"The ad said this pool was lagoon-like. That's the sarcastic comment of two clients in an iconic scene from American Beauty right before Carolyn, the movie co-protagonist working as a real estate agent, has a meltdown. Despite the typical cinematic overdramatisation, it's actually true that few industries in the world are driven by the "human factor", including interpersonal interactions between sellers and buyers, as much as real estate, and this seems to result in a certain conservatism and low propensity for change. Just a few years ago, indeed, this sector was ranked as the second least digitised by the Morgan Stanley Digitalisation Index. However, things are evolving faster, as relying on technology to compete in a saturated, unpredictable market like real estate can certainly come in handy.

Zego is a company that produces smart home management software and S2 Capital is specialized in purchasing and renovating under leased and poorly managed properties. Markets Insider reports Zego and S2 Capital are linking smart home devices in around 30,000 apartments over the next three years in cooperation with Amazon. Our partnership with S2 is a significant move and validation in the market and their subsequent collaboration with Amazon helps us make units more attractive to prospective residents while improving operational efficiencies for property owners. We are committed to bringing this technology to the masses, and with this news, it's clear smart home technology is no longer reserved for luxury homes and apartments. Zego's smart home management platform consists of a single mobile app that connects residents, property staff, in addition to a marketplace of products and local services.

Welcome to the world of AI. Last March, the online asset manager AlphaFlow launched its first so-called automated investment fund for real estate loans. Rather than tapping employees to search for investment opportunities, the company uses a computer program to sift through listings services and find mortgages to purchase based on property characteristics, borrower history, recent market data and other criteria. "We're not ready to take our hands off [our work]," said Ray Sturm, co-founder of the California-based company, explaining that humans still make the ultimate investment decision. But, he noted, machine-driven algorithms are doing increasingly more.