The Viking Chats: navigating the choppy waters of property, technology and business

Kristjan Byfield
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Welcome aboard The Viking Chats—the podcast where property, tech, and business collide in candid, no-fluff conversations. Hosted by Kristjan Byfield—lettings veteran, proptech pioneer, and co-founder of Base Property Specialists and The Depositary—this show dives deep into the real-world challenges and bold innovations shaping the future of the housing sector and beyond.Each episode, Kristjan drops anchor with industry leaders, disruptors, and entrepreneurs to unpack the messy, inspiring, and often chaotic reality of running a modern business in a rapidly evolving landscape. Expect sharp insights, honest stories, and the occasional Viking metaphor—all served with Kristjan’s trademark wit and big-hearted honesty.Whether you’re in lettings, launching a startup, or just love a good story about navigating change—this podcast is your compass in the storm.

  1. May 13

    Stress, Survival & the Cost of Trying to Be Everything to Everyone with Heather Foster

    There are some conversations that end up becoming far more personal, reflective and emotionally honest than either person expected when the microphones first switched on. This was one of those conversations. In this episode of The Viking Chats, I sit down with Heather Foster of Relocation Agent Network for what begins as a chat about career, agency and the evolution of the industry, before unfolding into something much deeper about pressure, identity, survival and the dangerous normality of modern life. Because over the last 18 months, Heather has been fighting breast cancer. Diagnosed at just 41 years old with invasive ductal carcinoma, she has since undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, targeted treatment and ongoing hormone therapy, all whilst continuing to work, parent, navigate family life and somehow hold onto a sense of self through the middle of it all. But what makes this conversation so powerful is that it is not simply about cancer itself. It’s about what cancer exposed. Heather speaks incredibly openly about the life she had built before her diagnosis. A life many people will instantly recognise. Working full-time, parenting, managing a home, trying to support everyone around her and carrying an ever-growing mental load that slowly became normal simply because there never seemed to be another option. Like so many high-performing people, particularly working parents, she had gradually become trapped inside a cycle of responsibility where being needed by everyone else quietly replaced taking care of herself. And then life forced everything to stop. We talk candidly about the brutal reality of chemotherapy, the emotional impact of losing her hair, the physical exhaustion that followed treatment and the strange psychological process of trying to maintain “normality” whilst simultaneously dealing with something deeply traumatic. But alongside all of that sits a much bigger conversation around stress, relationships and identity. Heather reflects on how illness forced her and her husband to completely reassess the way they operated as a couple and as parents. From learning to ask for help to rediscovering each other outside of work and family pressures, there’s an incredibly honest discussion around how easy it is for people to slowly lose themselves within modern life without even realising it’s happening. We also explore the idea that resilience is often misunderstood. That being “strong” does not necessarily mean carrying everything alone. That sometimes survival itself becomes the victory. And that difficult experiences, whilst never welcome, can still fundamentally reshape your perspective in ways that ultimately create growth, clarity and healthier boundaries moving forward. There are moments in this episode that are emotional, moments that are funny and moments that I suspect will hit uncomfortably close to home for a lot of listeners. Because, although not everyone will experience cancer, almost everyone will recognise some version of the pressure Heather describes. The endless balancing act. The feeling of being responsible for everything. The slow erosion of self underneath work, parenting, stress and expectation. And perhaps most importantly, the realisation that you cannot continue carrying all of that forever without eventually paying a price somewhere. This is ultimately a conversation about survival in every sense of the word. Not just physically, but emotionally too. And why, sometimes, the hardest thing any of us ever learns is that asking for help does not make us weak. It makes us human. Send us Fan Mail

    56 min

  2. May 11

    “The Mountain Didn’t Break Me” - Sarka Wilde on Survival, Failure & Starting Again

