immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Umfrage

  • PropTech investors score with quality and industry know-how

    PropTech investors score with quality and industry know-how

    Despite interest rate increases, declining transactions, rising construction costs and tighter regulations, the construction and real estate industry is experiencing a wave of innovation. This is due in particular to the PropTech scene, which set a new record last year with an investment volume in the high triple-digit millions in the DACH region.

    A survey conducted in June 2023 on the brand awareness of PropTech investors revealed a growing diversity of funders active in different regions. The 90 real estate executives and professionals surveyed concluded that brand awareness is increasingly important in this dynamic environment. It can be assumed that in the future investors will increasingly deal with branding and marketing in order to expand their own visibility and strengthen their reputation.

    Quality and number as criteria for cooperation
    Around 42 percent of the participants stated that they knew PT1 – PropTech1 Ventures. The company was rated as a leading investor by the respondents both in terms of overall perception and along individual criteria. Multiple responses were possible. It is followed by Bitstone Capital (approx. 33 percent), BeyondBuild (approx. 26 percent) and High Rise Ventures GmbH (approx. 22 percent).

    In the case of interest in a collaboration, the choice of an investor depends on various criteria. The quality of the investments made proved to be important or very important for around 90 percent of the survey participants. The number of previous investments was also rated as important or very important by three-quarters of respondents. Other relevant criteria are the level of awareness, quality (network, industry know-how) and expected returns.

    Advice, mentoring and expertise as the most important services
    Nevertheless, the survey shows that the market shares of PropTech investors are not solely due to financial support. The range of services and the fulfilment of service expectations are also decisive, whereby the latter differ according to the recipient group: For example, real estate decision-makers primarily expect a good market overview, advice, expertise and a strong network. PropTechs, on the other hand, value capital, business development support, access to resources as well as advice and mentoring.

    These findings suggest that expertise, industry knowledge and service quality are becoming more important for PropTech investors to gain competitive advantage in the future. The diversity of investors also highlights the importance of regional expertise.

    Survey results at www.pom.ch

  • Housing and building land too scarce – cities want pre-emption rights

    Housing and building land too scarce – cities want pre-emption rights

    The aim of the survey was to understand the housing situation in the cities and urban municipalities and to gain up-to-date insights into housing policy activities. For this purpose, the consultancy firm Wüest Partner had asked the 130 members of the Association of Cities and Towns from November to December 2022. 59 cities took part in the survey.

    Too few affordable flats – even in smaller cities
    The survey confirms on the one hand that affordable housing is an important housing policy concern of the cities. On the other hand, it underlines the problem that is currently dominating the public debate: The supply of available housing is very scarce. Around two-thirds of the cities rate it as “far too small” or “somewhat too small”. In addition to housing offers in the lower price segment, there is also a lack of opportunities for home ownership.

    The lack of low-priced housing primarily affects households with children, especially single-parent households. The situation in the large cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants is perceived as particularly tense. But smaller cities also consider the housing supply in this segment to be insufficient.

    There isa lack of building land and it is too expensive
    68 per cent of the cities surveyed state that they give away land in building rights, linking this to conditions such as favourable rents. The aim is to create more affordable housing.

    More than 80 percent of the cities also state that they have too few building land reserves. Many would like to buy up more land. However, this is often unrealistic due to the high market prices. A good half cite the long and often complicated procedures as well as a lack of interest from private investors as factors that make it difficult to create affordable housing.

    There is a need for action
    60 percent of all cities surveyed see a “high” or “very high need for action” at the federal policy level. Around 70 per cent of the medium-sized and large cities share this view. As a possible solution, the respondents most frequently named a right of first refusal for building land and properties (80 per cent).

    Almost 70 per cent of the respondents also believe that rents can be reduced if the previous rent is made transparent when a tenant changes hands. The cities assess their own possibilities to influence the housing market as rather low. The cities see the greatest possibilities for exerting influence in the promotion of non-profit housing construction.

    The Association of Cities will use the findings of the report as an opportunity to formulate measures and demands. Furthermore, on 12 May, a round table chaired by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin will address the issue of housing shortages. Among others, representatives of the cantons, cities and municipalities as well as the construction and real estate industry are invited.

  • Low data literacy and low data maturity as barriers to digital progress in the real estate industry

    Low data literacy and low data maturity as barriers to digital progress in the real estate industry

    The Digital Real Estate Survey 2023 shows that the digitalisation maturity of real estate companies in Germany and Switzerland is moderately increasing. The index measures the extent to which market participants are addressing digitalisation and how far they have already taken and implemented measures. The Digital Real Estate Index across the entire market is 4.7, an increase of 0.2 points compared to the previous year. While the Swiss index rose slightly, the German index fell by 0.1 points to 4.8.

    The assessment of digital technologies has been stagnating for years and is thus developing only slowly. Although all technologies are being used more frequently, the increase and expectations of benefits are rather moderate. With the exception of “Decentralised Energy Technologies”, which have experienced a boost due to the looming energy shortage.

