New research released on the opening day of MIPIM PropTech Europe in Paris suggests that real estate companies need to do more to embrace opportunities presented by new technology.
The research was produced for MIPIM PropTech Europe by proptech influencers James Dearsley and Eddie Holmes of PropTech Consult. The survey was completed by over 100 European industry professionals that attend MIPIM real estate events and presented a range of questions on the subject of digital transformation.
The results show that while new technologies are having a significant effect in terms of transforming many aspects of the property industry, there is still much progress to be made in embracing the digital evolution of the sector.
James Dearsley noted, "The property market appears to be one of the last industries to go through a digital transformation, and it appears from this research that we still have some way to go. With 82% of respondents believing digital technologies will have a major impact on their business, it is perhaps a concern that over a third is then questioning the existing management expertise at delivering a business that will be able to adapt to the changes."
"When asked what the top barriers to change were, personnel issues again topped the rankings. A lack of technical skill and a general resistance to change sited as two of the three top barriers suggest there is a lot of work to do in this area," Dearsley added.
James Dearsley
Founder
The Digital Marketing Bureau
It is his work as a speaker and writer about the future of the real estate sector that allows him to travel the world though. There are few people who understand both the tech and real estate sectors together whilst having an unbias perspective on what is happening and how others need to prepare.
The sector is evolving and James' aim is to help others evolve with it. More »
Over 85% of respondents stated that digital technologies are relevant to their business, and yet a quarter of companies still have no official digital strategy in place. Looking to the future, 82% of respondents said that digital technologies will have a moderate to major impact on their businesses within the next five years, with 50% of executives believing that their current business models will be rendered irrelevant by technology within the same timeframe. This rapid evolution is seen by many as an opportunity for innovation, with 72% of respondents agreeing that digital disruption in the industry will bring the possibility of new product lines and services, whilst over 65% believe it will help them to stand out among competitors. Other results include:
- Nearly 70% believe it will improve customer interaction and lower operating costs.
- Nearly 1/3 of those surveyed questioned their existing management's capacity to handle the transition in business models. This is despite 2/3s stating that they believed their management teams are open to changing the business models and operations.
- 2/3 of businesses are teaming up with third parties to help them with the digitalisation of their business models.
