8 of the UK’s best share their secret to success

Hi, I’m Mark Burgess. Over the past two decades, I’ve seen massive shifts in industries, allowing me to build great businesses along the way. My work is now dedicated to helping Estate Agents not only win more business today but also future proof themselves against disruptions that are reshaping the industry.

During the recent Estate Agency X event, 8 of the UK's most well-known successful agents took to the stage to share how they have implemented Iceberg Digital's methods to thrive, so in this article I wanted to break down what that method is and why it is so critical for agents right now.

First, it’s important to understand that the situation we find ourselves in isn’t entirely the fault of estate agents. For years, the industry has been relatively straightforward almost too easy:

1. Send prospecting letters

2. Offer a low fee

3. List properties on Rightmove with nice photos and videos

4. Hope for the best and repeat

But when something is easy, it attracts too many people, and it stops being profitable. This simple process has worked for years, until it didn’t. And now the cracks in the system are showing.

One major factor contributing to this disruption is the rise of self-employed agents. Companies like EXP have introduced models that encourage individuals to think they can easily enter the market and be successful, adding thousands of new agents in the UK alone. While some have thrived, most are failing and dragging others down with them.

It’s not about whether the self-employed model is inherently bad. In fact, brands like Avocado and By Design are elevating their agents through innovative methods. But the sheer volume of new agencies, many of which offer no strategy beyond "low fee and a Rightmove listing," is unsustainable. The number of agents is simply too high for the market to bear.

At the core of the issue is this: there are too many agents and not enough real businesses. The traditional approach of relying on photos, videos, and distribution channels like Rightmove is quickly becoming obsolete. What are you offering that can’t be replaced by technology?

AI is already beginning to make many tasks, like conveyancing and marketing, cheaper and faster. In fact, AI has passed professional exams, including the Bar Exam and medical licensing exams. It’s only a matter of time before it handles even more of what agents currently do, faster and more efficiently.

The question becomes: what value do you bring beyond what AI can do?

Many agents today still rely heavily on third-party platforms like Rightmove and social media to advertise properties. But by outsourcing your distribution to these platforms, you give away control and ultimately, profits. I’m not suggesting you leave Rightmove right now, but the narrative around it must change.

Back in 2011, agents told me leaving print advertising was a suicidal move. By 2014, nearly 93% of Iceberg Digital’s clients had abandoned print, and now it’s laughable to think that newspapers once dominated property advertising.

The same shift is happening with online property portals. You can either be a leader in this change or get left behind. Moving away from centralised platforms and bringing distribution back in-house is key to thriving in the future.

One of the most misunderstood aspects of estate agency today is data. Agents have tons of it but don’t know how to use it. Having names and email addresses is useless unless you know how to leverage them. Collecting data is pointless without action, and most agencies are doing little more than storing it, rather than using it to grow their business.

Computers can do incredible things with data, but only if they are paired with the right software and structured properly. This is where the future lies, not in having a digital storage device, but in using that data to generate leads, automate tasks, and build relationships at scale.

No one is suggesting that humans should be replaced by computers in estate agency. Humans will always play a vital role in winning listings, getting people to view properties, building relationships, and closing sales. But if one set of agents has access to advanced tools and data-driven insights while another doesn’t, it’s clear who will win.

The right software can help you automate admin tasks, freeing up your team to focus on higher-value work like negotiations and customer service. This leads to better results and higher fees. But more than that, it’s about creating a framework that empowers your staff to excel, not just stay afloat.

For estate agents to truly thrive, the move away from centralised platforms like Rightmove must happen, not because of their fees, but because it’s the only way to regain control over your business. Decentralising distribution back to your own database and communication channels allows you to increase fees and future-proof your business.

The solution to this industry shift lies in embracing technology that allows you to take back control. Lifesycle is the only estate agency software that can put the spotlight back on your business. Why? Because its property alerts and matching functionality are unrivalled, where as most CRM’s require staff to manually send matches and those matches are poor at best. Lifesycle automates distribution, nurtures leads, gathers data, and gives you insights that no other platform can, allowing these agents to now take back distribution by launching to their own database 14-30 days before the portals. This in turn is firing up their listing leads, due to Lifesycle sorting through and finding the right prospects for them. All CRM’s do ‘matching’ but only Lifesycle allows for this specific advanced level required to do what these agents have proven works.

But it’s not just about software. You also need the right digital communication tools, like a Neuron Website, which integrates with Lifesycle. This allows you to personalise your website for different visitors, blur properties to create VIP experiences for registered users, and drive more leads.

Beyond technology, building a business instead of just running an estate agency is crucial. Learning how to structure an organisation, no matter the size, empower your team, and use the right tools will set you apart in this increasingly competitive landscape.

Back in 2019 agents were taking a bit of a step into the unknown by doing this but during the recent Estate Agency X event, 8 of the UK's most well-known successful agents took to the stage to share how they have implemented Iceberg Digital's methods and how

using Lifesycle and embracing data-driven strategies have significantly increased their fees, expanded their market share, and provided them with a competitive edge in the evolving estate agency landscape. By leveraging these modern tools, they have been able to elevate their services, offer more value to their clients, and build sustainable, future-proof businesses.

So it is no longer even a risk, it is a proven strategy that is fully laid out and considerably easier to adopt without much risk at all.

In 2018, I predicted the final show for estate agency was on the horizon. I said that we would know it had begun when some agents were thriving while others were going out of business.

Now, in 2024, the number of agents going out of business has risen by 32%, while 41% of our clients are reporting record growth. Most agents think the market is killing them, but it’s not. The final show has begun, and the industry as we know it is changing forever.

The question is: are you ready to adapt, or will you get left behind?