By 2030, it is estimated that 90% of all jobs will require digital skills, highlighting the critical importance of adopting these skills within your career.

- Business LDN, 2024

The property industry is experiencing unprecedented technological disruption. According to a 2024 RICS Digital Transformation Report, 78% of property businesses now cite digital transformation as “critical” of “very important” to their competitive strategy, up from just 52% in 2020. Yet simultaneously, 67% of property firms report a significant skills gap in technology competencies amongst their workforce.

What is the impact of this? According to Business LDN, this gap in technological skills is estimated to cost the UK economy £68 billion per year.

As we navigate 2025, it’s clear that embracing technological advancements could put you ahead of the competition and support you in progressing your career in an increasingly digitalised marketplace.

This guide outlines the essential technology competencies that have moved from “nice-to-have” to “non-negotiable” for advancing your career in the property sector.

What technological skills are in demand in the property sector?

Data analytics and visualisation

Why it matters

Property has always been a data-rich industry, but the ability to extract meaningful insights from this data is revolutionising decision-making. According to JLL’s 2024 Technology Transformation survey, property professionals with data analytics skills command salary premiums of 15-25% over peers without these competencies.

Core skills to develop

Professionals must develop a multifaceted technical toolkit to excel in property data analytics. This begins with mastering basic statistical analysis—understanding how correlation, regression, and predictive modelling apply specifically to property metrics like yield compression, occupancy trends, and valuation fluctuations. Equally important is proficiency with data visualisation tools such as Tableau or Power BI, which transform complex datasets into compelling visual narratives that clients and stakeholders can easily comprehend.

Property analysis software becomes much more valuable when you go beyond just pulling basic numbers. Learning to set up machine learning within these systems helps you find hidden connections in your property data and spot market trends before others notice them. When you create custom models that combine your property's past performance with broader economic factors, your software transforms from something that just tells you what happened into a tool that predicts what might happen next. Tools like Tableau and Power BI aren't just for making pretty charts, they're interactive platforms where your team can test different scenarios, discover important relationships between factors, and find insights that lead to better portfolio decisions and a competitive edge in the market.

Which property professionals will benefit from upskilling in this area?

Certain roles are positioned to gain a particular advantage from these capabilities. Property professionals who should prioritise developing these skills include:

• Investment Analysts - Those responsible for evaluating acquisition opportunities and portfolio performance need these skills to model complex scenarios and identify hidden value

• Asset Managers - Professionals managing property portfolios can leverage analytics to optimise tenant mix, predict lease renewal probabilities, and maximise returns

• Valuers/Appraisers - These practitioners can deliver more accurate and defensible valuations by incorporating wider datasets and regression models

• Commercial Agents - Sales and leasing professionals who use data visualisation can present properties with compelling market context that accelerates transactions

• Development Managers - Those overseeing new projects benefit from more sophisticated feasibility studies and risk assessments

• Facilities Managers - Building operations professionals can implement predictive maintenance analytics to reduce costs and improve tenant satisfaction

Digital marketing and social media

Why it matters

The property marketing landscape has transformed dramatically. According to Rightmove's 2024 Digital Marketing Report, properties marketed with comprehensive digital strategies sell 37% faster and achieve 8.4% higher prices on average than those using traditional methods alone.

A Knight Frank study revealed that 73% of high-net-worth property buyers under 45 first discover properties through social media channels, while 68% of all residential buyers conduct independent online research before contacting agents.

According to EngageMore, 2025, the demand for digital marketing roles like Social Media Managers or PPC Specialists in real estate has grown significantly.

Core skills to develop

Today's property professionals need a comprehensive digital marketing skillset to stay competitive. This includes content marketing expertise to create compelling property narratives across platforms, alongside platform-specific social media strategies that leverage LinkedIn's professional environment, Instagram's visual storytelling, TikTok's video format, and emerging channels.

A solid grasp of SEO fundamentals ensures property listings gain maximum visibility through strategic keywords and location-based tactics, while digital advertising proficiency enables targeted campaigns across Google, Meta, and property platforms to reach defined audiences. Equally important is analytics interpretation, transforming performance data into actionable insights to continuously refine marketing approaches based on engagement patterns and conversion metrics.

Which property professionals will benefit from upskilling in this area?

Key roles that should prioritise upskilling in digital marketing include:

• Residential Sales Agents - Should utilise digital channels to showcase properties effectively and generate qualified leads in a competitive market

• Estate Agency Branch Managers - Should understand digital marketing metrics to allocate resources and train teams on modern marketing approaches

• Marketing Coordinators - Should evolve from traditional brochure creation to managing integrated digital campaigns across multiple platforms

• Lettings Agents - Should develop digital targeting skills to reach potential tenants with highly specific property requirements

• New Homes Sales Teams - Must leverage digital tools to effectively market developments before completion and track buyer journeys

“We’ve seen candidates that have demanded a higher salary, or actually been offered a job with boutique independent agencies in Prime Central London because of their social media presence showing the growing appeal for these competencies.” - Ryan Doyle, Senior Business Development Manager Estate agency

Property Technology (PropTech) platforms

Why it matters

Deloitte's Property Technology Benchmark Study reports that 77% of real estate companies have increased their PropTech investments in 2024, while 83% of property clients express a preference for professionals who demonstrate technology proficiency.

