An industry supplier claims the large majority of agents rely on third-party providers to operate their websites.

An analysis shows 31% are completely dependent on external developers or providers, with a further 28% fairly reliant. 

Just 12% said they were fully self-sufficient on managing and updating their online presence. And according to the research, 63% of agents have delayed upgrading or replacing existing systems.

Street Group claims the findings show that many agencies are tied to platforms which limit their ability to respond quickly to changing market conditions.

Street co-founder Heather Staff says: “This dependency remains widespread across the industry, with many agencies also delaying technology upgrades due to concerns around cost and operational disruption.

“The result is that businesses often find themselves stuck with systems that are difficult to change, slow to evolve, and expensive to maintain.”