If you were at Agent Rainmaker Live 2025, you’ll know the vibe: bold ideas, straight talk, and a room full of agents ready to rethink how they work. That’s very much our thing at Kerfuffle, so the DDWADDWD theme couldn’t have landed better. Don’t do what a dodo would do? We’re absolutely on board.

One of the most talked-about events in the lettings industry calendar once again brought agency owners, suppliers, and sector specialists together for two days of learning, inspiration and shared support, as Agent Rainmaker Live 2025 delivered what many delegates described as its “best year yet.”

Hosted by trailblazer Sally Lawson at the Marriott Heathrow, the event welcomed key industry speakers including Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of NRLA, motivational speakers and renowned authors Nigel Risner and Jim Lawless, plus many others, to talk about industry challenges and opportunities across 2026 and beyond.

This year’s theme was DDWADDWD – Don’t Do What a Dodo Would Do – where letting agency owners learned the importance of preparing, optimising, outsourcing, and upselling in order to avoid falling off a cliff into the abyss.

The message resonated powerfully with attendees, prompting conversations throughout the event around the importance of adaptability, awareness, and stepping confidently into new ways of working.

“We’ve hosted AR Live for seven years now and every year it’s always bigger and better than the last,” explained Sally. “This year it was all about how letting agents can avoid extinction by putting in place strategies and techniques to improve their profit margins, stop doing things for free, and charging for what they’re worth. From technology and automation to staffing and pricing structures, we covered it all.”

Attendees commented on the uniquely supportive atmosphere, which has become a hallmark of the Agent Rainmaker community. Delegates openly shared their challenges, exchanged solutions, and offered encouragement, creating what one exhibitor described as “a room full of people who genuinely want each other to succeed.”

A panel discussion with industry experts including NRLA’s Ben Beadle specifically addressed the Renters’ Rights Act which comes into force on 1st May, forming one of the biggest takeaways from the event. One challenge being the importance of investing in staff whilst reducing costs, as well as why agents who specialise in complex compliance support and tenancy evictions will be those who will ride the storm best.

Sally added: “This year was all about highlighting the real opportunity that letting agents have to lead, to guide their landlords, and to embrace tools and strategies that free up time and create better outcomes for everyone. And the room was full of geared-up agents ready to take on that challenge.”

Some of the key takeaways for agents included:

• Identifying ways to convert let-only clients to fully managed

• Upselling and sideselling with a diverse range of services – going from just two (let only and fully managed) to up to 53, with services such as property staging, referral networks, high-end photography and outsourcing low-value tasks

• Charging for inspections

• Increasing fees to cover the cost of additional compliance responsibilities.

One thing’s clear: this year’s Agent Rainmaker Live left no room for dodo behaviour. Agents are ready to adapt, evolve, and charge confidently into what’s next — and we’ll be right here cheering you on.