Johannesburg: TECHz – Anita Bosman
The global PropTech market is projected to reach $51.70 billion in 2026 and grow to $139.21 billion by 2033, driven by the increasing digitization of building systems and the demand for data-driven insights. The commercial sector dominates this growth, holding an estimated 57% market share in 2026 due to its scale and need for smart infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence in the real estate sector has shifted from basic chatbots to “Agentic AI,” where systems autonomously execute multi-step tasks like following up with leads, scheduling site visits, and logging interactions in customer relationship management software. This focus on measurable return on investment allows portfolios to achieve property valuations within a 5% accuracy range using live market data, while predictive maintenance initiatives are cutting operational costs by 20% to 30%.
Concurrently, sustainability features such as internet-of-things sensors for energy and indoor air quality monitoring are driving premium valuations, with properties holding smart building certifications commanding rent increases of 7% to 10%. Real estate tokenization is also advancing, as blockchain-based property titles are reducing transaction costs by 60% and enabling fractional ownership on a broader scale.
The industry is moving rapidly toward unified software platforms to eliminate data silos, a trend heavily reflected in recent market consolidation.
On July 16, 2026, Aurum PropTech Ltd announced the acquisition of the real estate marketplace Housing.com in an all-equity transaction with an enterprise value of 458 crore rupees. This strategic acquisition is designed to integrate property discovery, transactions, financing, and rentals onto a single artificial intelligence and data architecture that acts as the operating layer for the entire real estate ecosystem.
