Partners in Tech: Driving Innovation and Efficiency in Real Estate with Street Group

Knight Frank profiles its technology partnership with Street Group, a Manchester-based PropTech business used by thousands of UK estate agents, and speaks to co-founder Heather Staff about where the industry is heading.

Izzy Puncher, Solution Analyst at Knight Frank, explains that the firm was drawn to Street Group's focus on streamlining work for agents and consumers, its AI-driven features and the drive of its co-founder. She says the aim is to free agents to spend more time giving expert advice and service.

Heather Staff argues that both agents and consumers are poorly served by current systems. Agents often rely on outdated, awkward software and spend time on low-value manual tasks such as arranging viewings or passing messages between tenants and contractors. Consumers, meanwhile, face a process that still depends heavily on phone calls and email, with slow updates and little transparency. She believes better user experience, self-service portals and automation can transform both efficiency and performance.

She identifies three linked trends for the next three to ten years:

• AI, including agentic AI, reshaping roles through predictive analytics and automation, with success depending on combining machine intelligence with human expertise • Rising consumer expectations for seamless, on-demand digital service, regardless of age • A transformed workforce, with smaller administrative teams and more highly skilled staff acting as expert advisers on negotiation and strategy

As an example of measurable results, Staff says the propensity-to-move data within Street Group's Spectre product has delivered a 340% increase in marketing return on investment by identifying homeowners likely to sell before they start actively looking.

Source: Knight Frank Newcastle, original article (2 May 2025)