Mal McCallion: How AI Property Search Could Kill Rightmove, And Give Estate Agents Their Power Back

What happens to estate agency when AI stops being a novelty and starts rewriting how people find homes? In this episode of Voice of the Agent, Simon sits down with Mal McCallion, founder of MyPorta and ModelProp, and a key figure behind PrimeLocation and Zoopla, to explore whether AI-driven property discovery could fundamentally reshape the market — and what that means for Rightmove, for portals, and for agents everywhere. Mal shares what he learned from helping build the early portals, why the traditional filter-based search model is about to feel as outdated as newspaper property pages, and how AI will allow people to describe their ideal lifestyle rather than tick boxes. He also reflects on the Rightmove Resistance Tour, the surprising human stories he heard from agents across the country, and why he believes the bulk-subscription, pay-to-list model is living on borrowed time. They dig into MyPorta’s vision for a free-to-list, AI-optimised platform that gives agents control of their leads and data, how consumer behaviour is changing at speed, and why AI literacy is set to become a core skill for every successful agent. If you're curious about the future of property search, the role AI will play, or how the portal landscape could shift over the next five years, this is a fascinating and timely conversation. Listen now, hit Follow, and if you enjoy it, leave us a review so more agents can discover the show.