🎙 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