One finding in every trade
In all four trades we surveyed, people scored highest and tools scored lowest. Real estate teams have the skills to work with AI. What they lack is the software to support them.
The data comes from 84 professionals at 53 firms who took part in our Futureproof workshops between February and October 2026. They were architects, general contractors, real estate developers and asset managers, based in the Benelux, France and Portugal. Each one rated their own capability on every task of their trade's workflow.
How we aggregated the answers
Every participant completed a diagnostic during the workshop. For each task in their trade's workflow, they rated three dimensions from 1 (weak) to 3 (strong):
People: the team's skills and know-how for that task.
Tools: the software and automation that support it.
Process: how standardised and documented the way of working is.
We averaged all answers per task and per dimension. A task's overall score is the mean of its three averages. Each average is then coloured by thirds of the scale.
Band | Average score |
|---|---|
Weak | Below 1.67 |
Neutral | 1.67 to 2.33 |
Strong | Above 2.33 |
Before aggregating, we removed test entries, our own internal entry and exact duplicate submissions. Each trade has its own workflow, from 22 tasks for asset managers to 56 for contractors. Scores are therefore most reliable when compared within a trade.
The four trades side by side
Tools are the lowest-rated dimension in every trade. Developers score lowest overall, and are the only trade where process is also weak.
Trade | Respondents | Firms | Tasks | People | Tools | Process | Weakest task overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Architects | 16 | 12 | 38 | 2.41 | 1.65 | 1.91 | Post-occupancy evaluation (1.48) |
General contractors | 9 | 8 | 56 | 2.28 | 1.90 | 1.94 | Go/No-Go analysis and early risk screening (1.63) |
Real estate developers | 47 | 23 | 50 | 2.18 | 1.54 | 1.66 | Risk analysis (1.60) |
Asset managers | 12 | 10 | 22 | 2.16 | 1.71 | 2.03 | Digital twin creation (1.19) |
Architects: the people are there, the tools are not
Architects rate their people higher than any other trade, at 2.41. Almost half of all their answers on people are "strong". Tools come in weak at 1.65, with 42% of answers rated weak.
Weakest tools: code checks during design development score just 1.19. Next come post-occupancy evaluation (1.31), then client brief analysis, program definition and orientation & daylight studies (all 1.38).
Weakest phase: Handover & Post-Occupancy. Post-occupancy evaluation (1.48) and O&M manuals coordination (1.60) both come out weak overall, together with code checks (1.58).
Strongest task: detailed architectural drawings, the only task rated strong overall (2.42).
General contractors: strong on site, exposed before the tender
Contractors are the most balanced trade. All three dimensions are neutral: people 2.28, process 1.94 and tools 1.90, the best tools score of the four trades.
Strongest phase: Construction Execution. Workforce coordination scores 2.78 on people, and HSE management is strong overall (2.48). So is technical coordination with architects and engineers (2.48).
Weakest phase: Market Intelligence & Pre-Tender Strategy. Go/No-Go analysis and early risk screening are the only weak tasks overall (1.63), with tools at just 1.22.
Other tools gaps: subcontractor selection and subcontractor management (both 1.56), and the warranty period, where client relationship management drops to 1.44.
The margin on a project is decided before the tender, which is exactly where contractors feel least equipped. Bid/no-bid decisions and risk screening are the obvious first use cases. With only 9 respondents, these results are indicative.
Real estate developers: people carry the work, tools and process lag
Developers are the largest sample, with 47 respondents from 23 firms, and the weakest trade overall. People are neutral at 2.18. Tools are weak at 1.54, and process is weak too at 1.66, just under the neutral line.
Tools across the board: tools are weak in 44 of the 50 tasks, and half of all tools answers are "weak". The lowest are risk analysis (1.34), due diligence and authority coordination (both 1.38).
Process rarely structured: only 5% of process answers are "strong".
Weakest tasks overall: risk analysis in underwriting (1.60) and performance tracking at delivery (1.64).
Strongest people: negotiation, equity structuring and contracting (all 2.38). No task scores strong overall.
Developers need two things at once: tools for underwriting, due diligence and permitting, and standard processes to run them on. Adding AI to undocumented workflows tends to automate the inconsistency.
Asset managers: tooled up for ESG, behind everywhere else
Asset managers score neutral on all three dimensions: people 2.16, process 2.03 and tools 1.71. Their profile is the most uneven from one phase to the next.
Where tools caught up: Energy & Sustainability is the only phase where tools match people (2.19 each). Green certifications is their strongest task (2.39).
Where tools lag: tools are weak in 8 of the 22 tasks. Preventive maintenance and repositioning score 1.33, lease admin and community engagement 1.42.
Weakest task in the whole study: digital twin creation, at 1.19 overall, with people, tools and process all weak.
Tenant experience: community engagement and feedback is also weak overall (1.61).
ESG shows what happens when regulation forces the issue: the tools arrive. The next candidates are digital twins, maintenance and tenant experience, where nothing has pushed adoption yet.
What it means for AI adoption
The gap is tooling, not talent. The first AI wins will come from equipping skilled people, not from retraining them.
Start where people are strong and tools are weak. These tasks have the know-how in place and the most to gain. Examples include authority coordination for architects (people 2.75, tools 1.44), subcontractor selection for contractors (2.44 vs 1.56), negotiation for developers (2.38 vs 1.49) and repositioning for asset managers (2.33 vs 1.33).
Look at both ends of the workflow. The weakest scores cluster at the start and the end of each workflow. That means briefing, pre-tender and underwriting at one end, and handover, warranty and post-occupancy at the other.
Fix process alongside tools where it is weak. This matters most for developers, whose process scores are as low as their tools.
These are self-assessments, so they show how teams see themselves, not an external audit. The contractor (9) and asset manager (12) samples are small, and each trade has its own workflow, so cross-trade comparisons are directional.
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