positive for the industry. Where they don't, tenant and landlord relationships, and the fee-earner's income, fall away with them.

How much due diligence are candidates doing on hiring companies?

Considerably more than they used to. Candidates are checking Companies House, reading reviews and researching a company's financials before they'll even take a first meeting, regardless of seniority. Hiring managers are responding by protecting their best people early: guarantees, uplifted basics and other incentives designed to make good talent think twice before answering the phone to a recruiter. For a candidate to move at all now, the opportunity needs to be substantially better than what they already have.

Is the broker model replacing traditional employment in London?

London is landing somewhere in between the fully self-employed US and UAE models and traditional employment: a hybrid structure with a high basic salary attached to a strong commission scheme, aimed at people who have the network to earn well but don't want to go fully self-employed. It rewards a proven track record with a more guaranteed return for the business. The open question for companies adopting it is what happens to the next generation coming through, since the model can encourage a "lone wolf" mentality unless autonomy and support are built in for everyone, not just the top earners.

Where does AI fit into the future of estate agency?

As a tool that enhances the job, not one that replaces it. AI can support the process, but it can't sit across the table from someone deciding whether to accept £500,000 for their home, and it can't take a candidate for coffee. The consensus is that the industry will eventually operate with a smaller, more capable core who know how to use AI well, which makes building a personal brand and becoming genuinely valuable within a business more important, not less.

What's the highest demand role in agency right now?

The broker model, unsurprisingly, given it speaks to the original reason most people got into estate agency: being out on the road, building a network, and being rewarded directly for it, rather than sitting at a desk working every Saturday. Anyone building towards that should spend the next couple of years building their network with intent, so they're negotiating from a position of strength, whether that's within their current business or elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

Why is personal brand so important in estate agency right now?
Because it's increasingly what determines earning potential long term, particularly for anyone on the billing route. Companies that actively support outward-facing marketing give their people a real edge.

How is the Renters' Rights Bill affecting agent pay?
Its full impact is still emerging, but the strongest models pay negotiators for the first year of a tenancy, then move to quarterly payments for as long as it continues, tying pay more closely to tenant retention.

What is the broker model in estate agency?
A hybrid structure, particularly in London, combining a high basic salary with a strong commission scheme. It sits between traditional employment and the fully self-employed models more common in the US and UAE.

Will AI replace estate agency roles?
No. AI is expected to enhance the process rather than replace the human relationships at the centre of it, though the workforce may become smaller and more specialised as it's adopted.

Catch the full conversation with Tommy Lambourne and Ryan Doyle on devcast, on our YouTube channel or via the devcast hub, for the whole discussion on personal brand, remuneration and where estate agency is heading next.

About the podcast guests

Tommy Lambourne | Director, Estate Agency, Property Management & Mortgages
Tommy has spent over 15 years in property recruitment and leads deverellsmith's Estate Agency, Property Management and Mortgages desks.

Ryan Doyle | Associate Director, Estate Agency
Ryan has 8+ years of experience in estate agency recruitment and heads up a number of deverellsmith's estate agency mandates.