After countless episodes of Estate Agent Showdown, coach and agency owner Matt Giggs has landed on an uncomfortable truth: the biggest threat to real estate agents is no longer competition, technology or the market itself. It is the sheer volume of noise drowning everything else out.
“There is so much information coming at agents from every direction,” Matt says.
“One of the most destructive things for progress is having all that noise, but very little action.”
As the industry moves into 2026, Matt, who is based in the UK, believes success will no longer belong to the loudest agents or the most visible brands.
Instead, it will be defined by clarity, focus and the ability to explain value in a way that cuts through fragmentation.
Drawing on insights from his podcast guests and nearly three decades in the industry, Matt has distilled what he sees as the four strategic pillars that will separate high-performing agencies from the rest in the year ahead.
Pillar one: Value-based fees, not percentage selling
According to Matt, the era of default percentage-based fees is coming to an end.
“In a transparent market, your fee is directly linked to your ability to articulate value,” he says.
“If you cannot explain the return on a client’s investment in you, your fee becomes the problem.”
Across his coaching work, Matt consistently sees agents charging well below what they believe they are worth.
The issue, he says, is not the market pushing fees down, but agents failing to clearly demonstrate their impact on the seller’s final result.
“The conversation has to shift away from winning listings and towards the net outcome for the client,” Matt says.
“What goes into the seller’s pocket at the end of the transaction is what matters.”
When fee pressure arises, Matt views it as a sign that perceived value has not been established early enough.
“If a client is pushing for a discount, it usually means the value hasn’t been demonstrated,” he says.
“You need to stop selling listings and start selling outcomes.”
Agents who rely on fee reduction or price promises rather than process and evidence, Matt warns, will struggle as the market becomes more sophisticated.
Precision marketing over mass exposure
The scattergun marketing approach that once defined real estate growth is no longer effective, according to Matt.
“There was a time when offering free fees or blanket advertising could work,” he says.
“But it never built a fan base, and it never built a clear brand.”
In an environment saturated with generic social media content, Matt argues that agents must narrow their focus rather than broaden it.
That means identifying a specific market, a specific client profile and delivering relevant value consistently.
“The gold standard now is targeted intention marketing,” he explains. “Being present when the consumer is actively searching for an expert, rather than interrupting them with noise.”
This shift places greater emphasis on search intent, local SEO and highly localised content. Likes and comments, Matt says, are increasingly poor indicators of influence.
“Most of my clients have never liked or commented on my content,” he says. “They still came to me because I was visible, consistent and relevant over time.”
He points to the importance of becoming the recognised authority within a tightly defined area.
“When people in your patch think about selling, they should already know they need to speak to you,” Matt says.
Human-centred AI systems
Artificial intelligence has rapidly moved from novelty to necessity, but Matt cautions against seeing it as a replacement for people.
“Technology is no longer a disruptor,” he says. “It is an assistant.”
The most effective agencies, he believes, are those that use AI to systemise predictable tasks and free their people to focus on areas where technology cannot compete.
“Lead qualification, routine updates and early-stage enquiries can all be handled by systems,” Matt says.
“That allows agents to focus on negotiation, strategy and empathy.”
He describes this approach as a human AI operating system, where technology supports meaningful client interaction rather than replacing it.
“This is about liberating people, not reducing headcount,” Matt says.
“AI should give agents more time in real conversations, at the right moment, with the right people.”
In a market where consumers increasingly question what is real and what is automated, Matt believes human presence will become even more valuable.
“AI cannot feel,” he says. “It cannot build trust or read emotional nuance. That remains the agent’s role.”
Personal brand as the primary asset
The final pillar, Matt says, is the most confronting for many agents.
“The brand is no longer the company,” he says. “The brand is the person.”
Reflecting on his decision to leave a corporate role and launch his own agency, Matt says his only genuine point of difference was himself.
“Clients got me from start to finish,” he says. “That was the value.”
While corporate branding still plays a role in attracting attention, Matt believes personal brands are now responsible for conversion and trust.
“The company brand attracts, but the personal brand converts,” he says.
For agents, this means investing consistently in reputation, community presence and high-value content that reflects who they are and who they want to work with.
“You cannot be everything to everyone,” Matt says. “You need to be clear about your ideal client and shape your visibility around that.”
Trust, he adds, is now formed long before the first phone call, often through repeated exposure and local engagement.
“People feel like they know you before they ever speak to you,” Matt says.
Finally, Matt is clear that these four pillars are not optional tactics, but foundational requirements for growth in 2026.
“The habits that worked a decade ago no longer serve agents,” he says.
“Creating new ones is uncomfortable, but necessary.”
For those willing to focus on value, precision and genuine human interaction, Matt believes the opportunity is significant.
“The agents who adapt will define where this industry goes next,” he says.
