Techem Trend Study

How will we live in the future? Techem is examining the influence of the megatrends of sustainability, digitalization, urbanization, mobility on real estate and the housing industry in a joint study with the Handelsblatt Research Institute.

Trend radar for the real estate industry

The trend radar shows which trends will shape living in the future and what influence they already have on the housing industry. As an indicator for future developments, support services can already be derived today in the form of digital solutions or services that tenants and property managers will need in the foreseeable future.

The trends of building digitalization and digital platforms as well as automation in digitalization, in particular, are already having a major impact on the real estate industry. But the topic of sustainability along with the trends of emission-free building operation, sustainable construction and energy self-sufficiency also has an impact.

Developments in the areas of neighborhood development, densification, living in suburbs and micro-housing forms are emerging as part of urbanization, which will lead to new requirements for residential properties. Last but not least, human mobility is constantly evolving, especially in cities, and solutions for e-mobility and car sharing are increasingly needed.

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This is how we live in the future!

Living space is becoming increasingly scarce. The demands for sustainability and digitalization are increasing, and the trend towards sharing cars continues.

1

Emissions-free operation

Although cities only cover two percent of the earth's surface, they produce 60 percent of emissions and consume 78 percent of the world's energy.

2

Energy self-sufficiency

More and more people want to reduce their dependence on external energy sources and high prices. Interest in green energy is increasing, according to 66 percent of the respondents.

3

Sustainable construction

Our future buildings should protect the environment and climate. To this end, 64 percent predict that there will be an increased focus on recycled, biodegradable or sustainable building materials in the future.

1

Building digitalization

Thirty-five percent of the real estate companies invest more than five percent of their annual sales in digital transformation measures. Cybersecurity is also becoming increasingly important.

2

Digital platforms

One out of three real estate industry representatives believe that digital platforms improve workflows and speed (e.g., during the rental process).

3

Building automation

Half of the energy in buildings is lost due to inefficient management systems. Automation helps to optimize processes and saves time and money.

1

Neighborhood development

According to model calculations, a neighborhood-optimized building stock with central infrastructures can be 30 to 40 percent more efficient than supplying energy to individual buildings.

2

Densification

Experts believe that the densification of cities will continue to increase in the future due to the scarcity of land on which to build. Smart spatial concepts are in demand.

3

Life outside the city

Most Germans (77 percent) who live in a neighborhood prefer a location close to nature in the suburbs. Rising rental prices are also leading to people moving out of cities.

1

E-charging

E-mobility is becoming extremely popular. Most electric cars are currently charged at home. Landlords are obligated to install charging stations when building new buildings or renovating existing ones.

2

Car-sharing

Sharing cars enables more efficient use of resources and therefore fulfills society's growing desire for sustainable mobility solutions, according to predictions by the majority of the real estate experts we surveyed.

Changing framework conditions

Environmental factors in economics, law, politics and society have been changing faster than ever in recent years. Megatrends that impact the real estate industry are also accelerating as a result.

Study methods

This study relates to trends in the housing and real estate industry and covered the period from May 2022 to April 2023. It was divided into several phases:

  • Phase 1: Analysis and research
  • Phase 2: Qualitative discussions with external experts
  • Phase 3: Qualitative discussions with Techem experts
  • Phase 4: Quantitative survey of external experts

Learn also more about the Energy Transition

Our media team

Katharina Bathe-Metzler


Media Spokesperson 
Head of Sustainability, Communications & Public Affairs

katharina.bathe-metzler@techem.de

Janina Schmidt


Media Spokesperson 
Senior Corporate Communications Manager

 

janina.schmidt@techem.de