The latest Belgrade event of the Balkan Property Forum once again proved that the real estate market of the region is full of potential. Belgrade is a vibrant, open and inspiring city, where – despite a challenging political environment – ambition for progress and a strong sense of positive energy are clearly present.
One of the highlighted panel discussions of the conference was titled “Smart Moves in the Real Estate Industry”, moderated by Zoltán Kalmár. The participants of the discussion were:
- Hubert Abt, FRICS (Newworkoffice)
- János Arany (FiREG)
- Aljoša Sevčnikar (Imagine)
From the very beginning of the discussion, it became clear: this would not be a classic “product showcase” panel. The focus was much more on people, organisational operations, change management and real business challenges.
We Did Not Start with Technology – and That Was the Most Important Lesson
The first question of the panel focused on personal and company introductions, but the discussion quickly moved on to the actual problems these solutions aim to solve. From the answers, it became clear that:
- this is not merely about cost reduction,
- saving time alone is not the primary goal,
- but rather about more transparent operations, better decision support and scalability.
Digital tools are valuable only if they respond to real business problems, not because they are introduced simply because they are “trendy”.
Why Has Digitalisation Accelerated in the Real Estate Sector?
With the third question, the discussion moved to a strategic level. The panelists agreed that the acceleration of digitalisation is driven by a combination of factors:
- increasing operational and energy efficiency pressure,
- growing investor expectations for transparency,
- labour shortages and loss of institutional knowledge,
- and the post-COVID rethinking of operational models.
Digitalisation is not a goal in itself, but a response to market pressures.
Is the Real Estate Sector Ready for Digital Solutions?
This was perhaps one of the most important questions of the panel. The answer was not black and white.
Yes, the sector is becoming increasingly open to technology, but the key to success is not the software itself, but:
- corporate culture,
- internal digital competencies,
- proper education and onboarding,
- and continuous support.
It was repeatedly emphasised that change management is not a supporting element, but the most critical success factor.
If people do not understand why change is happening, implementation will remain just another “project” rather than a real transformation.
Integration: How to Avoid a Costly and Fragmented Tech Stack
One of the most practical parts of the panel focused on integration. The recommendations clearly pointed in the same direction:
always start from business objectives, not from tools,
define a clear data strategy,
avoid ad-hoc solutions,
and think in ecosystems rather than isolated systems.
A statement that raised a smile – but was undeniably true – was that
“Excel is still the world’s largest ERP system”,
yet in the long run it is unable to provide real-time, reliable decision support.
As a closing thought, each panelist shared a single “smart move” for the future. Their common denominator was clear: start with people and with the “why”.
Involve clients, tenants and operators already in the planning phase. Real estate is, ultimately, not about technology, but about spaces that work for people.
The most important message of the Belgrade panel discussion was that the future of the real estate market is shaped not by technology alone, but by our mindset and our willingness to change.
And yes, Belgrade truly is a beautiful city, full of opportunities. If the region maintains this openness and willingness to learn, “smart moves” will not only exist in theory, but will be realised in practice as well.
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