    When Sarka Wilde first joined me on The Viking Chats, the focus was very different. She was preparing to take on Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia, raising money for the Propertymark Trust through what would become one of the most physically and mentally demanding challenges of her life. The training was relentless, the commitment extraordinary and the purpose behind it deeply personal. Then everything changed. In this follow-up episode, Sarka returns not to talk about summiting the mountain, but about what happened when the expedition went catastrophically wrong. What unfolds is one of the most raw, honest and emotionally intelligent conversations we’ve ever had on the podcast. Sarka talks openly about developing acute pulmonary oedema high on the mountain, the terrifying moment she realised something was fundamentally wrong, and the decision that ultimately saved her life. From being airlifted off the mountain by helicopter to being moved between multiple hospitals in Argentina, she shares the reality of an experience that was physically dangerous, emotionally traumatic and psychologically far more complex than simply “failing to complete a challenge.” Because this episode isn’t really about mountaineering. It’s about identity. It’s about what happens when you spend months, sometimes years, building your life around a singular purpose and then suddenly have that purpose taken away from you. It’s about the emotional aftermath of not reaching the summit, the guilt of feeling like you’ve let people down, and the strange psychological void that can follow the collapse of something you’ve poured everything into. Sarka speaks incredibly honestly about the difficult months that followed. The exhaustion, the recovery, the self-doubt and the challenge of coming to terms with the fact that despite doing everything “right”, things still didn’t go to plan. We also explore the psychology of resilience, the danger of tying self-worth too tightly to outcomes, and why learning to be honest with yourself about failure can actually become a form of freedom. There’s a particularly powerful section around the idea that setbacks in life aren’t necessarily failures at all, but feedback — opportunities to learn, recalibrate and rebuild with greater perspective. Alongside all of that, there are also moments of real warmth and humanity throughout this conversation. Sarka reflects on the extraordinary kindness she experienced from strangers in Argentina, the support she received from friends and colleagues within the property industry, and the importance of having people around you who help you navigate difficult periods honestly rather than allowing you to disappear into your own head. And despite everything that happened, there is an incredible positive outcome sitting at the centre of this story. The expedition raised more than £25,000 for the Propertymark Trust, massively exceeding the original target and helping raise awareness for a charity that quietly supports people within the property industry through periods of hardship, crisis and personal difficulty. In many ways, this episode became something neither of us expected. It’s a conversation about survival, perspective, emotional resilience and the uncomfortable reality that sometimes doing your absolute best still doesn’t guarantee the outcome you wanted. But it’s also about what comes next. And why not reaching the summit doesn’t necessarily mean the mountain beat you. Send us Fan Mail

    46 min

  3. May 6

    Renter’s Rights, AI & the End of ‘Winging It’ in Lettings with Rajeev Nayyar

    There’s a moment in this conversation with Rajeev Nayyar where the discussion stops being about the Renter’s Rights Act and starts becoming something much bigger. Because beneath all the headlines around tribunals, rent reviews and compliance sits a more fundamental shift that I don’t think the industry - or government, for that matter - has fully grasped yet. For years, the private rented sector has largely operated on a kind of informal equilibrium. Most landlords and agents have tried to do the right thing most of the time, most tenants have simply wanted a safe, well-managed home, and despite the ever-growing mountain of legislation, the system has continued to function because a huge proportion of the market simply never fully engaged with the complexity sitting underneath it. That's about to change- and not just because of the Renter’s Rights Act. In this episode of The Viking Chats, Raj (best known as founder of Fixflo and now launching MarketRent) joins me for a genuinely fascinating conversation that starts with rent tribunals and ends up exploring the future architecture of the UK tech landscape. We dive deep into one of the most controversial and least understood parts of the new legislation: the changes to rent reviews and the tribunal process. What problem were they trying to solve? And have they potentially created a much bigger one in the process? Raj breaks down the mechanics of the old system, the logic behind the reforms and the unintended consequences that could follow if tribunal volumes increase. We discuss the operational pressure this could place on agents, landlords and the court system itself, as well as the broader implications for investment into the private rented sector and Build to Rent. But this episode goes far beyond policy. One of the most compelling parts of the discussion centres around AI and what happens when tenants no longer need to understand housing legislation in order to enforce it. We are moving rapidly towards a world where an AI assistant sitting on someone’s phone can identify expired compliance documents, missed deadlines or procedural failures instantly - and potentially take action on a tenant’s behalf. That changes the dynamic of the industry completely. Not because tenants suddenly become adversarial, but because the long-standing imbalance of information and process knowledge starts to disappear. We talk about what that means for professionalism in the sector, why “winging it” is becoming an increasingly dangerous operational model, and why agencies that fail to tighten up systems, communication and documentation could find themselves under enormous pressure. At the same time, we explore the opportunity hidden within all of this. Because while there’s understandable anxiety around regulation and enforcement, there is also the potential for a more professional, more transparent and ultimately more trusted private rented sector to emerge from the other side. Raj also shares the thinking behind MarketRent, the new platform he’s building to help agents manage rent reviews in a far more structured, evidence-led and transparent way. Drawing clear parallels with the early days of Fixflo, he explains why he believes the industry now needs a dedicated workflow around rent evidence, negotiation and tribunal readiness. Along the way, we also get into PropTech strategy, government digitisation, data infrastructure, the future role of AI in housing, and whether the UK is doing enough to create the technological foundations the property sector is going to need over the next decade. This is one of those episodes that starts in one place and ends somewhere much bigger. And whether you’re an agent, landlord, PropTech founder or just someo Send us Fan Mail

