From Tools to Traction: Where Real Estate Tech is Heading in 2026 Sponsored Feature

Last year, artificial intelligence shifted from headline hype to hands-on experimentation – and with it, real estate’s attitude to technology began to change. But will momentum become maturity? Yardi’s annual Proptech Survey tracks how far – and how fast – the sector is really moving.

For more than six years, Yardi has surveyed Asia Pacific real estate leaders on technology adoption – and we’ve confirmed what everyone knows. Real estate lags, rather than leads, on tech adoption.

Surprise twist? Last year real estate made a move.

In 2024, 26% of Asian firms, 27% of Australian firms and 35% in New Zealand had started implementing AI systems. It’s true that only 12–16% had reached the point of an established, growing solution. And implementation isn’t integration. But it’s a start.

So, the gap between testing and traction is what we’re watching this year. Not just who’s using AI, but who’s getting value and how.

AI Climbs the Org Chart

In 2024, we asked AI to write our emails. In 2025, we’re asking agentic AI to manage our calendars, delegate our tasks and chase us for deadlines.

Picture a digital organisational chart, where agents are assigned tasks, report to other agents, and interact with human counterparts. These agents don’t just assist. They execute, escalate and learn.

We’re already starting to see early examples embedded into real estate. Think agents that triage maintenance requests, manage lease workflows or update records in real time.

This kind of orchestration demands software built to speak fluent AI, so our survey asks: Who’s getting ready to put the agents to work?

The Bots are Coming (for Both Sides)

If AI is the frontline change agent, cyber is the fight in the background. Despite this, our 2024 survey found the industry underprepared: 33% of firms in Asia, 37% in Australia and 53% in New Zealand had already faced a cybersecurity incident or data breach.

AI is now in the hands of attackers. Deepfakes are getting harder to spot. Phishing is more sophisticated. And traditional firewalls aren’t built for AI-generated code.

The real estate industry is catching up. Slowly. We’ve tracked a growing investment in auditing and training. But this can’t be a one-and-done exercise, and it can’t be the sole responsibility of the tech team.

This year we want to know: Has your cyber strategy evolved as fast as the threat landscape?

Real Estate Hits Refresh

In the tech adoption race, real estate has always been the industry tying its shoelaces at the starting line. But not anymore. Maybe. Our 2024 data revealed less resistance to change and more willingness to experiment.

But CIOs are now fielding a new set of questions from their colleagues and the C-suite: “Can we get an AI for that?” It’s a fair question, but often the wrong one. It reveals a lingering mindset: that technology is something to add after the fact, rather than something to build the business on.

We’re looking beyond adoption. We want to know: What is driving real impact?

Over to You

The 2025 Yardi Proptech Survey is now open across Asia, with Australia and New Zealand launching soon. We want to hear what’s changed in the past year and what you’re planning next.

Your insights help your industry to benchmark progress, challenge assumptions and sharpen its collective focus. Tools themselves don’t create traction – smart systems, smart strategies and shared learning do.

The survey takes just 5 minutes to complete. Click here to share your thoughts.