The UK is facing a critical housing shortage, with government targets aiming to build over 300,000 new homes every year.
While policy reform has been suggested to address the issue, the property sector has traditionally struggled to adopt technologies that could help achieve these goals—until now.
London-based PropTech firm Searchland has launched the UK’s first AI-powered Land Sourcing Assistant, offering a new approach to how developers locate and assess land for building.
Searchland’s CEO and Founder, Mitchell Fasanya, believes AI holds the potential for a property industry overhaul:
“The property industry has always been slower in adopting new technologies, particularly in the planning and development stages. With land teams more stretched than ever, we recognised the need for a tool that could boost efficiency.
“An AI programmed specifically to support housebuilders and developers is crucial to streamlining the entire land assessment process and focus on delivering homes faster.”
Traditionally, sourcing land involves labour-intensive processes, with developers often needing to explore local areas, contact landowners, and rely on informal leads.
These traditional methods create delays, slowing the rate of housebuilding. Searchland’s AI Land Sourcing Assistant, however, could change all that.
With conversational instructions, the AI responds to simple prompts like, “Find sites larger than 10 acres with no past development,” or more detailed ones, such as, “Find 5,000 sqm sites, free from planning constraints, within five miles of a settlement.”
Using a vast pool of land and property data, the AI identifies suitable land options in moments.
“While Searchland has been a reliable tool for land sourcing for several years, setting the right search criteria has always required specific knowledge,” Fasanya explains. “Our AI assistant removes that barrier by using the vast amount of data in Searchland’s system to identify opportunities developers may not have even considered. It simplifies the search process and pinpoints ideal parcels of land.”
By automating this initial search, Searchland’s AI reduces the time developers spend identifying potential sites, allowing them to progress more swiftly from acquisition to construction.
“AI is more than just a tool; it’s a game-changer,” Fasanya asserts. “With our AI assistant, developers can discover land opportunities faster, meaning we can accelerate the housebuilding process. We aim to help the industry meet government targets and ensure more people can access homes.”
For further information on Searchland and its AI Land Sourcing Assistant, visit https://searchland.co.uk/.
