A lettings team's AI agent competency matrix names the skills negotiators, property managers and the lettings director need once agents book viewings, chase references, triage repairs and remind tenants about rent. The decisive skills are checking documents for forgery, treating applicants fairly, and approving any deposit or repair spend the agent holds.
Where do lettings agents create new skill needs?
Lettings combines three kinds of work with very different risks. Viewings and enquiries are high volume and low stakes, so an agent can book and confirm at depth 3 within set hours. Referencing is document-heavy and attracts fraud: bank statements, payslips and employer letters that arrive by upload or email are declared or external data, never proof. Money moves at the end: deposit returns, deductions and contractor payments are depth 4 actions and should be held for a named person.
Each kind needs a different skill in the person overseeing it. A negotiator who handles viewings must explain to an applicant why a request is waiting. A property manager approving a deposit deduction must check the check-out evidence behind the agent's draft. The matrix records who holds which. The broader map is in AI agent skills by role.
How do you complete it?
Start from the tenancy cycle rather than the job titles. For each stage, ask what the agent does, at what depth, and what the person must be able to judge. Then set a target per role using N (not needed), K (knows), D (does it unaided) and L (leads and signs off). Mark the person accountable for each stage, which should match your RACI matrix.
The template
| Tenancy stage | Agent's task and depth | Skill the person needs | Negotiator | Property manager | Lettings director | Accountable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry and viewing | Books and confirms viewings | Explains held and refused requests | ||||
| Application | Collects documents | Treats uploads as declared, not verified | ||||
| Referencing | Drafts referencing summary | Spots altered or inconsistent documents | ||||
| Offer | Drafts offer letter | Applies selection criteria consistently | ||||
| Move-in | Drafts inventory pack | Checks the pack against the inspection | ||||
| Repairs | Triages and drafts work orders | Recognises urgent safety issues | ||||
| Rent | Sends reminders | Spots signs of hardship | ||||
| Check-out | Drafts deposit deductions | Approves deductions on evidence | ||||
| All stages | Files every verdict | Reconstructs a decision for a dispute |
A worked example
Take a hypothetical agency managing 800 homes, with five negotiators, four property managers and a lettings director.
| Stage | Agent task and depth | Skill | Negotiator | Manager | Director | Accountable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewing | Books viewings, 3 | Explains held requests | D | K | K | Negotiator lead |
| Application | Collects documents, 1 | Uploads are declared | D | D | K | Negotiator lead |
| Referencing | Drafts summary, 2 | Spots altered documents | K | D | L | Director |
| Offer | Drafts offer, 2 | Consistent criteria | D | D | L | Director |
| Move-in | Drafts inventory, 2 | Pack against inspection | K | D | K | Property manager |
| Repairs | Drafts work orders, 2 | Urgent safety issues | D | L | K | Property manager |
| Rent | Sends reminders, 3 | Signs of hardship | D | D | K | Property manager |
| Check-out | Drafts deductions, 4 held | Approves on evidence | N | L | L | Property manager |
| All | Files verdicts | Reconstructs for a dispute | K | D | L | Director |
Two cells deserve comment. Negotiators must "do" fair selection unaided because the agent drafts the offer letter. If two applicants are similar and the agent's draft favours one, the negotiator who sends it owns that choice, and should be able to say which written criteria decided it.
Repairs carry a quiet danger. A tenant's message about a smell of gas or a damp patch on a ceiling may be triaged by the agent as routine if it is phrased casually. Property managers lead on recognising urgent safety issues, and negotiators reading the inbox must reach "does it" too, because they often see the message first. The AI agent competency matrix for the onboarding team treats document checks in a similar way for regulated customer onboarding; lettings referencing can borrow its rigour.
How does the matrix connect to approvals?
Every L in the matrix should correspond to an approval right, and nobody should hold an approval right without at least D in the matching skill. The approver authority matrix for the lettings team sets the limits for deposit deductions and repair spend, and the reviewer rota for the lettings team makes sure an L-level person covers check-out days, when deposits cluster. Agencies that want external evidence of these skills can use Pryme Intelligence Academy's Operator certificate, which is checkable at source by number or QR code.
Questions people ask
Can an agent return a deposit without a person?
Returning money is a depth 4 action and hard to undo. Most agencies hold every deposit return for a property manager, even when no deductions are proposed, at least until the agent has a long record of correct drafts.
Do negotiators need the same training as property managers?
They need the same vocabulary and less depth on money. Negotiators should handle held viewing requests and document collection confidently; deductions and repair spend can stay with managers.
What should a new negotiator learn first?
That anything an applicant uploads is declared, not verified. Most referencing fraud depends on someone forgetting that.