    1h 11m

  4. Apr 17

    “We Don’t Have a Tech Problem – We Have a Thinking Problem” with Sammy Pahal, MD of UKPA

    🎙 We Don’t Have a Tech Problem – We Have a Thinking Problem There’s a lot of noise in the property industry when it comes to “PropTech”. New platforms, new tools, new promises about transformation… and yet, if we’re honest, much of the underlying experience for agents, landlords and consumers hasn’t changed nearly as much as it probably should have by now. So where’s the disconnect? In this episode of The Viking Chats, I sit down with Sammy Pahal, Managing Director of the UK PropTech Association, to get under the skin of that question — and the conversation quickly moves beyond technology itself. Because, as Sammy explains, the challenge isn’t really about whether the tools exist. It’s about how the industry thinks about them. We explore the evolution of PropTech over the last decade, from a loosely defined buzzword to something that now sits at the heart of how the property sector is expected to modernise. But with that growth has come confusion — not just around what PropTech actually is, but how it should be used, who it’s for, and where it genuinely adds value. A big part of that comes down to mindset. Drawing on her background in psychology, Sammy talks about the human side of transformation — the reality that adopting technology isn’t just a systems change, it’s a behavioural one. It requires people to think differently, work differently and, in many cases, let go of processes that have been ingrained for years. And that’s often where progress slows down. We also get into the role of government, and why, despite the frustrations many in the industry feel, there has been a noticeable shift in recent years. From funding innovation to engaging more openly with the sector, there is a growing recognition that technology has to underpin the future of property — not just to improve efficiency, but to fundamentally reshape how the system works for everyone involved. That spans everything from planning and housing delivery, through to the transaction process itself, where long-standing inefficiencies continue to impact both speed and experience. One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is around scale. Not just scaling individual PropTech businesses, but scaling the impact of technology across the industry as a whole. What role does government play in that? What barriers still exist? And how do we move from pockets of innovation to something more consistent and widely adopted? We also talk about the formation of Real Estate UK, bringing together multiple industry bodies to create a more unified voice, and what that could mean for driving meaningful change — particularly when it comes to influencing policy and unlocking the next phase of growth for the sector. And importantly, this isn’t just a conversation for “tech people”. If you’re an agent, a landlord, or anyone operating within the property space, this is about the environment you’re working in and how it’s going to evolve over the coming years. Because the tools are already here. The question is whether the industry is ready to use them properly. Send us Fan Mail

    55 min

  5. Mar 24

    Stop Guessing, Start Planning - The Truth About EPCs, MEES & Retrofit with Simon Bones

    This week on The Viking Chats, I’m joined by Simon Bones, founder of Genous - a retrofit specialist on a mission to bring clarity, logic and (frankly) some much-needed honesty to the world of energy efficiency. Because let’s be honest… right now? Most landlords and agents are guessing. MEES is coming. EPC targets keep shifting. Government messaging is inconsistent at best. And if you try to get advice? You’re usually just being sold something. Cavity wall insulation? “You need this.” Heat pumps? “This is the future.” Solar panels? “Don’t bother with anything else.” The problem is - none of those answers are wrong. But none of them are complete either. And that’s exactly where this conversation starts. Simon breaks down the three biggest challenges facing anyone trying to improve a property’s energy performance: ▪ People don’t know what to do  ▪ They don’t know who to trust to do it  ▪ And they don’t know how much it’s actually going to cost From there, we get into the reality behind EPCs - why they’re often misleading, based on outdated assumptions, and completely disconnected from real-world costs and decision-making. We talk about: ▪ Why EPC recommendations are often nonsensical (and sometimes impossible) ▪ The danger of taking “sales-led advice” from single-solution providers ▪ How different upgrades interact - and why there’s no one-size-fits-all answer ▪ The confusion around MEES and what landlords should actually be doing right now ▪ Why waiting until 2029 is a very, very bad idea There’s also a fascinating deep dive into how the retrofit market actually works - from government schemes being scrapped overnight, to the unintended consequences of policy decisions, to the looming skills and supply crunch that could hit hard as deadlines approach. And one thing becomes very clear: 👉 The biggest risk isn’t the legislation. 👉 It’s leaving it too late to act. Because when everyone rushes to upgrade at the same time… Prices go up. Trades disappear. And suddenly “we’ll deal with it later” becomes a very expensive mistake. We also explore a smarter way forward. Simon explains how technology - including digital modelling of properties - can give landlords and agents something they’ve been missing: 👉 Clarity Not a sales pitch. Not a generic checklist. But a proper understanding of: • What can be done • What should be done • What it will cost • And what impact it will actually have Whether you manage hundreds of properties or just one, this episode is about moving from reactive panic to proactive planning. Because like it or not, this isn’t going away. Energy efficiency, compliance and property performance are becoming fundamental parts of the industry - not optional extras. And the people who win won’t be the ones who wait. They’ll be the ones who understand, plan… and act early. 🎧 Tune in now to The Viking Chats. Because in a world full of noise, confusion and competing agendas - sometimes the most valuable thing you can have… is clarity. Send us Fan Mail

