The Voice of the Agent Podcast

We Are Unchained
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Voice of the Agent is the property podcast that swaps guesswork for grounded insight, and still manages to have a laugh along the way. Hosted by Toby Martin and Simon Leadbetter of We Are Unchained, each episode is built around one simple idea: if you want to understand what’s really happening in the UK property industry, don’t rely on hot takes and LinkedIn noise - ask the people doing the job, and test it against real consumer and market data. You’ll hear a mix of expert interviews with big brains from data, marketing, tech and beyond (including guests from organisations like YouGov and Experian), breakdowns of the latest Voice of the Agent reports (our free, statistically significant surveys of agents and consumers), and live sessions from the Voice of the Agent Conference - where agents, conveyancers and industry leaders get in the same room and talk honestly about what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs to change. Expect practical takeaways, sharp observations, the occasional rant, and the kind of conversations that help you run a better business: clearer marketing, smarter use of AI, stronger customer experience, more resilient growth, and a more realistic view of what buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants actually think. New episodes land regularly across Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. If you work in property - or you simply want to understand where the market is heading - you’re in the right place.

  1. Apr 15

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with Matt Baldock on Conveyancing, Reform and the Future of Agency

    In this episode of The Voice of the Agent Podcast, Simon Leadbetter is joined by Matt Baldock of Charles David Casson for a practical conversation about one of the property industry’s most persistent frustrations. Conveyancing. The discussion explores why the relationship between agents and conveyancers still feels strained, what is genuinely broken in the system, and why so much poor process has simply been normalised over time. They look at upfront information, referral fees, mortgage lenders, surveys, and the gap between anecdotal frustration and structural failure. Alongside that, the conversation broadens into agency growth, self-employment, brand, and what the future of the independent model may look like. Not blame. Better process. A clear-eyed episode about friction, reform, and what needs to change if the industry wants better outcomes for agents, buyers, sellers, and everyone caught in the middle.

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with Matt Baldock on Conveyancing, Reform and the Future of Agency

  2. Apr 8

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with Kristjan Byfield on Deposits, Disputes and the End of Tenancy

    In this episode of The Voice of the Agent Podcast, Simon Leadbetter is joined by Kristjan Byfield, co-founder of The Depositary, for a conversation about one of the least loved, but most important, parts of the lettings process. End of tenancy. The discussion explores why deposit disputes so often become emotional, where agents add value, and why so much of the process still creates unnecessary friction for landlords, tenants and property managers alike. They examine the gap between law, contract and evidence, the role of inventories and checkout reports, and how better systems can reduce workload while improving fairness. The conversation also looks ahead to what agentic AI could mean for tenants, complaints, and the future of dispute handling. Not more complexity.Better process. A sharp and practical episode for anyone involved in lettings, property management, or the systems that sit behind the rental experience.

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with Kristjan Byfield on Deposits, Disputes and the End of Tenancy

  3. Apr 1

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with Graham Paterson on AI, Property Search and the Future of Portals

    In this episode of The Voice of the Agent Podcast, Simon Leadbetter is joined by Graham Paterson, CEO and co-founder of Jitty, for a conversation about the growing role of AI in property search. Not as theory. As behaviour. The discussion explores how AI is changing the way buyers search, what makes Jitty different from a traditional portal, and why the future of discovery may look very different from the model the industry has relied on for years. They look at habit, adoption, information asymmetry, and the likely shift from fixed search filters to guided discovery. Along the way, they ask a bigger question: if AI becomes the starting point for search, what happens to portals, agents, and the structure of the market itself? A practical conversation about technology, timing, and what the next phase of property search may actually look like.

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with Graham Paterson on AI, Property Search and the Future of Portals

  4. Mar 25

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with David Opie on Fixing the Conveyancing Process

    In this episode of The Voice of the Agent Podcast, Simon Leadbetter is joined by David Opie, owner of Today’s Media and editor of Today’s Conveyancer, for a practical conversation about one of the property industry’s most persistent problems. The home moving process. The discussion explores why the relationship between agents and conveyancers so often feels strained, where delays really come from, and why the system still starts too late for everyone involved. They look at the role of communication, referral fees, staffing pressures, technology, lender influence, and the growing case for instructing solicitors at the point of listing. Not blame. Better process. Grounded in industry research and real experience, this is a clear-eyed discussion about what needs to change, what already is changing, and how the sector moves forward from here.

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter with David Opie on Fixing the Conveyancing Process

  5. Mar 18

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter & Chris Harmer on Why Great Service Starts When Things Break

    In this episode of The Voice of the Agent Podcast, Simon Leadbetter is joined by Chris Harmer of The ESTAS Group in conversation to explore a topic often talked about but rarely understood properly: customer service. The discussion moves beyond the idea of “good service” during smooth transactions and focuses on the moments that actually define it — when things go wrong. They unpack why negative feedback is not something to fear, but something to use. From turning complaints into opportunities, to understanding the real impact of how issues are handled, the conversation highlights a simple truth: service is proven under pressure. The episode also explores:⭐ Why complaints are often more valuable than compliments🔁 How to turn unhappy clients into long-term advocates📣 The amplified risk of poor service in a social media world🧠 Why most businesses collect feedback but fail to act on it⚙️ What high-performing companies do differently when things go wrong Drawing on real-world examples, including how major brands handle negative reviews, this is a practical and honest conversation about what service actually looks like in practice. For agents and business owners alike, it is a reminder that reputation is not built when everything works — but when it doesn’t. A must-listen for anyone serious about delivering service that lasts.