Core skills to develop

Understanding property-specific CRM platforms like Reapit, Rezi, or PropertyMe for effective client management, alongside experience with transaction management platforms that digitise buying, selling, and leasing processes will be helpful for property professionals to master. Understanding property management systems such as MRI, Yardi, or RealPage provides essential capabilities in lease administration and financial reporting roles.

Most valuable is integration knowledge, connecting various PropTech solutions into cohesive workflows that eliminate data silos, complemented by automation tools that handle repetitive tasks, allowing professionals to focus on high-value activities that technology cannot replace.

Which property professionals will benefit from upskilling in this area?

Key roles that should prioritise PropTech upskilling include:

• Property Managers - Would benefit from the management platforms to efficiently handle maintenance requests, lease administration, and financial reporting

• Transaction Coordinators - Should develop expertise in digital transaction management to streamline the closing process and reduce errors

• Agency Directors - Would benefit from understanding how to evaluate ROI on PropTech investments and lead digital transformation initiatives

• Facilities Managers - Need skills in IoT-enabled building management systems to optimise energy usage and enhance occupant experience

• Valuation Professionals - Should develop proficiency with automated valuation models and digital comparison tools to enhance accuracy

Blockchain technology

Why it matters

Whilst still an emerging trend, blockchain technology is beginning to transform property transactions and ownership structures. A RICS survey found that 38% of property professionals believe blockchain will “significantly impact” property transactions within the next three years, while tokenisation platforms report a 215% year-on-year increase in property assets being fractionally traded.

Core skills to develop

Property professionals looking toward the future should familiarise themselves with blockchain technology and its growing impact on real estate. At its core, this means understanding how blockchain creates trustworthy digital records that can simplify property ownership histories and make transactions more transparent.

Smart contracts are becoming increasingly relevant, essentially working like digital agreements that automatically complete when all conditions are met, potentially making property deals faster and simpler. Property professionals should also grasp how real estate can now be divided into digital shares through tokenisation, allowing more people to invest in properties they couldn't previously afford.

Which property professionals will benefit from upskilling in this area?

Those who should prioritise developing blockchain competencies include:

• Investment Directors - Need to comprehend tokenisation models to evaluate new forms of property investment and portfolio diversification

• Fund Managers - Should understand blockchain's impact on property liquidity and fractional ownership structures

• Compliance Officers - Must develop knowledge of regulatory frameworks for tokenised property assets and blockchain transactions

"Combining tech skills with property knowledge isn't just nice to have anymore, it's absolutely necessary to succeed in not just today's market but the future too. Property professionals who understand the importance of developing these skills will pull ahead of their competition. Now these tech tools provide solid evidence for making better decisions, we're noticing that clients aren't just looking at past performance when choosing who to work with, they want partners who are willing to use technology to uncover valuable insights and deliver better results." - Chris Litras, Director - Investment, Development & Construction

How to develop these skills to support your career

Your implementation strategy

• Conduct a personal technology audit: Begin by assessing your current capabilities against these areas. Identify both your strengths and gaps, perhaps using a simple rating system to evaluate your proficiency level in each domain.

• Prioritise based on your own career goals: Not all technology skills will be equally relevant to your specific career path. Research the technologies that will most directly impact your speciality or those that address immediate needs in your current role. Consider which skills would create the most significant competitive advantage in your particular property sector or position.

• Create a learning roadmap: Develop a plan with specific training milestones and deadlines. Break down larger technology competencies into manageable learning modules with clear objectives.

• Build practical experience: It’s important to apply your new technological skills to actual property scenarios to solidify your learning. Look for opportunities to use new technologies in your current work, volunteer for digital projects, or create your case studies using real market data to practice your developing competencies.

• Join technology communities: Accelerate your learning by engaging with PropTech groups, forums, and digital communities. Participate in webinars, attend virtual meetups, and connect with like-minded professionals who are on similar learning journeys.

• Seek mentorship: Identify and connect with technology-forward property professionals who can provide guidance and feedback on your development. A mentor who has successfully integrated digital skills into their property career can share valuable insights, help navigate challenges, and provide accountability for your learning progress.

• Document your progress: As you develop new competencies, systematically update your CV, LinkedIn profile, and professional portfolio to showcase these skills. Create specific examples of how you've applied technology to solve property challenges or improve outcomes.

The property professionals who will thrive in 2025 and beyond are those who embrace technological transformation rather than resist it. According to PwC's 2024 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, 87% of industry leaders believe that technology proficiency will be the single most important differentiator for career advancement in the property sector over the next five years.

By strategically developing your technology capabilities, you position yourself not just to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry, but to lead it forward into its digital future.

You can learn more about how we can support you in your career here, or drop your CV below.