    53 min

  6. Mar 13

    Support When It Matters Most - Megan Eighteen & The Propertymark Trust (Podcasthon Special)

    This episode of The Viking Chats is a little different. It’s part of Podcasthon - a global movement bringing podcasts together from across the world to shine a spotlight on charities and the incredible work they do. And for this special episode, I’m joined by Megan Eighteen, President of ARLA Propertymark and trustee of what might just be the property industry’s best-kept secret: The Propertymark Trust. If you work in estate agency or lettings in the UK, chances are you’ve heard of Propertymark - the membership body helping raise standards, education and professionalism across the sector. But what many people don’t know about is the charity quietly working behind the scenes supporting people in our industry when life takes an unexpected turn. The Propertymark Trust exists to do two simple but powerful things: support education and provide hardship grants. On the education side, the Trust helps people access the qualifications they need to build careers in property - offering grants that can cover anything from a quarter of the cost to the full amount. It’s about making sure talent and ambition aren’t held back by financial barriers. But it’s the hardship work that really shows the heart of the charity. Because sometimes life throws things at people that no one could possibly plan for. Through the Trust, support has been given for things like: ▪ Covering funeral costs after sudden bereavement ▪ Supporting families who lose loved ones unexpectedly ▪ Paying wages for people undergoing cancer treatment ▪ Funding specialist equipment for those who lose their sight ▪ Helping people rebuild their lives after domestic violence ▪ Installing accessibility adaptations after serious illness or injury In short - when someone in the property industry finds themselves facing the hardest moments of their life, the Trust steps in with practical help and human support. And crucially, it does so quickly. Because hardship doesn’t wait six weeks for a committee meeting. During our conversation Megan explains how the Trust works, how applications are handled by a small team of industry volunteers, and why confidentiality and compassion sit at the centre of everything they do. We also talk about the wider role Propertymark plays in professionalising the sector, Megan’s own journey into property (one of the rare people who actually planned to join the industry!), and why supporting the next generation of agents matters more than ever. Finally, we touch on the extraordinary fundraising efforts currently happening across the industry — including Sarka Wilde’s recent attempt to summit Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, in aid of the Trust. While the climb itself didn’t go to plan and Sarka had to be medically evacuated before the final ascent, she is thankfully safe back in the UK - and the awareness and funds raised for the Trust have already made a huge difference. This episode is about something bigger than property. It’s about community. It’s about compassion. And it’s about an industry looking after its own. If you work in property and didn’t know this charity existed - you do now. And chances are, one day someone in our industry will need it. 🎧 Tune in now to hear the full conversation. Send us Fan Mail

    32 min

  7. Mar 2

    From Bedroom Startup to Boardroom Influence - Theresa Wallace on 30 Years of Lettings Change

