For the First Time at AI Summit: A Dedicated Block on the Future of the Real Estate and Construction Industry

This year’s AI Summit was a milestone for the Hungarian proptech community: for the first time, the real estate and construction industry received a standalone block in which renowned experts discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the sector – from planning and construction to operation.

AI in Construction: Beyond Visualizations

The opening presentation was given by Csaba Livják (Buildext), demonstrating how AI can accelerate and make planning and construction processes more efficient. This was complemented by the presentation of Ágnes Gaschitz, who introduced an AI-based visualization solution that creates new possibilities not only in render production but also in client communication and decision preparation.

The following panel discussion featured:

• Tibor Massányi, DVM Group

• Ádám Kovács, InnoSW

• Dániel Joó, Buildext

and under the moderation of Zoltán Kalmár (ProptechZoom), they explored where AI adoption stands today in Hungary and internationally.

Tibor Massányi shared fresh insights from the Proptech Connect conference in London, where 6000 professionals gathered to discuss the future of digitalization. According to his experience, in the United Kingdom and Western Europe AI is no longer an experimental tool but an integrated part of business operations, while in Hungary most companies are still in the testing phase.

The panelists emphasized that in construction, AI means much more than visualization. In planning and modeling, it can support everything from accelerating permitting processes to automating documentation and model-checking tasks. An internal large language model (LLM), for example, can function as a dedicated knowledge base to support architectural and engineering offices.

In construction execution, AI can play a key role in cost reduction, shortening lead times and digitalizing processes – for example through digital models generated from point clouds.

Among the barriers to the wider adoption of AI, the experts highlighted:

• the lack of data quality,

• integration problems between software systems,

• and the underdeveloped level of digital skills.

Regarding the future, the panelists agreed that AI will fundamentally transform the processes of planning, construction and handover in the next 5–10 years. Companies should start building a strategy for digital transformation now, otherwise they risk falling behind in a competition where digital adoption is no longer optional but essential.

AI in Operations: Sustainability and New Professions

The second panel focused on real estate operations and facility management.

The session was opened by Gábor Décsi, Managing Director of Dome Group, who discussed the future of facility management, its value-creating role, and the vast amount of data currently available but still underutilized. The expert added that AI will bring revolutionary change to property operations: it can predict failures, optimize energy consumption and support sustainability goals. Through data-driven operations, it enables more accurate planning, more efficient maintenance and better space utilization. Tenant experience is elevated by chatbots, personalized services and smart access systems. Overall, AI not only reduces costs but also creates strategic value for real estate portfolios.

Béla Szivák (PPI, Paulinyi Partners Group) presented how they use AI in decision-support engineering services – from optimizing functional mixes for new developments to analyzing retrofit scenarios for office and residential buildings. One of their most interesting R&D projects, the Urban Energy Scan, analyzes district-level energy characteristics based on satellite imagery and radar data, using AI models developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute.

Gyula Győri (CPI Facility Management) spoke about the challenges of sustainability: in his view, the greatest task is not growth but qualitative development, focusing on repairability and reuse. AI has a key role here, as predictive maintenance and forecasting can extend the lifecycle of equipment while reducing energy consumption. Győri emphasized that AI does not eliminate jobs but creates new, higher value-added professions, such as digital twin specialists or energy optimization experts.

Gergely Kiss (Attrecto) brought a perspective from the IT side. He has been working with AI solutions – computer vision, predictive modeling, LLMs – for more than ten years, and highlighted that the real challenge is not in the algorithms but in the quality of data sources, integration and alignment with business processes. According to his experience, Hungarian companies are open to AI, but they lack the long-term trust that has already been established in Western Europe or the USA toward AI-based services.

The Common Lesson: Without Strategy, There Is No AI

The shared message of the real estate block at AI Summit was clear: artificial intelligence affects every stage of the construction and real estate industry – from planning to construction to operations. Companies that integrate AI into their workflows today will save time, cost and energy while improving user experience and sustainability.

However, the biggest challenge is not technological but strategic and cultural: organizations and professionals must be prepared to collaborate with AI, otherwise they may quickly fall behind in a competition where digital transformation is no longer optional but a fundamental requirement.

A question to readers: In your opinion, over the next five years will AI have a greater impact on cost reduction or on opening new business opportunities in the real estate market?

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