In this razor-sharp episode of The Viking Chats, Kristjan Byfield sits down with one of PropTech’s original pioneers—Mal McCallion—to unpack the message every UK letting agent, estate agent and landlord needs to hear:

AI isn’t coming. It’s already here.

And if you’re not on board? You’re at risk of being left behind.

🧠 From PrimeLocation to Prophetic Predictions

With 24+ years in property and tech, Mal’s résumé reads like a PropTech hall of fame: launching PrimeLocation, rolling out Zoopla, and building tools for The Guild, GetAgent and more. Now heading ModelProp, he helps agents understand and adopt AI—before it’s too late.

Kristjan and Mal don’t hold back. They describe AI not as evolution, but revolution. Kristjan puts it best: “This is our generation’s industrial revolution.”

🤖 AI is Rewriting the Rules of Search, Service & Success

Forget SEO. Landlords are skipping Google and asking ChatGPT for their ideal agent—and it’s working. Kristjan shares real-world examples of Base Property gaining clients via AI prompts like:

Future clients won’t search by area—they’ll search by values. Only AI-literate, values-driven agents will stand out.

🔍 How Portals Could Be Dethroned

Rightmove, beware. Mal critiques the portals’ complacency and highlights how AI-powered search offers more than listings: from Offsted school checks to panoramic views and nuanced prompts, AI is reshaping property discovery.

Soon, tenants will say: “Find me a home near work, with a kind landlord and a dog-friendly policy.” And AI will deliver—instantly.

💬 Let Machines Handle Machine Work

AI won’t replace agents—it will free them. Picture this:

• Voice AI answers enquiries and books viewings 24/7
• Maintenance is triaged before your team even sees it
• Clients get fast, consistent replies—even out of hours

It’s not perfect. But as Kristjan says, neither are humans. Speed, reliability and service win.

📉 Let Go of Perfectionism—Or Get Left Behind

Agents often expect 100% perfection from tech—yet settle for 75% from staff. That mindset is outdated. The competition isn’t other agencies anymore—it’s the AI that never sleeps.

Adapt or risk irrelevance.

💡 How to Embrace the AI Advantage

This episode doesn’t just theorise—it delivers tactics:

• Try ChatGPT’s Deep Research for prospecting
• Audit your suppliers: no AI strategy = red flag
• Explore tools like Ask Vinnie and voice AI

Kristjan also reveals how The Depositary is using AI to boost performance and fairness in tenancy conclusion—minimising dispute friction and maximising outcomes.

🚀 A Call to Agents & Landlords

London landlords: this is your glimpse into modern agency. Agents: this is your blueprint for staying competitive.

📢 Tune in now and take your first step into the AI-powered future—because it’s already transforming our industry.

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In this special anniversary edition of The Viking Chats, Kristjan is joined by his "work wife" and Base Property (and The Depositary) co-founder An Deckers to celebrate a huge milestone—21 years of running one of London’s most distinctive and award-winning independent lettings agencies.

Expect laughter, honesty, a little nostalgia, and a masterclass in how to build a values-led business that puts people first—from tenants and landlords to the team that makes it all possible.

🏗️ From Back Bedrooms to Best in Class

This episode isn’t just a trip down memory lane—it’s a candid blueprint for how Base built a boutique agency from two laptops and matching Clios into a multi-award-winning business. Kristjan and An reflect on the early years of bootstrapping, long before PropTech made things slick, when Word documents and spreadsheets ran the show.

They share what it's really like to build an agency from scratch, how the lack of funding became their biggest asset, and why staying small (and smart) has always been their secret weapon.

🔧 Tech, Tenants & Trust

In 2008, everything changed. Base adopted their first CRM—long before cloud software became the norm. This was the start of their PropTech journey, partnering with Jupix and co-conceiving what became Alto’s PropertyFile landlord and tenant portals. But while tech played a big part in Base’s growth, people have always come first.

From a focus on tenant experience (long before it was fashionable) to nurturing 20+ year landlord relationships, Kristjan and An explain why tech should empower service—not replace it.

They also recount the radical moves they made during COVID—pivoting operations overnight, and sending heartfelt letters to all tenants urging openness and support. It’s one of their proudest moments—and a reflection of the care that defines Base.

🏆 Awards, Accolades & Authenticity

What started as a quirky agency in East London became a UK leader in customer service. From their first ESTA award in 2012 to winning five consecutive Grand Prix titles (and Zoopla’s coveted 10-Year Excellence Award in 2020), Base has proven that small doesn’t mean second-best.

