Are you confused with #PropTech enough to dismiss it?

August 25, 2017

So we have #PropTech and also #RealEstateTech and it is all rather currently busy with these words in this multi billion pound UK property industry, but is it all just a bit too confusing? When you start investigating things we also have #FinTech, #FoodTech, #AgTech, #FashionTech, #SustainableTech, #WineTech, #CarTech, #ConstructionTech and many more besides which all in all tell us that more or less every industry has a hashtag tech advancing each sector with innovation and newly formed start ups globally. So, what about the UK property industry, just what is proptech and what does it cover?

Being involved in proptech with the newly formed and already busy #PropTechDen events in London, I can see that proptech covers many different topics within the UK property sector from softwares for facilitating fault reporting to security systems for commercial buildings. Not only does proptech deal with solving problems within the industry it also opens new systems to enhance and improve things, it is software development to electronically themed, it touches upon residential to commercial property, improving environment within construction to advancing communications… So is it no wonder that many people are still confused to exactly what it is.

Maybe there should now be a breakdown of #PropTech to divide it in to parts that attract the interest of specific sectors of the UK property industry? There is certainly enough money floating about now in this sector, back in 2015 real estate tech startups around the globe raised $1.7 billion worth of investments and in 2017 the industry is alive with start ups in proptech, tech hubs hosting them and events dedicated to them. We already have the likes of #ConstructionTech and #BuildingTech and we can assume and agree that proptech deals mostly with the process of buying, renting and selling of commercial and residential property – so maybe we should have it now in sections such as: marketing, security, portals, commercial, residential, lettings and more?

 

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

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