Credit: GRI InstituteFrom Brick to Click: Tech disruption in Indian real estate
Industry leaders explore how digital tools are gaining traction across the country’s evolving property sector
August 4, 2025Real Estate
Written by Isabella Toledo
At the GRI Institute’s “From Brick to Click” roundtable, Indian real estate leaders gathered to explore how technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and data are reshaping one of the country’s most traditional sectors.
While opinions varied on the pace of transformation, there was clear agreement on one point: the era of information asymmetry in real estate is rapidly fading.
Rather than sweeping disruption, the sector is seeing its greatest gains through practical tools that streamline workflows and enable faster, more informed decision-making, with developers increasingly relying on AI-driven platforms to assess land potential, conduct micro-market feasibility, and evaluate investment outcomes.
Feasibility platforms now support rapid evaluation of project typologies, while generative design software accelerates planning by producing multiple development scenarios in minutes, significantly reducing time-to-decision and enhancing the precision of early-stage development.
Operationally, tools such as drone-based construction monitoring, predictive analytics, and integrated tenant experience platforms are gaining traction. As the industry becomes more institutionalised, these technologies support more rigorous asset oversight and performance management.
Another area of advancement is the deployment of intelligent digital agents in customer engagement. Operating continuously and at scale, these systems are reshaping how developers manage enquiries, nurture prospects, and deliver consistent responses, marking a shift towards automated, data-led client interaction.
Nonetheless, adoption is not uniform across the industry. Mid-sized developers often face budgetary constraints and cultural resistance, favouring incremental implementation over wholesale transformation.
In India’s labour-intensive environment, technology tends to be most effective when it enhances rather than replaces human involvement. In hospitality, for example, mobile check-in has become standard, while guest-facing automation remains limited due to practical and cultural preferences.
Looking toward 2030, the outlook points to the rise of integrated AI platforms capable of streamlining every stage of the real estate journey, from design and licensing to sales and legal compliance. At the same time, tokenisation is expected to gain ground, enabling fractional ownership models and more inclusive investment pathways.
Despite progress in some states, inconsistencies in digital records across the country continue to hamper development workflows. In response, many developers have resorted to private surveying tools such as QGIS and drone mapping to obtain reliable topographical data, often bypassing outdated or incomplete government documentation.
This lack of standardisation in land information affects the entire development chain, from planning approvals and legal verification to financing and asset management. Without trusted, digitised data, the potential of emerging technologies remains largely untapped.
In result, regulatory reform is seen as essential to unlocking further progress. Decentralising municipal governance, simplifying the registration process, and reducing stamp duties could ease transactional friction and support greater transparency.
At the GRI Institute’s “From Brick to Click” roundtable, Indian real estate leaders gathered to explore how technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and data are reshaping one of the country’s most traditional sectors.
While opinions varied on the pace of transformation, there was clear agreement on one point: the era of information asymmetry in real estate is rapidly fading.
Tech tool transition
Beyond the more visible applications of AI, technology is steadily permeating every stage of the real estate value chain, from site selection and design to construction, sales, and long-term asset management.Rather than sweeping disruption, the sector is seeing its greatest gains through practical tools that streamline workflows and enable faster, more informed decision-making, with developers increasingly relying on AI-driven platforms to assess land potential, conduct micro-market feasibility, and evaluate investment outcomes.
Feasibility platforms now support rapid evaluation of project typologies, while generative design software accelerates planning by producing multiple development scenarios in minutes, significantly reducing time-to-decision and enhancing the precision of early-stage development.
Operationally, tools such as drone-based construction monitoring, predictive analytics, and integrated tenant experience platforms are gaining traction. As the industry becomes more institutionalised, these technologies support more rigorous asset oversight and performance management.
(Freepik)
Tradition versus technology
Sales and marketing also continue to be key areas of innovation, with AI being used to qualify leads, simulate personalised voice interactions, and manage large-scale outreach campaigns. These tools are beginning to replace manual pre-sales processes, offering improved scalability and efficiency.Another area of advancement is the deployment of intelligent digital agents in customer engagement. Operating continuously and at scale, these systems are reshaping how developers manage enquiries, nurture prospects, and deliver consistent responses, marking a shift towards automated, data-led client interaction.
Nonetheless, adoption is not uniform across the industry. Mid-sized developers often face budgetary constraints and cultural resistance, favouring incremental implementation over wholesale transformation.
In India’s labour-intensive environment, technology tends to be most effective when it enhances rather than replaces human involvement. In hospitality, for example, mobile check-in has become standard, while guest-facing automation remains limited due to practical and cultural preferences.
Looking toward 2030, the outlook points to the rise of integrated AI platforms capable of streamlining every stage of the real estate journey, from design and licensing to sales and legal compliance. At the same time, tokenisation is expected to gain ground, enabling fractional ownership models and more inclusive investment pathways.
(Freepik)
Regulatory evolution and land records digitisation
Despite rapid advances in technology, systemic issues, particularly around regulatory frameworks, continue to limit transformation in Indian real estate. Land remains one of the sector’s least digitised areas, with outdated and inconsistent records creating barriers across planning, approvals, financing, and legal processes.Despite progress in some states, inconsistencies in digital records across the country continue to hamper development workflows. In response, many developers have resorted to private surveying tools such as QGIS and drone mapping to obtain reliable topographical data, often bypassing outdated or incomplete government documentation.
This lack of standardisation in land information affects the entire development chain, from planning approvals and legal verification to financing and asset management. Without trusted, digitised data, the potential of emerging technologies remains largely untapped.
In result, regulatory reform is seen as essential to unlocking further progress. Decentralising municipal governance, simplifying the registration process, and reducing stamp duties could ease transactional friction and support greater transparency.