At the recent Real Estate Industry Summit (REIS) hosted by Private Property, technology dominated the conversation, and for good reason.
According to Antonie Goosen, Principal and Founder of Meridian Realty, the pace of change in real estate has never been faster, and those who fail to adapt risk being left behind.
“One of the quotes that stuck with me came from futurist Alvin Toffler,” says Goosen. “He said, ‘The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.’ That really sums up where our industry is right now. Change is the only constant, and the speed of technological progress means we have to continually evolve.”
Virtual and Augmented Reality Are Changing the Buyer Experience Among the most visible trends reshaping property marketing are Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). Goosen notes that virtual property tours are already a global phenomenon, reducing travel costs and enabling remote or international buyers to view homes from anywhere in the world.
“The VR property-tour market is expected to reach $80 billion by 2025, and more than 1.4 million realtors globally are already using this technology,” he says. “For South Africa, it’s a game-changer, especially in high-value markets where buyers are based abroad or semigrating between provinces.”
AR technology takes this a step further, allowing users to virtually stage a home in real time, changing furniture or finishes during a tour. Studies show that properties using AR content generate over 400 percent more buyer enquiries and achieve 75 percent faster sales cycles. “That’s an incredible efficiency boost for agents and sellers alike,” says Goosen. “It also helps buyers emotionally connect with a property, they can see themselves living there.”
Blockchain and Tokenisation: Real Estate Meets the Digital Economy
Beyond marketing, blockchain technology is beginning to revolutionise how property ownership and investment are structured. Through tokenisation, physical real-estate assets can be divided into digital shares, allowing investors to buy and sell fractions of a property.
“This creates liquidity in what has traditionally been an illiquid asset class,” explains Goosen. “It enables cross-border participation, reduces transaction costs and increases transparency through smart contracts. Analysts expect tokenised real estate to reach $3 trillion by 2030, about 15 percent of all global property transactions. That’s no longer theory, it’s a market reality unfolding.”
He notes, however, that tokenisation of property is not yet a reality in South Africa — though it is widely expected to emerge here in the coming years, following international trends. “It’s only a matter of time before we see similar innovations locally,” says Goosen. “The technology already exists, but adoption depends on regulatory evolution and market readiness.”
PropTech Acceleration and the Post-Covid Shift
According to Goosen, South Africa is experiencing a wave of PropTech adoption. “Post-Covid, the need for digital efficiency skyrocketed. Our market is mobile-first, which makes virtual tours, online valuations and automated marketing tools a natural fit,” he says. “Some reports show virtual-tour adoption in the property sector jumping 184 percent in just a few years. That’s massive progress for a traditionally conservative industry.”
He adds that innovation is no longer a luxury but a survival strategy. “We’re seeing the rise of tech-enabled brokerages built around automation, data integration and continuous process optimisation. The agencies of the future will be leaner, smarter and far more customer-centric.”
Fractional Ownership and the Democratization of Holiday Homes
Another interesting development highlighted at REIS was fractional ownership of holiday homes — a model that makes luxury vacation properties accessible to the middle class. “Platforms like Pacaso are expanding rapidly, allowing several owners to share usage and costs,” says Goosen. “It’s a sustainable way to unlock underutilised assets, and it fits with a broader trend towards shared economy models.”
Artificial Intelligence: The New Co-Pilot for Agents
AI was arguably the most talked-about technology at the summit, touching every part of the real-estate sales and marketing process, from winning listings and preparing them, to managing leads and closing deals.
“AI tools can now generate video content, create virtual staging, analyse buyer sentiment, and even qualify leads through natural-language chat,” Goosen explains. “Free-text and contextual search make property discovery smarter, while voice-driven search is transforming how clients interact with listings.”
He envisions a near future where every agency has its own AI “brain”, a virtual office co-pilot that streamlines admin, predicts trends and helps agents focus on people rather than paperwork. “The real-estate agency of the future will have AI at its core,” says Goosen. “It will require fewer people in operations but enable far more personal engagement with clients. The goal isn’t to replace agents; it’s to empower them.”
The Human Edge in a Digital World
Despite all the technology, Goosen believes the human connection remains irreplaceable. “At Meridian Realty, we believe in using technology to enhance relationships, not replace them. AI can optimise our processes and scale our reach, but trust is still built face-to-face. That balance, between digital efficiency and personal service, will define successful agencies in the years ahead.” As the REIS summit made clear, the future of real estate is no longer something to prepare for, it’s here. Those who learn, unlearn and relearn, as Toffler predicted, will be the ones to thrive in it.
