With uncertainty comes opportunity, and plenty of it in the case of the US. Against a backdrop of socio-political turbulence, the real estate industry has been battling continued headwinds with return to office numbers lagging expectations and restrictive monetary policies further increasing the pressure on landlords and developers.
This hostile environment has seen the majority of investors take a more risk-averse, defensive stance, looking to reduce costs where possible rather than committing capex to anything other than what is mission critical in the short term.
As we wrap up the first quarter of 2025, we reflect on some of the impactful events that have strengthened our commitment to enhancing digital connectivity in real estate, particularly in our European markets.
The events we attended in Q1 emphasized the growing importance of hybrid work and the need for tech-enabled, connected spaces in the future of real estate.
Sustainability emerged as a central focus, with a strong emphasis on net-zero buildings and the integration of smart technology to reduce environmental impact. The role of proptech and AI in transforming workspace design and usage was also a major takeaway, reinforcing the importance of innovation in shaping the next generation of smarter, more adaptable workspaces.
These insights will drive WiredScore’s continued commitment to creating future-ready, connected spaces.
Ich hätte diesen Artikel in weniger als zehn Sekunden schreiben können – so schnell ist künstliche Intelligenz bei der Sprachverarbeitung. Aber hätte er sich dann nach mir angehört? Hätten Sie überhaupt angefangen, ihn zu lesen? Hat mein LLM-Kollege diesen Artikel vielleicht geschrieben und diesen ersten Absatz eingebaut, um das zu verbergen?
Auch wenn sie sich noch in einem relativ frühen Stadium befindet, ist der kometenhafte Aufstieg der Künstlichen Intelligenz (KI) im Alltag verblüffend. KI erweitert die menschlichen Fähigkeiten in Bezug auf Geschwindigkeit und Kapazität bei alltäglichen Aufgaben – und hat bereits jetzt bemerkenswerte Auswirkungen auf unser Leben im Allgemeinen und auf die Immobilienbranche im Besonderen. Allein im vergangenen Monat war ich mehrfach in Situationen, die zeigen, wie wirkungsvoll KI sein kann:
I could have written this article in fewer than 10 seconds, such is the speed of artificial intelligence for language processing. But would it have sounded like me? Would you have started reading it? Did my LLM-colleague actually write it and include this first paragraph to hide this?
While still in its relative infancy, the meteoric rise in everyday use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quite startling. Enhancing the capabilities of human speed and capacity for everyday tasks, AI is already having a remarkable impact on our lives in general and on the real estate industry specifically. In the last month alone, there are three examples I’ve personally been part of to show just how impactful AI can be:
In recent weeks, the world was reminded of just how critical power is to the global economy. A major power outage at Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest transport hubs in the world, disrupted operations and created ripple effects across industries. While the situation at Heathrow was temporary, it was not the only power-outage story to have hit the headlines lately; Chile’s capital Santiago saw a similar situation less than a month before. Both instances have served to underscore an important reality: reliable, resilient, and sustainable power is no longer a luxury, it’s a fundamental requirement for industrial real estate.
In the realm of industrial real estate, power plays a pivotal role in shaping everything from operational efficiency to tenant satisfaction and long-term viability. Power interruptions, even brief ones, have far-reaching consequences and highlight the requirement for assets to have a seamless transition onto back-up power supply. With the global economy becoming increasingly dependent on continuous supply chains, digital systems, and advanced manufacturing, any disruption to power is a risk to productivity, profitability, and reputation.
Client: Swire Properties
Location: Hong Kong
A leading Hong Kong landlord and WiredScore Portfolio client, asset manager and developer, Swire Properties was the first in Hong Kong to achieve WiredScore and SmartScore certifications, with a current combined total of 17 WiredScore and SmartScore Platinum certifications across their portfolio.
Say the word “brand” and you’d be forgiven for thinking, “what does that have to do with real estate?”. Branding and all its connotations are so often thought of in relation to big, shiny consumer products; the latest tech; the most expensive trainers or handbags.
While we might have brand loyalty to our favourite fruit-named phones, how do we begin to translate this loyalty into the built environment?
In recent years, commercial real estate has really had to work hard to foster that sense of loyalty. The curveball that was the Covid-19 pandemic threw the sector into a state of disarray as occupiers were forced to rethink their allegiance to their office footprints and ask themselves if leasing X sq ft of space really made sense.
The result? Landlords have had to up their game.
Developing a resistant and compelling narrative around what they can offer occupiers has seen landlords lean into their creativity in order to acknowledge the important role a space has in fostering a sense of productivity and enjoyment. Now more than ever, occupiers are looking at offices asking; does this mirror the culture and experience I want to create for my company? This is a particularly salient question for growing companies who are looking at multiple spaces. They want to be confident that the standard of experience they get is replicated across a landlord’s portfolio.
So how do landlords ensure what they offer is a cut above the rest? Technology has a fundamental role to play here. Every touch point between the landlord and occupier needs to be seamless; from the onboarding process to working across multiple buildings, from monitoring occupancy level data and organising in-office events; the technological foundations of the building have to be resilient and nimble enough to support these requirements.
In the UK, Derwent, is an example of a landlord merging the physical and digital across their portfolio to better serve the end user. Their two D/L members’ spaces in Fitzrovia and Old Street, London, have a distinctive sense of design and quality that comes from the characteristics of the space. This unique sense of identity is also reflected in the technology set up that is both distinct and seamless across their whole estate. As a result, Derwent’s customers associate the Derwent brand with an extremely high specification of physical space as well as an enriching tech experience.
This integration of physical space with digital innovation creates an environment that not only meets the immediate needs of occupiers but anticipates their future requirements as well. By leveraging smart technology, such as data-driven building management systems, landlords are able to offer a highly adaptable experience that evolves with occupier preferences and business needs. Whether it’s optimizing energy use, providing seamless connectivity, or offering tailored services, the thoughtful application of technology enhances both the functionality and the atmosphere of the spaces, helping tenants thrive in a modern, agile work environment.
The result is a dynamic, responsive and trusting relationship between the landlord and its occupiers. Real-time insights into the everyday patterns of behaviour in the building mean that landlords can act faster to process and improve, creating a positive feedback loop to improve the satisfaction of building users, and therefore reinforcing their brand in a competitive landscape.