Burnout Buffer

If you’ve ever staggered out of a Friday feeling you’ve been chased by your own to-do list, you’re not alone. Agency has always been a contact sport played from behind a desk: AML, onboarding, portals, price-change emails, chain-chasing, landlord placation. It’s the cognitive equivalent of juggling while someone keeps adding bowling balls.

Here’s what’s different in 2026: the industry is finally admitting that the strain isn’t a badge of honour; it’s a business risk. And AI’s role in this shift isn’t hype. It’s humane.

Alto’s latest Agency Trends data is the canary singing loudly. Over half of UK agents plan to embed AI into everyday workflows this year; two-thirds expect automation to take a proper bite out of compliance. That matters because that’s where burnout hides: in the 20-minute tasks that always take 40 and arrive in flocks. If machine reading can surface AML red flags, draft Source of Funds follow-ups, pre-fill KYC, and chase missing documents without you, that’s not “innovation theatre”. That’s you getting Wednesday back.

But let’s keep perspective. Tools don’t change cultures on their own. Plenty of corporates will operationalise AI fast; plenty of independents will hesitate, worried about cost, data privacy or simply not knowing where to start. That “size divide” isn’t academic. If bigger brands strip out admin drag, their negotiators are back on phones and pavements while smaller rivals are still wrestling PDFs. The answer for independents isn’t to wait for perfect; it’s to start small, safe and specific:

• Pick one repetitive process (AML file collation, portal description polishing, post-viewing follow-up).

• Use AI where it’s auditable: templates, checklists, summaries, document extraction.

• Wrap it in human oversight and log every suggestion accepted or rejected. You’re still the adult in the room.

Even the best stack, though, won’t mend the loneliness that agency can breed. That’s why the most hopeful story of the year isn’t a feature release; it’s the professionalising of peer support. The Boys Club’s new Board signals intent: structure, safeguarding and continuity for men who’d rather gut out a tough quarter than admit they’re running on fumes. Monthly meet-ups – sometimes anonymous – normalise the conversation many avoid until it’s too late.

On the other side of the aisle, Women in Estate Agency’s Not a Conference is equally important. Stories beat slides. “Mistakes That Made Us” is the tonic this industry needs: practical vulnerability, not performative perfection. The WiEA pod keeps that flame lit between events, proving that shared experience is the cheapest, most effective CPD you’ll ever get.

Layer in Agents Together’s mentoring and you’ve got a genuine wellbeing stack. A seasoned operator on speed dial who’s seen the movie – and survived it – is worth more than any glossy time-management grid. Mentors won’t just tune your pipeline; they’ll remind you that saying no to the seventh evening valuation this week isn’t career sabotage.

So, what to do on Monday?

• Ringfence an hour to map your “burnout hotspots”. Which tasks can AI draft, summarise or chase first?

• Choose one AI pilot and a success metric (e.g. reduce AML case time from 45 to 20 minutes). Review in four weeks.

• Get a human safety net: join The Boys Club or WiEA, and apply for Agents Together – mentor or mentee.

• Publish your boundaries: response SLAs, diary blocks, and a humane out-of-hours policy. Clients respect clarity.

• Make it cultural: weekly stand-up with a wellbeing check as standard, not as an afterthought.

The smartest agents this year aren’t the flashiest. They’re the ones who let algorithms eat the drudge while communities catch the humans. That combination doesn’t just fend off burnout; it compounds performance.

And - whisper it - it might even make you enjoy the job again.