    This week on The Viking Chats, I’m joined by someone who has quite literally grown alongside the modern private rented sector - Theresa Wallace, Compliance Director at Savills and Chair of The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC). Releasing in the week of International Women’s Day and on the eve of annual WIEA event, this episode couldn’t be more timely. Theresa’s journey begins not in a corporate boardroom - but in a bedroom. In the early 1990s, after converting properties with her husband and experiencing both sides of the landlord–tenant relationship, she launched her own lettings business from home. No computers. No CRM. Just a word processor, paper files, and a determination to understand every part of the job. What followed was rapid growth, leadership roles, and eventually joining Savills - where she built lettings departments from scratch and went on to become one of the most respected compliance voices in the country. But this conversation is about far more than career milestones. We dive deep into: ▪ What lettings looked like in the early days of the Housing Act  ▪ Why the industry was once fiercely competitive - and how collaboration has transformed it  ▪ The birth of TLIC and how a small group in a room became a respected government voice  ▪ Why shouting at policymakers doesn’t work - but solutions do  ▪ The professionalisation of the PRS and why regulation, when done properly, strengthens our sector Theresa shares candid reflections on the Tenant Fees Act, Renters’ Rights reform, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, and the upcoming PRS database - including the very real concerns about digitisation, integration, and manual processes. There’s a fascinating discussion around UPRNs, digital-first frameworks, and why government departments must stop working in silos if reform is going to succeed. This isn’t abstract policy chat - it’s practical insight from someone sitting in the rooms where these conversations are happening. And perhaps most importantly, we explore leadership. How do you influence government without alienating them? How do you represent an industry without defending the indefensible? How do you raise standards without creating panic? Theresa’s message is clear: professionalism is not about resisting change - it’s about shaping it. From early days when lettings was largely female-led but commercially underestimated, to today’s far more balanced and respected profession, her perspective offers a powerful reminder that progress doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people step forward. This episode is essential listening for: ✔ Letting agents navigating reform ✔ Agency leaders wanting clarity on what’s coming ✔ Landlords seeking informed guidance ✔ Anyone who believes our industry should lead, not react There’s warmth. There’s pragmatism. There’s a healthy dose of realism about what will be tough - particularly around court reform and digital implementation - but also optimism about the direction of travel. If you care about standards, leadership, digital innovation and the long-term credibility of our sector, this conversation is not one to miss. 🎧 Tune in now to The Viking Chats. Because the future of lettings won’t be shaped by those shouting the loudest — but by those willing to sit at the table and do the work. Send us Fan Mail

    53 min

  8. Feb 27

    Digital Offers, Human Value: Phil Farrell on the Future of Estate Agency

    This week on The Viking Chats, I’m joined by Phil Farrell of Offr - former agent, industry operator, and now one of the most thoughtful voices in the PropTech space. And this isn’t a fluffy “tech will save the world” conversation. It’s a frank, honest and occasionally uncomfortable deep dive into where estate agents truly add value… and where we absolutely don’t. Phil spent over two decades in agency before moving into tech. He’s negotiated, valued, built teams and led businesses. Which means when he talks about digitising the offer process, front-loading transactions and reducing friction, he’s not guessing - he’s speaking from experience. We cover: Why the UK sales process is still painfully slow - and why that can’t continueThe stat that 42% of offers are made outside business hours (and what that tells us about consumer behaviour)Why “people buy from people” is both true… and wildly misunderstoodThe difference between influencing a transaction and simply being part of the adminWhy agents must understand exactly where they add value - before tech forces the questionPhil makes a powerful 80/20 argument: 80% of a transaction is inefficient administration and poor communication. The remaining 20% - negotiation, reassurance, emotional intelligence - is where the real human value lies. And here’s the challenge: If technology removes the 80%… what happens to agents who can’t articulate the 20%? We also explore: Government’s role in modernising property transactionsWhy front-loading property information is inevitableWhether the future high street branch even mattersWhy agents misunderstand long-term relationships with buyersAnd the uncomfortable truth about being “a cog in the process” versus influencing the outcomeThis episode isn’t anti-agent. Quite the opposite. It’s about protecting the future of agency by being brutally honest about where we genuinely make a difference - and where we’re simply repeating processes that tech could handle better, faster and more reliably. There’s healthy disagreement. There’s humour. There’s a deep respect for the human side of property. But there’s also a clear message: Digitisation doesn’t remove the agent. It exposes the agent. And the ones who thrive will be those who lean into influence, expertise and relationship - not paperwork and phone-chasing. If you care about the future of estate agency, if you’re wrestling with PropTech decisions, or if you’ve ever wondered whether we’re defending tradition out of comfort rather than logic - this one’s essential listening. 🎧 Tune in now to The Viking Chats. Because the future of agency won’t be decided by tech alone - it will be decided by agents who understand exactly where they matter most. Send us Fan Mail

    1h 1m
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About

Welcome aboard The Viking Chats—the podcast where property, tech, and business collide in candid, no-fluff conversations. Hosted by Kristjan Byfield—lettings veteran, proptech pioneer, and co-founder of Base Property Specialists and The Depositary—this show dives deep into the real-world challenges and bold innovations shaping the future of the housing sector and beyond.Each episode, Kristjan drops anchor with industry leaders, disruptors, and entrepreneurs to unpack the messy, inspiring, and often chaotic reality of running a modern business in a rapidly evolving landscape. Expect sharp insights, honest stories, and the occasional Viking metaphor—all served with Kristjan’s trademark wit and big-hearted honesty.Whether you’re in lettings, launching a startup, or just love a good story about navigating change—this podcast is your compass in the storm.

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