    Expensiveness inhibits digital investments
    The development of digital maturity of the different roles in the industry also continues to be even. FM service providers have a higher level of maturity in terms of digital transformation than other market participants, but rising inflation is apparently putting them under such pressure that investments have had to be drastically reduced. Planners and contractors, on the other hand, are investing more in innovation and digitalisation, especially due to the increased use of BIM in project planning. Two thirds of the companies spend more than 1 percent of their annual turnover on innovation and digitalisation, with small companies with up to 49 employees investing proportionately more than medium-sized and large companies. Large companies with 250 or more employees have a higher digital maturity than SMEs.

    “If you compare the investments as a percentage of annual turnover across all company sizes with the turnover of the construction and real estate industry in the narrower sense, this results in a considerable sum in the billions which is spent in the industry on innovation and digitalisation,” explains Rebekka Ruppel, CEO of pom+Germany. “It makes you wonder why the digital maturity level is not increasing faster.”

    Immature data skills as the biggest challenge
    One possible explanation is low data maturity combined with low data literacy. The survey shows that data analytics is used by only a quarter of respondents and that most are engaged in pilot projects or knowledge building (38% of respondents). Only 4 percent are already using the technology in their day-to-day business. The results show that data analytics has a positive impact on more areas of a company than expected – especially in investment, portfolio and asset management. Improved reporting is seen as the biggest benefit, while the lack of quality of the database and the lack of know-how in handling data are seen as the biggest challenges.

    “The awareness of data as an asset has not yet taken hold in the construction and real estate industry. At the same time, the requirements for data architectures are very complex in the extremely heterogeneous environment with highly fragmented processes and different participation groups. Clear and transparent communication in conjunction with structured data governance is necessary here to create a better understanding of data,” explains Rebekka Ruppel.

    The maturity of digitisation in the industry depends not only on technical possibilities, but also on experience, competences and know-how. Companies should focus on expanding and maintaining partner networks as well as overarching business models in order to move from individual performance to joint development. The exchange of data across company and industry boundaries is expected to increase rapidly, so companies should raise awareness of data.

  • Cancellation “SVIT Digital Day

    Cancellation “SVIT Digital Day

    In 2022, the “SVIT Digital Day” was held in parallel to the aforementioned real estate trade fair at the Zurich Congress Centre. With the discontinuation of this platform, the association has decided to return to the original location “Kosmos Zurich” with the “SVIT Digital Day” in 2023. Unfortunately, the news reached us in December 2022 – and you have certainly also read it in the press – that the operation of “Kosmos Zürich” was discontinued with immediate effect and the balance sheet was deposited with the bankruptcy court because the debt burden and costs were too high. It was no longer possible to put the operation on a sound footing.

    The message also has drastic consequences for the “SVIT Digital Day”, because the acquisition of an adequate infrastructure at the same cost and in the same time frame is very difficult and challenging. The time factor in particular has contributed to SVIT Zurich suspending the trade fair day for 2023. In parallel, ideas have emerged in the “SVIT Digital Commission” to create a new networking platform for 2024 in a clean and orderly manner. The event is to be launched in the first half of 2024 and include various topics relating to business. We are convinced that we will be able to create another forward-looking and attractive platform. We would be happy to inform you about the planned intentions and contents if you are interested.

  • The new real estate buzzword is called “API”

    The new real estate buzzword is called “API”

    A(pplication) P(rogramming) I(nterface) is a programming interface between two software solutions – a kind of "intermediary" between two different systems, so to speak, without one system having to learn or understand the (programming) language of the other system and the two systems can still communicate with each other quickly and easily. The interface translates the request from one software to the other, so to speak. In order for the two systems to "understand" each other, a clear interface definition is required.

    To describe it simply with a metaphor – it's like ordering in a restaurant: the guest orders the desired dish from the waiter, who reports the order to the kitchen. The dish comes ready from the kitchen and the waiter serves it to the guest. The guest does not have to understand how the processes and preparations for this dish work in the kitchen – they are satisfied when the waiter serves the dish they have ordered as they wished. In a figurative sense, the menu card would be the clearly defined interface, so to speak. Anything that is not on the menu cannot be ordered.

    Why is the topic of API so exciting for the real estate industry? PropTech companies and those responsible for digitization at real estate companies are increasingly concerned with the cross-platform integration of new software solutions. Due to the digital transformation and the ecosystem idea, the interface problem is increasingly coming into focus. Manual object imports and data comparisons are time-consuming and comparatively inefficient.

    If a real estate company wants to integrate a new PropTech solution, the new software needs an interface to the respective ERP system. In the Swiss real estate industry, it is essentially the three ERP providers Abacus, GARAIO and W&W that can offer an interface here. If a company works with different PropTech solutions, it makes sense to think about an interface between these third-party providers. The increasing establishment of such software solutions or new services, such as the digital signature, will continue to focus on the topic of API – and not only among those responsible for digitization themselves. In the future, every employee will need a certain basic knowledge in order to to find one's way in the jungle of software solutions and flows of data sets.

    You can get more impulses on the subject here: https://proptechmarket.net/impulse