PropTech

Number of smart homes in Europe and North America hits 45m

PropTech /

According to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the number smart homes in Europe and North America reached 45 million in 2017. The most advanced smart home market is North America, having an installed base of 22.3 million smart homes at the end of the year. This represents a penetration of 15.9%. Between 2016 and 2017, the market grew by 40.7% year-on-year. The strong market growth is expected to continue in the next five years. By 2022, Berg Insight estimates that more than 63 million homes in North America will be smart, meaning 44% of all homes in the region. The European market is still behind the North American, in terms of market penetration. There were a […]

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Only 16% of prop tech companies focus on construction

News, PropTech /

A new report by Future Cities Catapult, commissioned by the BPF, has highlighted the untapped potential for greater adoption of prop tech in the real estate sector. The report Lost in translation: How can real estate make the most of the PropTech revolution? highlights that while 50 per cent of PropTech companies focus on sales/leasing, only 16 and 12 per cent respectively apply themselves in construction and investment/financing respectively. Land acquisition and refurbishment have less than five per cent of active PropTech companies. No companies, from the data sources used for the report, fell into the category for demolition/remediation. Following a BPF-member survey, interviews and roundtables with key real estate and PropTech leaders, the report finds that there is significant untapped potential for greater adoption

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RICS paper urges adoption of Modern Methods of Construction

News, PropTech /

PICTURE CREDIT: Vision Modular Systems and Tide Construction The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has released a paper calling on government and the construction industry to think outside of the bricks and boost diversity in construction skills, by embracing Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). RICS Modern Methods of Construction analyses the benefits of embracing off site modular housing, and using PropTech to aid modern day housing delivery. It also addresses and recommends incentives government could use to encourage builders to take the alternative methods up. The UK construction sector makes up a significant part of the UK economy, representing 8% of GDP and 9% of employment, and brings in £150 billion in investment. As an enabler for growth and development in the

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Investor confidence in prop tech hits record high

News, PropTech /

The Global Prop Tech Confidence Index for mid-2018 suggests that overall investor confidence on a scale of 1-10 is at an all-time high of 8.7, up from 8.0 at the end of 2017. This tsunami of investor confidence shows no sign of slowing down. High M&A expectations, strong company performance, as well as increased funding and deal flow in the space have all buoyed confidence. This coincides with a report that $12.6bn in funding was poured into PropTech startups in 2017, up from $4.2bn in 2016. “The serious growth and success of PropTech startups has drawn the attention of not only venture capital investors, but of traditional real estate powerhouses such as RXR, PGIM Real Estate, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL Spark

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Five things housebuilders should know about blockchain

Features, News, PropTech /

While blockchain was created for cryptocurrency transactions, the digital scaffolding at the heart of the bitcoin phenomenon can easily be transported to another industry. For housebuilders, it has the power to shorten supply chains, cut intermediaries and condense the planning process. Within 10 years blockchain could: Cut the middle-people Blockchain can trigger transactions automatically, eliminating the need the intermediaries such as lawyers and cutting the associated costs and delays. “Currently, all data, such as planning information, needs human verification by the data source,” explained Andrew Lloyd, Managing Director of Search Acumen. “A decentralised database of information removes the need for this trust, as professionals are presented with real time, ready-verified property or land information at their fingertips. “Property passports, for example, could

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