Digitization in the real estate industry

On November 30, a network meeting was organized within the framework of the network Challengers Network Real Estate with the theme Digitization / IT services in the properties.

The Challenger Network consists of members representing both state, municipal and private real estate companies, managers of both housing and premises. The meeting started with a joint breakfast and mingle and we continued to listen to guest lecturer Sofia Rangmar, Project leader in digitalisation at Willhem. Sofia shared Willhem's project “Thinking the House” which has been awarded the prize as Southern Sweden's smartest property in conjunction with the Malmö property fair earlier this year.

The pilot project was carried out in a property built in 1956 located in the district of Biskopsgården in Gothenburg with the aim of reducing the energy use of the house and using new services with the help of modern technology, energy-efficient equipment and solar cells, and to increase the service level towards tenants. The project is an example of how smart technology and energy solutions can be lifted into an older house and create the conditions for a digital everyday life and sustainable living with environmental, social and economic values. Despite a significant increase in electronic products in the building, the combined result with both solar cells and energy-efficient equipment indicates that the house's net consumption of electricity will have decreased by over 80 % by the end of 2016/2017.

Some examples of equipment introduced:

  • Smart mailbox with digital nameplates
  • Digital display in the stairwell for announcements and laundry booking
  • Door phone, access control system and key tags for added security
  • Booking screen adjacent to the laundry room
  • Energy-efficient washing machines and dryers with heat pump technology
  • Connected temperature sensors
  • Presence controlled LED lighting
  • Mobile app with possibility to create cases or book laundry

The participants in the networking meeting found it very inspiring to be able to take part in Willhem's project “Thinking House”, which resulted in exciting discussions about the challenges and opportunities that digitalisation will present for the real estate industry in the future.

The network will meet quarterly with the next network meeting scheduled in early 2017. The participants will have a feel for which topics will be dealt with at the meetings. We are looking for new network participants so please contact us for more information if you are interested in participating. Jesper Paulsson, Jesper.Paulsson@ekan.com, management consultant at Ekan Management.

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