    Voice of the Agent Live: Simon Leadbetter & Chris Harmer on Why Great Service Starts When Things Break

  6. Feb 9

    Lettings in 2026, with Sophie Lang: Opportunity, Fees & Acquisitions in a Post–Renters’ Rights World

    What does a good lettings business look like in 2026? In this episode of The Voice of the Agent Podcast, Toby Martin is joined by Sophie Lang, co-owner of multi-award-winning Lang Llewellyn & Co, to go deep on the realities of running — and growing — a lettings business in the year ahead. Using fresh insight from the January Voice of the Agent report, the conversation explores why landlord numbers are proving more resilient than headlines suggest, how agents are turning the Renters’ Rights Act into a growth opportunity, and why education — not fear — is the key to winning new instructions. Sophie shares practical, hard-earned experience on converting self-managing landlords, managing expectations around rents, and why many landlords exiting the market are being replaced by a more professional, business-minded generation. The episode also tackles some of the industry’s most uncomfortable questions: 🏠 Is 10% really enough for full management? 📉 Why let-only services may be living on borrowed time 📈 How acquisitions can outperform organic growth 🧠 What makes a lettings book genuinely valuable ⚖️ And how to future-proof your business without panic This is a candid, experience-led discussion for lettings professionals who want clarity, not chaos — and a reminder that while 2026 will bring change, it also brings opportunity for agents who are prepared. 📊 Download the full January Voice of the Agent report here: https://www.weareunchained.co.uk/thevoiceoftheagent

    Lettings in 2026, with Sophie Lang: Opportunity, Fees & Acquisitions in a Post–Renters’ Rights World

  7. Feb 2

    PropTech That Disappears: Victoria Lambden on Integration, Friction and Flow

    Estate agents don’t need more tech, they need less friction. In this episode, Simon is joined by Victoria Lambden, Business Development Lead at GlueDog (and a former estate agent who’s lived the spreadsheet-and-duplicate-data nightmare). Together they unpack why so many agencies keep adding tools… yet don’t see the output improve, and how the real unlock is integration. You’ll hear Victoria’s “traffic light” way of spotting bottlenecks, why integration is finally shifting from “nice-to-have” to non-negotiable, and what proptech should feel like when it’s working properly: it disappears into the background. They also get into: ✅ PropTech overload (and how to audit your stack without losing the plot) ✅ Why teams use less than 50% of their CRM ✅ Training, adoption, morale, and the human side of tech change ✅ AI in agency: brilliant assistant, terrible replacement agent If you’re still typing the same address 16 times into 4 systems, this is a must listen.

    PropTech That Disappears: Victoria Lambden on Integration, Friction and Flow

  8. Jan 28

    The State of the Market: What the January 2026 Voice of the Agent Data Really Tells Us

    What’s actually happening in the property market — and how do agents really feel about 2026? In this episode of The Voice of the Agent, Toby Martin and Simon Leadbetter unpack the January 2026 Voice of the Agent report, focusing on residential sales and lettings, and cutting through the noise to reveal what the data really says. They explore agent confidence, transaction levels, fees, competition, and growth expectations — and why the market feels cautious on the surface, yet quietly optimistic underneath. You’ll hear why many agents grew in 2025 despite negative headlines, what the data reveals about house prices and rental values in 2026, and where the biggest opportunities (and risks) lie for agency owners right now. The conversation also digs into the structural realities of estate agency: 🏠 Why sales-only businesses remain exposed 🔁 Why lettings still underpin long-term business value 💰 How fees really work across price brackets ⚔️ Just how competitive most local markets actually are 📈 And why finding new vendors and landlords remains the industry’s biggest challenge This episode is less about predictions, and more about perspective. If you want to understand where you sit relative to your peers, and how to use insight rather than instinct to guide decisions in 2026, this one’s essential listening. 📊 The full report is available free on the Unchained website 📩 Subscribe to the newsletter to receive future reports early

    The State of the Market: What the January 2026 Voice of the Agent Data Really Tells Us
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About

Voice of the Agent is the property podcast that swaps guesswork for grounded insight, and still manages to have a laugh along the way. Hosted by Toby Martin and Simon Leadbetter of We Are Unchained, each episode is built around one simple idea: if you want to understand what’s really happening in the UK property industry, don’t rely on hot takes and LinkedIn noise - ask the people doing the job, and test it against real consumer and market data. You’ll hear a mix of expert interviews with big brains from data, marketing, tech and beyond (including guests from organisations like YouGov and Experian), breakdowns of the latest Voice of the Agent reports (our free, statistically significant surveys of agents and consumers), and live sessions from the Voice of the Agent Conference - where agents, conveyancers and industry leaders get in the same room and talk honestly about what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs to change. Expect practical takeaways, sharp observations, the occasional rant, and the kind of conversations that help you run a better business: clearer marketing, smarter use of AI, stronger customer experience, more resilient growth, and a more realistic view of what buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants actually think. New episodes land regularly across Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. If you work in property - or you simply want to understand where the market is heading - you’re in the right place.

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