At SEE Property Forum 2025, the conversation around the future of real estate took a bold turn — from smart buildings to smart relationships. Industry leaders agreed that while data, automation, and ESG strategies are reshaping commercial real estate, true innovation begins with understanding people. The discussion, moderated by Vessela Valtcheva-McGee of GBCI Europe, explored how developers, investors, and service providers are using technology not just to optimise buildings, but to redefine how tenants experience and value them.

Hungary’s leading proptech event, the PropTech Hungary Conference, will be held for the sixth time on May 22nd. This professional gathering brings together top experts, innovators, and decision-makers from the fields of proptech, real estate, construction, BIM, and contech for a full day of exchange and discussion. Property Forum is supporting the event as a professional partner.

Drees & Sommer has released its Innovation Scouting Report 2024 this week. This year, in terms of technology trends and relevance, Trend Radar1 has placed AI first with 23.4%, big data analytics second with 15.3%, and Internet of Things (IoT) third with 11.9%, followed closely by cloud computing and digital twin.

Verv, a company active in the field of energy-efficient climate control technology, announced the appointment of James Dearsley, a long-term friend and speaker of Property Forum events, as its new Chief Executive Officer for the EMEA region. This appointment comes at a pivotal time for Verv as it extends its innovative energy-efficient climate control technologies to North America, having been selected as one of only three companies globally for the LA Clean Tech Incubator Market Access Program.

Steffen Szeidl, CEO of Drees & Sommer, spoke with Property Forum at Expo Real about the challenges of property development and the potential for business growth in Europe. He cites the electrification of the economy and the upgrade of the existing stock of buildings as new growth avenues for Europe.

Obermeyer Helika, a design and construction consultancy firm, has completed its work as general designer for the redevelopment of part of the former Světovar brewery in Pilsen. The TechTower Technology Park, which was built there, is open from 1 February 2023 to those interested in innovative entrepreneurship and offers unique spaces for technology enthusiasts, start-ups and experienced entrepreneurs.

Proptech provider Spaceflow has announced a new strategic partner, Swedish investment group Hydda. Now, with this investment, Spaceflow will be able to get closer to its global vision to connect buildings with their occupiers.

User data is highly valuable for smart buildings to create the best user experience possible and to help achieve ESG goals. The possibilities are endless and their only limit is related to privacy settings. Recently, Property Forum was invited to visit Drees & Sommer’s new net energy-plus HQ building in Stuttgart and to learn about the latest trends in building technology and sustainable development.

Hybrid work has accelerated the demand for efficient management of corporate real estate and corporate workplaces to drive real estate rationalization, achieve balanced space utilization and deliver post-pandemic employee experience. The most relevant role in this process will be played by digital solutions that focus on improving the user experience, sustainability, and connectivity in assets. Companies will be looking for an Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) to deliver the highest value add to their employees, tenants and real estate portfolios as such.

As technology has taken an increasingly important strategic role in the evolution and development of real estate, the challenges facing the people leading that innovation charge are becoming apparent.