Artificial intelligence holds the potential to accelerate planning processes significantly, reduce expenditure, and make the management of property portfolios more efficient. Even so, many market participants have so far made insufficient use of these tools. The Leipziger Fachkreis Immobilien warns of the resulting competitive risks and calls on the industry to pursue technological transformation more decisively.
Prof. Dr. Kerry Brauer, President of the Leipziger Fachkreis Immobilien, points out that digital innovations are by no means reserved solely for the younger generation. While younger staff often find their way around digital programs more quickly, the quality of the results depends crucially on technically sound questioning and the competent evaluation of the generated responses. Anyone with decades of expertise in planning, project development, or property management possesses a valuable asset, turning experience into a decisive market advantage.
Diverse areas of application and structural barriers
The spectrum of potential applications is broad, ranging from preparatory stages to operational management. High expectations are attached in particular to so-called AI agents, which can autonomously access databases and software tools to carry out multi-stage workflows.
- —Automated review of contracts and drafting of technical documentation
- —Detailed evaluation of extensive building data and predictive maintenance planning
- —Analysis of cost trends and early detection of disruptions in construction progress
- —Deployment of autonomously operating digital assistants for complex operational processes
Despite these perspectives, the industry remains far from widespread adoption. Inadequately digitised workflows, a lack of interfaces, and inconsistent data standards noticeably slow progress. Isolated efficiency gains are therefore currently hardly reflected in falling overall construction costs.
Call for pragmatic implementation
In the view of the Fachkreis, companies should not wait for all-encompassing complete solutions, but should instead gradually integrate proven standalone applications, such as automated documentation processes. While routine tasks will cease to exist in the medium term, the qualitative demands on staff are set to rise.
Brauer concludes by emphasising that the real estate sector requires active players rather than passive observers. Established industry representatives are excellently positioned to combine their specialist knowledge profitably with intelligent systems; those who simply wait, by contrast, risk permanently falling behind the market.
