Artificial Intelligence (AI) has established itself as a technology in the real estate sector. A joint survey by aedifion and Rueckerconsult among 35 companies in the industry found that 86 per cent of participating companies are already using AI. The study was presented during the online press conference “AI in Reality Check – How far along is the Real Estate Sector?” Among the users, 90 per cent employ generative applications such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity.
Despite this high prevalence, the systematic integration of AI into corporate and building processes is still pending in many areas. Only 27 per cent of the surveyed companies use integrated AI platforms that, for example, can access their own data sources. The results highlight a discrepancy between the use of individual applications and comprehensive integration into the real estate value chain. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Fütterer, CEO of aedifion, noted that companies' current readiness is still highly varied, but awareness of the need for changes in processes and business models has grown significantly.
The focus of AI deployment currently lies primarily on administrative processes. 70 per cent of AI users apply the technology in areas such as accounting, document management or translations. For strategic analyses, including portfolio analyses, market research and ESG reporting, 60 per cent of users employ AI. In operational building management, which includes energy management, predictive maintenance or system control, the usage rate is 23 per cent.
Potential and Challenges of Integration
The concrete benefits of AI are confirmed by respondents: 90 per cent report measurable time savings. 43 per cent were able to reduce costs, while 30 per cent each noted an improvement in data quality and the basis for decision-making. New business models or services, however, have emerged in only 17 per cent of companies. Prof. Dr. Kunibert Lennerts from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) emphasised that individual time savings through AI do not automatically translate into more efficient company processes. He stressed the necessity of making data available and adapting organisations so that AI streamlines not just individual employees but entire processes.
The companies' objectives underscore the current efficiency focus. 90 per cent of AI users aim for resource savings, 77 per cent want to create better analyses and decision-making foundations, and 67 per cent intend to increase performance quality. Process automation is a goal for 50 per cent, while innovation and idea development are mentioned by 43 per cent.
A particular challenge is the data foundation. Companies primarily rely on market and transaction data (57 per cent), public sources and web data (53 per cent), and internal company data (50 per cent) for AI applications. Building-related data, such as technical operational data (20 per cent), sensor as well as ESG and sustainability data (17 per cent each), are used less frequently, even though 63 per cent of companies consider real-time building data important or very important for AI-supported decisions. Thomas Wiese, Technical Property Manager at B&L Property Management, sees significant development needs in this area. He pointed out that the evaluation of manually collected data from maintenance, inspection or operation can be significantly improved by AI to more quickly ascertain the condition of properties and energy consumption.
Strategic Development and Governance
In addition to data availability, governance proves crucial for the next stage of development. Although 40 per cent of the surveyed companies have already established an AI policy and a further 30 per cent are working on corresponding rules, only 27 per cent have a dedicated budget for AI. This carries the risk that employees may resort to publicly accessible applications if internal company solutions are lacking, which can lead to the processing of sensitive company data outside controlled environments.
