South Africa’s listed property sector is not short on digital capability. Foundational technologies are already embedded across the value chain, from property and asset management systems to online marketing platforms, tenant engagement applications, market intelligence solutions and data-driven reporting tools. The shift now is less about adoption and more about how effectively that capability is translated into operational performance and measurable commercial outcomes. Just as importantly, it is changing the stakeholder experience, turning static information into more active, accessible engagement across digital touchpoints.
The next phase of this evolution is being shaped by the application of AI. While advanced technologies are entering the sector, their integration into core, revenue-linked or cost-saving workflows remains uneven. A significant proportion of processes are still manual, highlighting a gap between digital capability and scaled, practical implementation. Where these capabilities are applied with intent, they are beginning to move beyond efficiency gains, helping teams respond faster, improve decision-making and strengthen how assets are leased, managed and presented to the market.
Accelerating business performance through AI
AI is often associated with generative tools, but its more immediate application in property is operational. Technology is already being used to surface leasing opportunities, inform portfolio decisions and improve how stakeholders access information. AI builds on these foundations, embedding intelligence into systems that are already shaping how the sector functions.
This aligns with findings from MRI Software’s 2026 PropTech Trends report, which notes that AI adoption in real estate is increasingly shifting from experimentation towards measurable business outcomes. The report highlights that organisations achieving the greatest success are those integrating AI into everyday operational workflows, supported by strong data governance, workforce enablement and connected digital platforms.
At its most effective, this technology compresses the time between insight and execution within core business functions. McKinsey’s recent Superagency in the workplace report highlights that the greatest value is being realised where AI is embedded in day-to-day tasks, enabling employees to complete work more efficiently and make better-informed decisions. In operational terms, this shortens the path from information to action, reducing the time it takes to identify and respond to opportunities. It is this shift, from delayed, multi-step processes to more immediate, informed execution, that positions AI as a driver of business acceleration within core operations.
For property owners, this translates into a more responsive and connected operating environment, where decisions can be made with greater speed and coordination across functions. As information becomes more accessible and actionable, the gap between insight and execution begins to narrow.
Rethinking how portfolios are operated
What this signals is a change in how portfolios are managed and understood. Historically, fragmented data has limited the depth and accuracy of portfolio-level insight, often requiring interpretation across multiple systems. As digital capabilities evolve, there is a growing emphasis on more integrated, data-driven approaches that enhance visibility across assets and support more informed decision-making Jll’s Global Real Estate Technology Survey 2025highlights a shift towards targeted, high-impact use cases, as firms move beyond isolated tools and begin embedding intelligence more directly into their operations. In this context, performance is increasingly shaped by how effectively data is translated into actionable insight across assets.
Rather than functioning as separate, sequential workflows, leasing, reporting and marketing are becoming more interdependent, with information flowing more directly between them. This reduces reliance on step-by-step activities and enables a more coordinated approach to managing performance, with a clearer link between activity and commercial outcomes.
This has implications for how digital investment is prioritised. The focus is increasingly on strengthening the connections between systems and functions, particularly where gaps in visibility or coordination affect outcomes. Here, AI-enabled capabilities play a supporting role, enabling these connections to function more effectively and allowing performance to be managed with greater consistency.
Creating the conditions for adoption
Equally important is creating the organisational environment that enables AI adoption at scale. At Redefine, Microsoft Copilot licences have been extended across the business, providing employees with access to AI-powered productivity tools within their daily workflows. This has been supported by the implementation of an AI Governance Protocol, AI training and acceptable use policies that guide the responsible, ethical and secure use of AI.
In parallel, we have adopted a pragmatic, value-led approach to AI implementation through targeted proof-of-value initiatives. These small-scale deployments are helping to identify practical use cases, test measurable business benefits and build internal confidence in how AI can be applied across different functions. Successful applications can then be scaled and replicated across multiple value streams, allowing the organisation to build AI capability incrementally while managing risk and supporting adoption.
What this looks like in practice
For us, these changes are already reflected in how key functions are executed, with digital and AI capabilities applied in targeted ways to advance leasing, investor engagement and marketing. Rather than operating as standalone initiatives, these applications are embedded within existing workflows, supporting more consistent execution and strengthening how information moves between functions, with measurable impact on efficiency and engagement.
To streamline and improve the leasing process, our new Broker Portal provides real-time access to vacancy data, enabling more direct engagement with brokers and reducing delays in how opportunities are surfaced and acted on. By centralising availability and making it immediately accessible, the platform supports a more responsive approach to bringing space to market. This creates a closer alignment between demand and available stock, particularly across multiple assets. Since launching in October 2025, the Broker Portal has recorded more than 570 registered users and more than 17000 sessions, reflecting its growing role as a practical digital touchpoint for broker engagement.
Beyond leasing, AI is also changing how stakeholders access and engage with information. Investor engagement has been extended through the integration of AI into our latest Integrated Report. Stakeholders can interact with financial and ESG information through natural-language queries, shifting reporting from a static format to a more accessible, user-led experience. This changes how information is consumed, allowing users to navigate large volumes of data more efficiently and engage with the content in a way that is more aligned to their specific areas of interest.
Within marketing, AI and digital tools are helping teams produce content faster and more cost-effectively. Investments in mobile camera kits and digital content creation platforms such as Canva have enabled internal teams to capture, edit and publish leasing, retail and social media content with greater agility. This reduces turnaround times, lowers external production costs and enables marketing activity to respond more quickly to business and tenant requirements.
AI is also being used to automate the enrichment of retail store information across Redefine’s mall websites, replacing manual input with a significantly faster and more consistent process. This improves the quality and accuracy of store-level information available to shoppers and tenants, while enabling updates to be implemented more efficiently. As a result, marketing outputs can be deployed with greater consistency, supporting more responsive tenant promotion and improved digital visibility.
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in the property sector, the distinction between experimentation and value creation will become increasingly important. The greatest opportunity lies not in technology itself, but in how effectively it is applied to solve real business challenges, improve stakeholder experiences and unlock commercial value.
For property owners, the future is likely to be characterised by more intelligent buildings, more responsive portfolios and increasingly data-driven decision-making across every function. Success will depend on combining technology with strong governance, quality data and people who understand how to translate insight into action. For Redefine, the focus remains on building these foundations today, ensuring that AI serves not as an isolated technology initiative but as a practical enabler of long-term growth, operational excellence and stakeholder value.
- Douglas Mayne, Head of Marketing and Stakeholder Affairs at Redefine Properties
