The real estate industry is anticipating a comprehensive wave of automation driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI). A survey by the consultancy pom+ underlines this expectation, yet simultaneously exposes a paradox concerning executives' personal job security. Between 14 and 24 July 2026, 86 decision-makers from the industry were surveyed to gauge their perception of AI's influence on real estate management.
The survey results indicate that 84 per cent of the executives involved assess the automation potential of AI in real estate management as high or very high over the next five years. More than half (55 per cent) specifically rate this potential as 'very high', with a further 29 per cent rating it as 'high'. Only two per cent of respondents see low or very low potential for AI automation within this timeframe.
Automation Priorities and the Question of Employment
As expected, the highest automation potential is seen in data and document-intensive activities. Almost all respondents, specifically 95 per cent, assume that document and contract analysis will be among the tasks first automated by AI. The creation of exposé documents and reports, as well as invoice and receipt processing, were each cited by 81 per cent of respondents as early areas of application. Data analysis and reporting are also identified by a comparably high number of decision-makers as areas with significant automation potential.
Despite these high expectations for an automation boost from AI, two out of three executives do not perceive their own jobs to be at risk from this development at all. Only one per cent considered their own job to be acutely threatened at the time of the survey. A further three per cent anticipate a threat within the next one to three years, while twelve per cent predict such an impact within three to five years. Rebekka Ruppel, CEO of pom+ Germany, pointed out that many executives acknowledge the disruptive power of AI for their companies but underestimate its impact on their own positions. She emphasised that AI not only replaces routine arduous tasks but also redefines strategic leadership, which requires a radical re-evaluation of one's own role.
Obstacles to AI Rollout
The pom+ survey also reveals that the prerequisites for a comprehensive AI rollout are not yet in place in many areas of the real estate industry. One third of respondents identify the greatest need for improvement in property management. This is followed by document management with 17 per cent and facility management with 12 per cent of mentions.
- —Data quality and availability (35 per cent)
- —Organisation and mindset, including openness and willingness to change (almost a quarter of respondents)
- —Lack of structured processes
- —Insufficient alignment of organisational structures with automated workflows
The biggest hurdles to the successful implementation of AI therefore lie less in technological maturity and primarily in operational realities. As Ms Ruppel explained, many companies discuss AI tools, but the real challenge is creating a foundation of structured and available data. Without this, even the most advanced AI cannot be scaled effectively. The shift of the challenge from technology to implementation – particularly in the areas of data, processes, organisation, and employee competencies – forms the central finding of the study.