But these awards aren’t just silverware—they’re validation of an ethos: honesty, humanity, humour, and hustle. Kristjan and An have never aimed to be the biggest, only the best—for their clients, their team, and their community.

🎉 Celebrating the Base Family

From their 10th anniversary bash at White Rabbit to their 20th at Shoreditch Arts Club, Base has always celebrated in style. But these events aren’t corporate puff—they’re about people. The guests are landlords, suppliers, residents, and friends. Many have been with Base since 2004.

They even share the full-circle stories: tenants who became landlords, landlords who became friends, and long-term clients like Philomena and Tom—each representing over a decade of trust, transparency and terrific service.

🔮 Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Base?

While this episode is rooted in the past, it’s all about the future. An and Kristjan reflect on:

• The evolving lettings landscape post-Renters Reform
• The role of AI and marketing in tomorrow’s agency
• Why true service—real conversations, coffee meetings, and trusted advice—will matter more than ever

And yes, they’re already plotting the 25-year anniversary party in 2029.

👥 For Agents & Landlords Alike

This episode is a gift to the industry. Whether you’re an agent building your brand, a landlord looking for a better way, or just love hearing how real businesses grow with integrity and impact, this episode offers inspiration, insight—and plenty of laughs.

📢 Tune in now to hear how Base Property Specialists became the agency that London landlords trust, tenants stay loyal t

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In this powerful episode of The Viking Chats, Kristjan Byfield is joined by the sharp, funny, and endlessly insightful Toby Martin—a former agent turned consultant who’s on a mission to help agencies thrive in a tech-powered world.

This episode isn’t just about AI—it’s about how you, your team, and your business can stay ahead of the curve, remain unmistakably human, and stop sounding like every other agent in town.

🚀 AI: The New Industrial Revolution?

Kristjan opens with a bold claim: AI is our generation’s Industrial Revolution—and it’s moving at warp speed. From automating operations to powering marketing, AI is transforming every layer of the property industry. But for many agents, it feels overwhelming. Toby gets it—and offers clarity.

Together, they explore two sides of AI:

1. Embedded AI – Your suppliers (like The Depositary) are integrating AI into your platforms for you.
2. Direct AI Use – Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini that agents can use to save time, generate content, and boost creativity.

You don’t need a computer science degree to get started. You just need curiosity—and a good prompt.

🧠 From Chaos to Clarity: Getting Started with AI

Toby lays out a super-practical roadmap to get agents from “Where do I start?” to “Why wasn’t I doing this sooner?”

His advice?

• Treat AI like a top-tier assistant or co-pilot
• Give it your brand guidelines, customer personas, and tone of voice
• Learn to write better prompts—or ask AI to help you write them

Agents can begin simply. Want a marketing plan, video script, social media carousel, or localised blog? Ask the right questions and AI delivers—fast, consistent and tailored.

🎥 One Podcast = Ten Content Assets

Kristjan shares how Base Property and The Depositary take a single podcast and transform it into a dozen powerful pieces of content using AI:

• Full video and podcast
• Social video snippets via Opus Clip
• Blogs, email campaigns, and Google posts
• AI-generated LinkedIn content and graphics

All in about 30 minutes of effort. For smaller agents with tight budgets and busy teams, it’s a game-changer.

🎯 The Biggest Risk? Sounding Like Everyone Else

AI can make you faster—but also dangerously generic. That’s the warning bell Toby rings throughout the episode.

He urges agents to use AI to amplify their humanity, not erase it. His approach? Use ChatGPT’s Projects feature to train AI with your brand tone, values, services and customer voice—so that every output sounds like you.

Because in Toby’s words:

🔍 Differentiate or Disappear

The duo reflect on a real-world scenario: an agent couldn’t name a single thing that made them different from two local competitors. No surprise, then, that fees were in a race to the bottom.

Their advice? Use AI to audit your competitors. Feed it websites, social media content, and ask: What actually makes us different—and how do we say that louder?

💡 Final Thoughts: Don’t Fear AI—Talk to It

You don’t need a plan. You don’t need a strategy. You don’t even need to know what you’re doing.

Just open ChatGPT and start a conversation. Ask a question. Explore an idea. Repurpose a blog. Build a brand.

Toby and Kristjan’s message is simple: if you start now, AI can elevate your marketing, sharpen your brand, save your time, and help you truly stand out.

🎙️ Listen now to learn how to make AI work for your agency, your team, and your voice.

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