Sift vs Street Cortex
Street Cortex is Street.co.uk's built-in AI — and it's excellent. But you can only use it if you move your entire agency database to Street. Sift adds 24/7 AI lead qualification to the CRM you already use.
Written by Sift. Street Cortex data based on publicly available information as of May 2026.
Street Cortex requires a full CRM migration
To use Street Cortex, you migrate your property data, client records, and workflow from your existing CRM (Dezrez, Loop, Reapit, Alto, or other) to Street.co.uk — a multi-week project that affects your entire agency operation.
For most UK agencies, this is too high a bar. Sift adds AI qualification to your existing CRM with a single script tag.
A standalone AI lead qualification widget that runs independently of your CRM. Installs in 10 minutes with a script tag. No CRM migration, no developer project, no data to move.
Street.co.uk's built-in AI feature for agencies on the Street CRM platform. Handles out-of-hours enquiries, claims 27% more leads from after-hours activity, and is deeply integrated with Street's diary and workflow tools.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Sift | Street Cortex |
|---|---|---|
| DEPLOYMENT & SWITCHING COST | ||
| Works with existing CRM | Yes — runs alongside any CRM (leads land in Sift dashboard; CSV export + Zapier / outbound webhook (Growth/Scale); native CRM integrations on roadmap) | No — Street.co.uk only |
| CRM migration required | None | Full migration to Street.co.uk |
| Installation time | ~10 minutes (script tag) | Weeks (CRM migration project) |
| Data migration risk | None | Full property/client database move |
| Team retraining required | Minimal (Sift dashboard only) | Full CRM retraining |
| AI QUALIFICATION CAPABILITY | ||
| 24/7 out-of-hours enquiry handling | Yes | Yes (Street's reported strength) |
| Chain status qualification | Yes — primary scoring signal | Included in broader qualification |
| Decision in Principle (DIP) | Yes — DIP vs AIP vs exploring | Included in broader qualification |
| Cash buyer disambiguation | Yes — immediate vs subject-to-sale | Unconfirmed detail level |
| Buyer scheme eligibility | Help to Buy, Shared Ownership, First Homes | Unconfirmed |
| CRM diary integration | Leads in Sift dashboard; Zapier / outbound webhook (Growth/Scale) (native CRM integrations on roadmap) | Deep — native Street diary booking |
| GDPR & COMPLIANCE | ||
| GDPR consent gate before PII collected | Yes — ICO-auditable consent record | Standard CRM compliance |
| Right-to-erasure support | One-click data erasure endpoint | CRM-level GDPR tools |
| PRICING & COMMITMENT | ||
| Entry price | £149/month (Starter) | Bundled with Street.co.uk CRM pricing |
| Free trial | 14-day, no card required | Street CRM trial (full migration context) |
| Cancel without switching CRM | Yes — stop subscription, widget removed | Leaving Street = migrating CRM back |
Street Cortex data based on Street.co.uk public materials as of May 2026. Some capability details unconfirmed.
Why CRM lock-in matters
Street Cortex's AI is genuinely good. The problem isn't the product — it's the prerequisite.
Your data migration
Switching CRM means exporting years of property records, client histories, and pipeline data from your existing platform and importing it into Street. No migration is perfect — data loss and format issues are common.
Your team's time
Every negotiator, admin, and manager has to learn a new CRM interface. Re-training a team of 5 typically takes 2–4 weeks before they're back to full productivity. For a small agency, that's a significant disruption.
The exit cost
If Street Cortex doesn't deliver, leaving means migrating your database back. The switching cost in both directions is high. With Sift, you can cancel with one email — your CRM is untouched.
Which is right for your agency?
Choose Sift if:
- ✓You're on any CRM (or no CRM) and don't want to switch — leads land in the Sift dashboard, ready to export
- ✓You need 24/7 qualification running within days, not weeks
- ✓You want to test AI lead qualification before committing to a platform change
- ✓You want month-to-month pricing with no switching risk
- ✓UK GDPR compliance with ICO-auditable consent records is important to you
Consider Street Cortex if:
- →You're already planning to move to Street.co.uk for other reasons (portal feeds, workflow)
- →You want the deepest possible AI-CRM diary integration (Street's native booking is excellent)
- →You're a growing agency and Street's full CRM feature set justifies the migration cost
- →You have an IT/ops resource to manage the CRM migration project
The one-line summary: If you're not already switching to Street CRM, the switching cost alone makes Cortex unavailable to you — regardless of how good it is. For the roughly 95% of UK agencies not on Street, Sift is the answer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sift and Street Cortex?
Sift qualifies inbound enquiries on your website 24/7 before they enter any CRM — focusing on pre-CRM lead capture. Street Cortex focuses on AI-powered lead scoring and analytics for an existing pipeline. Sift is self-serve with transparent pricing from £149/month; Street Cortex pricing requires contacting their team.
Is Street Cortex designed for independent estate agents?
Based on publicly available information, Street Cortex appears to target larger estate agency groups and networks. Sift is purpose-built for independent UK agencies — self-serve setup in 10 minutes, no IT team or implementation project required, transparent pricing from £149/month.
How much does Sift cost compared to Street Cortex?
Sift is publicly priced from £149/month with a 14-day free trial and no card required. Street Cortex pricing is not publicly available — contact Street Cortex for a quote.
Does Sift work without a CRM?
Yes. Sift works standalone — qualifying buyers on your website. Leads land in the Sift dashboard with full conversation transcript, GDPR consent record, lead score, and contact details. Export via CSV at any time, or connect to 6,000+ apps via Zapier or forward leads to any URL via outbound webhook (Growth/Scale). Native CRM integrations are on the roadmap.
How quickly can I set up Sift?
Sift installs with a single script tag on your website. Most agencies are live in under 10 minutes with no developer needed and no lengthy onboarding process.
Add AI qualification to your existing CRM
14-day free trial. No card required. Live on your agency website in under 10 minutes — without touching your CRM.
Start Free Trial