There’s a fascinating shift happening across the property industry right now.

On the surface, most of the conversation appears to revolve around legislation. The Renter’s Rights Act. Tribunal reform. EPC targets. Compliance changes. Data transparency. AI. New expectations from consumers.

But underneath all of that sits something much bigger: Trust.

Who has the information. Who controls the process. And what happens when technology fundamentally changes the balance between the two.

In this episode of The Viking Chats, I sit down with Sandra Jones, formerly of Dataloft and now part of global property technology business PriceHubble, for a conversation that starts with housing market data and gradually expands into the future architecture of the property industry itself.

Sandra has spent decades analysing property markets, understanding behavioural trends and helping agents translate complex data into something meaningful, visual and commercially useful. Following PriceHubble’s acquisition of Dataloft in 2023, that capability has now merged with vast property-level data infrastructure, AI tools and predictive analytics operating across multiple international markets.

And what emerges from this conversation is a fascinating insight into where the industry may be heading next.

We explore why data has become one of the most valuable assets within modern property businesses, not simply from a valuation or market analysis perspective, but because consumers increasingly expect transparency around almost every aspect of housing. From rental pricing and affordability to energy efficiency and local market movement, the demand for evidence-backed communication is only increasing.

One of the most compelling parts of the discussion centres around the rental market and the implications of the Renter’s Rights Act. Sandra explains how PriceHubble’s new Rental Evidence Report is designed to help agents and landlords justify rent increases transparently through real achieved rental data rather than vague market assumptions.

Because as we discuss throughout the episode, the days of simply telling consumers “that’s the market rate” without evidence behind it are rapidly disappearing.

And AI is likely to accelerate that change dramatically.

We dive deep into the growing role of artificial intelligence within property and what happens when consumers no longer need specialist industry knowledge to understand their rights, challenge decisions or navigate increasingly complex legislation. If AI can instantly interpret tenancy agreements, identify compliance gaps or assess the fairness of rent increases, then the entire relationship between agents, landlords and tenants starts evolving very quickly.

That creates both opportunity and risk.

On one hand, greater transparency should drive professionalism, consistency and trust across the sector. On the other, it may also create a more litigious and process-heavy environment if technology removes friction from disputes entirely.

We also discuss:

•  why 'achieved rental' data matters more than asking prices 
•  the unintended consequences of banning rental bidding wars 
•  the growing complexity around EPC legislation and retrofit 
•  how consumer expectations around information are changing 
•  and why evidence-backed communication is becoming commercially essential for agents 

Alongside all of that, there’s a broader conversation around London, affordability, generational change and how societal attitudes towards renting and home ownership continue evolving.

What makes this episode particularly interesting is that it never drifts into “tech for tech’s sake” territory. Sandra brings a hugely grounded perspective to the discussion, consistently bringing the conversation back to people, behaviour and communication rather than simply platforms and software.

Because ultimately, this isn’t really a conversation about data alone. It’s about what happens when information becomes universally accessible.

And why the future winners in property may not simply be the businesses with the best technology, but the ones most capable of building trust in a world where everyone can increasingly verify everything for themselves.

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