At CEE Property Forum 2025, one message cut through the discussion on technology and investment: data quality is no longer a technical concern, but a decisive factor in risk, returns and access to capital. Moderated by James Garner, Global Head of AI & Data at Gleeds, the panel brought together experts from real estate, finance, technology and law to examine how fragmented systems, regulatory pressure and rising investor expectations are forcing the industry to rethink how decisions are made—and what happens when data can no longer be trusted.
Garner set the tone for the session by highlighting both the significance and complexity of data within the real estate industry. “We have reached a pivotal juncture where data is more than just an operational necessity – it has become a strategic differentiator, central to risk management, returns, and regulatory compliance,” he noted.
Sylwia Toczyska of Vistra Fund Solutions emphasised findings from her firm’s recent report, “Data at Crossroads,” which underpinned the panel’s theme. “A worrying 64% of managers in our survey admitted that poor data quality has already undermined their ability to raise capital. The burden of an inconsistent chart of accounts, undocumented data exchanges, and integration across ageing, siloed systems does not just slow down business; it elevates operational risk to a strategic liability, especially when regulatory fragmentation multiplies the complexity. Our data infrastructure, or lack thereof, is now an economic liability rather than a mere inconvenience.”
Andreas Kozma, leading iREMS International AG, built upon the theme of unified data and the human dimension of digital transformation. “Achieving a single source of truth for every data point is far more than a technical exercise; it requires consensus across cultures, jurisdictions, and business units—a constant negotiation of definitions, priorities, and workflows,” he explained. “Even as businesses turn to platforms and systems for automation, the real measure of progress lies in our ability to prompt machines intelligently and to curate clean, standardised, actionable data. The era of AI as a reliable business assistant is upon us, but we must never lose sight of our responsibility as humans in the loop.”
Alexander Rafajlovič of CA Immo captured the cultural and practical tension involved in data adoption. “In Europe, we sometimes fall into the trap of planning for perfection, deliberating over processes for years before execution. By contrast, a more agile, iterative approach – starting small, embracing imperfect data, and building organisational vocabulary around shared metrics – allows us to extract value from data today, not in some future state of ideal standardisation,” he advised. “Too often, we conflate tools like Excel with true sources of truth, but the real breakthrough comes when teams see the benefits of integrated systems that serve their daily work, making data capture a byproduct of value, not a burdensome compliance exercise.”
Jakub Adam, representing Taylor Wessing Czech Republic, provided a critical legal perspective on the converging realities of data protection, regulation, and risk. “The challenge for property leaders is twofold: complying with ever-tightening standards like GDPR, where violations can mean multi-million-euro fines, and navigating the uncertain terrain of the new EU AI regulation, which categorises risk profiles and mandates transparency and auditability in automated processing,” Adam said. “You must rigorously assess what data you collect, minimise excess, and constantly review your compliance regime, because what was acceptable yesterday may expose you to liability tomorrow.”
From the vantage point of corporate finance and banking, Jiří Vančura of Trinity Bank reflected on the value of human judgment in a world awash with data and automation. “AI significantly accelerates credit and risk analysis, delivering efficiency gains that promise to streamline both junior and senior roles,” he observed. “Yet experience, interpretation, and personal networks remain irreplaceable. Data may comprise sixty percent of the decision equation, but human insight and intuition fill the crucial gap, especially when facing ambiguous or incomplete numbers. The ability to repeatedly ask ‘why,’ to probe the data’s story, is as vital today as it ever was.”
The session concluded with practical advice for industry newcomers and veterans alike, with panellists agreeing that the journey toward standardised, high-integrity data requires both technological investment and a renewed focus on organisational habits.
