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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Technology is changing real estate through AI-assisted brokerage, digital transaction workflows, connected building systems and investment in data centers. Its effects are uneven: a tool’s value depends on the task or asset it serves, the quality of available data, the cost and skills required to use it, and constraints such as power supply and local climate exposure.
Where technology is changing real estate
Real estate technology is not limited to apps for finding homes or signing leases. It spans brokerage and transactions, property operations, construction, investment analysis and the physical infrastructure that supports digital services. The examples below range from tools already used in brokerage workflows to emerging applications and assets whose commercial outcomes are not assured.
Brokerage and transactions
In the United States, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) reports that surveyed members use tools such as multiple listing services (MLS), e-signatures, showing-scheduling systems, comparative market analysis (CMA) and pricing tools, customer relationship management (CRM) software, drone photography and video, and AI-generated content. These technologies can support recurring work such as preparing marketing materials, coordinating showings, managing contacts and communicating with clients.
NAR’s September 2026 survey describes why respondents adopt technology and how they use AI. The percentages apply to surveyed NAR members, not to every real-estate professional or market:
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| Survey finding | Reported result |
|---|---|
| Named saving time as a reason to embrace technology | 81% |
| Named improving the client experience as a reason | 71% |
| Reported using AI daily; reported using AI weekly | 23%; 25% |
| Among AI users, use AI to write listing descriptions | 75% |
| Among AI users, use AI for social-media posts | 56% |
| Among AI users, use AI to create emails or follow-up | 52% |
| Identified the learning curve as a major technology-adoption challenge | 63% |
| Cited cost as a technology-adoption challenge | 59% |
NAR’s 2026 technology survey therefore points to practical workflow uses, alongside adoption barriers; it does not establish that every tool saves money or improves service in every brokerage.
AI and the broader proptech market
AI is being applied to repeated, data-intensive tasks, including content drafting, predictive maintenance, insurance, mortgage underwriting and construction technology. PwC describes proptech as extending beyond transaction software into construction, infrastructure, climate, industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and energy. These are areas of activity, not proof that each application is reliable, widely deployed or commercially mature.
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At the organizational level, PwC describes AI adoption as moving from exploration and pilots toward measured implementation, with maturity varying across companies. In PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey, 29% of real-estate CEOs said AI contributed to revenue increases and 32% reported AI-related cost decreases. Those are executives’ survey responses, not independently verified causal effects or a promise of results for a particular firm. PwC’s proptech analysis discusses the wider set of applications and the shift from experimentation toward adoption.
Buildings, operations and energy
Connected sensors and building-management systems can make a property’s day-to-day operation part of its technology strategy. IoT and energy tools can provide information about building conditions and energy use; that information may support operational decisions, but the sources do not establish a universal product or a single quantified return from installing sensors.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe stakes are substantial: buildings account for 37% of global energy-related emissions, according to the OECD’s 2025 report. That figure describes buildings’ share of emissions; it is not a measure of technology adoption or the emissions savings any one system will deliver. PwC’s overview of proptech covers energy and IoT, while the OECD’s work on future-proofing real-estate investment explains the importance of property performance and resilience.
Data centers and digital infrastructure
AI and cloud computing require physical infrastructure, including data centers. In its 2026 outlook for the United States and Canada, PwC and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) report national data-center vacancy below 2% and say most facilities are pre-leased before completion. The same outlook identifies power shortages and supply bottlenecks as constraints on development. These are regional market observations, not a global vacancy rate or a guarantee that a proposed project can secure power or tenants.
Investment figures show activity in this segment as well as in real estate more broadly. McKinsey reports that global real-estate deal value reached $873 billion in 2025, about 12% higher year over year, while the number of transactions remained broadly flat. Data-center deal volumes rose 37% in 2025. Deal value and deal volume measure different things: neither increase establishes that returns rose or that investment is suitable for every investor. PwC/ULI’s 2026 outlook covers the US and Canadian market conditions; McKinsey’s global real-estate analysis reports the 2025 deal figures.
Why climate and location still matter
Digital tools do not remove the risks tied to a property’s location. The OECD identifies physical hazards such as floods, heatwaves and wildfires, as well as transition risks from regulation, technology and changing market expectations. Depending on the asset and place, those risks can affect usability, value, lending, investment and insurance.
The scale of the exposure helps explain why it matters to investors and operators: the OECD valued property assets across 34 OECD countries at around USD 111 trillion in 2022, equivalent to 196% of those countries’ combined GDP. That is an asset-value estimate for the specified countries and year, not a current global valuation. The OECD also notes that inconsistent assessment methods and data gaps constrain climate-risk analysis. A digital risk score should therefore be treated as an input, not a substitute for local due diligence on hazards, building condition, regulation and insurance availability. The OECD report discusses these exposures and assessment limits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to assess a real-estate technology or technology-linked asset
Before adopting a tool or evaluating an investment tied to technology, assess the fit and constraints in context. The same product or asset can have different value depending on the organization, building, market and jurisdiction.
- Define the workflow or asset need. Identify the recurring task, operating issue or tenant need the technology is meant to address. A clear use case makes it easier to distinguish a useful tool from novelty.
- Check the evidence and maturity. Determine whether the solution is deployed, in a pilot, or only forecast. Separate reported user experience and executive survey responses from demonstrated causal outcomes.
- Account for cost and learning. Include implementation and ongoing costs, staff training, and the time needed to change existing processes. NAR respondents’ reported barriers show that these burdens can affect adoption.
- Examine data and integration needs. Ask whether the relevant data are accurate, accessible and usable, and whether the tool fits the systems and processes already in place. AI applications often depend on data-rich decisions.
- Test physical and location constraints. For a data center, verify power access and supply conditions. For a building system or property investment, account for site-specific climate exposure and local rules.
- Set a measurable outcome. Define what improvement would count—such as fewer manual steps, more reliable maintenance decisions or better energy information—and review results against the cost and operational burden. Do not assume a reported sector-wide trend predicts an individual result.
The evidence spans different geographies: NAR’s adoption statistics describe a US member survey; PwC/ULI’s data-center outlook focuses on the United States and Canada; and the OECD report considers climate exposure across its stated scope. Adoption rates, regulations, product suitability and returns should not be assumed to transfer unchanged across markets.
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