81% of the real estate sector will invest in artificial intelligence by 2025

The University of Navarra brought together more than 150 real estate experts, academics and artificial intelligence specialists at the AI4RE Summit , one of the first conferences in Spain focused on AI and Real Estate, to address the technological and training challenges of the sector, from the design and investment to the operation of smart buildings. 

“AI advances will decisively influence all business segments, from evaluation of assets, the management of people or the industrialization of construction,” explained Carlos Naya , director from the Higher Technical School of Architecture of the University of Navarra. The meeting , held at the headquarters of the postgraduate program of the University of Navarra in Madrid , was supported by the School of Architecture and DATAI (Institute of Science of the data and Artificial Intelligence from the University of Navarra).

Leading companies such as Idealista Data , Metrovacesa , Schneider Electric and Robert Walters supported this initiative focused on the transformation of the sector through artificial intelligence. Also participating were firms such as group GMP , Fifth Wall , Azora , IESE Business School and AMETIC , which discussed the new paradigm of management based on data .

According to the Deloitte 2025 commercial real estate outlook study, mentioned at the event, “ 81% of Real Estate professionals globally plan to increase investment in generative artificial intelligence and data by 2025.”

AI, sustainability and employability: three strategic axes

One of the highlights of the event was AI's ability to accelerate the sector's green transition . With 80% of current buildings still operational by 2050, energy efficiency and decarbonization of the building stock are becoming priorities. Artificial intelligence makes it possible to detect inefficiencies, anticipate consumption patterns, and design buildings that optimize their performance in real time.

Enrique Serrano , president of the AI and Big Data Commission of AMETIC, highlighted the need to generate shared intelligence in the sector to manage the data and that the sector can benefit from the advances. To this end, he encouraged leaders in each segment to drive the market. 

Furthermore, it was highlighted that 60% of jobs in advanced economies are exposed to the impact of AI . In this context, the training specialized becomes an essential competitive factor. Hence the importance of programs such as the Master's Degree in Real Estate Strategy and Business (Master in Real Estate) that promotes the School of Architecture from the University of Navarra.

training , technology and leadership from the university

In it framework of the congress , the roundtable Future from the University of Navarra: training , technology and leadership , moderated by Elena Lacilla , director of the Master's Degree in Real Estate Strategy and Business, and in which Juan Carlos Gamero participated, researcher DATAI postdoc; Alejandro Aguirre de Cárcer , CEO of Brains Real Estate; and José Luis Suárez , Professor Emeritus from IESE Business School.

He discussion addressed the impact of generative AI, new professional profiles, and the urgency of adapting academic programs to an environment dominated by predictive analytics and big data. “The most important thing is to show, from different perspectives, the fundamental role that the university plays in the new way of working posed by artificial intelligence and its impact on Real Estate,” Lacilla emphasized. For his part, Juan Carlos Gamero stated that “data is no longer just something that is enquiry : Today it is a strategic asset that allows you to automate processes, predict demand, or automatically value properties.”

Experts agreed that artificial intelligence represents both a challenge and a strategic opportunity for real estate. According to a report of McKinsey & Company cited during the congress , widespread adoption of AI could generate up to “$180 billion in added value for the sector in the next decade.”

With the celebration of the AI4RE Summit and the training boost of the Master's Degree In Real Estate Strategy and Business, the University of Navarra strengthens its role as a platform for knowledge , innovation and connection between university, business and society at a time of radical transformation of the urban environment.