Survey shows demand for speed in homebuying process, but little tolerance for errors
British homebuyers are increasingly expecting artificial intelligence (AI) to feature in the property market, yet most still want a person to guide key decisions, results of a global survey by property data analytics provider Cotality have shown.
The research suggests that while AI is seen as useful for speeding up administrative steps, UK buyers continue to place greater trust in human advice when choosing mortgages, arranging legal support and assessing insurance.
Cotality said 75% of homebuyers globally expect AI to play a part in the homebuying process. In the UK, where annual mortgage lending exceeds £250 billion, the firm argued that even limited efficiency gains could affect lender capacity. It estimated AI-led workflows could cut mortgage processing times by one to three months, allowing lenders to bring forward repayments and recycle capital more quickly.
The study found that many buyers already assume AI is embedded in the sector. Respondents most commonly expected AI to be used by property websites (86%), insurers (82%), lenders (80%) and estate agents (80%), with brokers close behind (79%).
Expectations varied by age. Seventy percent of Baby Boomers assumed AI was involved, compared with 84% of millennials and 81% of Generation Z.
The research also reported a drop in buyer confidence in navigating the homebuying process, from 83% in 2025 to 72% now. Younger buyers were more likely to see AI as a support: 50% of Generation Z said it would increase confidence in buying a home, compared with 40% of Millennials, 33% of Generation X and 21% of boomers. Generation Z respondents were also more likely to prioritise speed when securing legal assistance (46%) and insurance (39%).
“Homebuyers want the speed and scale of AI - but not at the expense of certainty,” said Amy Gromowski (pictured right), head of data science at Cotality.
“With AI adoption accelerating the homebuying process in markets such as the United Kingdom and the United States, over 7 million mortgages are originated annually - representing several trillion pounds in combined lending volume each year.
“If AI-powered workflows shorten time to close by just one to three months, lenders can pull forward billions in repayments, recycle capital more efficiently, and expand capacity without increasing headcount.”
Concerns about accuracy and accountability remained prominent, particularly among UK respondents. One in three homebuyers globally said they took a zero-tolerance approach to mistakes in property listings, regardless of whether the source was human or AI. UK buyers were seven percentage points less tolerant than those in the US.
Transparency was also a recurring theme. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said it was important to label property listings and mortgage recommendations clearly where AI has been used, while 37% said labelling should be mandatory.
Among Baby Boomers, the share calling for mandatory labelling rose to 61%. Nearly half of respondents (46%) said it was unacceptable for lenders or insurers to carry out automated AI valuations without permission beforehand.
Cotality reported wider unease about AI outputs, with 64% concerned that AI may “recycle” unverified information rather than rely on validated, first-party data. Willingness to accept AI-generated information about risks and the potential impact on premiums was limited across generations.
Despite assumptions that AI is becoming more common, the survey suggested that UK buyers still prefer to keep professionals involved at the points they consider most consequential. Cotality said 71% of UK respondents would rely on a human professional over AI when identifying the mortgage option that best fits their needs, 69% for legal assistance and 50% for home insurance. It also found that 48% of UK buyers would pay an additional fee for a human expert to verify AI-generated housing decisions, compared with 44% globally.
“AI offers a real opportunity to speed up the homebuying journey, cutting months from what is often a slow and complex process in the UK,” said Jim Driver (pictured right), managing director at Cotality UK.
“However, UK buyers don’t want AI-driven efficiency at the expense of accuracy or accountability. By combining AI with expert human oversight, the market can deliver faster, more seamless transactions that will benefit both buyers and lenders.
“What the UK data shows is that buyers are clear on where they want AI involved - and where they don’t. While nearly three quarters of homebuyers globally want AI in the process, UK buyers still value human oversight. In a market where transactions are complex and drawn out, that’s understandable. The industry’s opportunity is to use AI to speed up administrative parts of the process, while keeping buyers in control.”
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