Welcome to a new issue of the Unlocking Real Estate Value newsletter. Each week I will provide you with exclusive advice and professional insights to help you realise long-term value through real estate development.
This week I have curated a list of real estate stories that have caught my attention in my LinkedIn feed.
This week’s curated feed is a recap of a few of the posts that I have seen during the summer.
Lots of AI conversations are taking place and in particular I’m seeing an enhanced traffic around the application of AI in CRE. Proof that the AI is real and also that our sector is taking this technology seriously. In particular there are a couple of posts on “privacy concerns” and “Ai hallucinations” that are of particular interest to Real Estate professionals.
Let’s dive in.
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1. According to this poll the majority of CRE pros are concerned about data privacy when using AI tools
A LinkedIn poll revealed data privacy as the top concern among CRE professionals adopting AI. While enthusiasm for efficiency gains is high, the risk of sensitive financial and tenant information leaking through AI platforms is seen as a critical barrier. Trust and compliance frameworks will shape adoption speed across the industry.
2. With ChatGPT-5, the prompting game has changed.
The latest release of ChatGPT-5 shifts how professionals interact with AI. Posts highlight fewer prompt “hacks” are needed as the model’s natural language understanding improves. For CRE, this means more intuitive use cases—from asset strategy to portfolio optimisation—without requiring technical prompting expertise, lowering the barrier to adoption.
3. How fast can you pick assets for a £500m portfolio? I got Ai to do it in a day with no supervision.
A CRE professional experimented with AI to assemble a £500m portfolio in just one day. While not perfect, the exercise shows how generative models can drastically shorten the asset screening process. The post sparked debate around the balance between AI speed and the depth of human due diligence.
4. Here’s my prediction: within 24 months, an “OpenAI Property” pod wins blue-chip mandates and resets timelines from weeks to hours.
Industry voices predict dedicated AI “pods” could soon handle entire CRE mandates, compressing processes from weeks to hours. If accurate, this shift could create new operating models where property teams integrate AI into their core delivery. The post underscores a looming disruption in advisory, brokerage, and asset management.
5. Anyway, Gateway 2 is still a mess. There is a dripfeed of projects getting approval, but those are the minority.
Gateway 2, a critical stage in planning approvals, continues to frustrate developers. While some projects progress, the majority face delays, uncertainty, or rejection. The commentary reflects broader concerns that bottlenecks in approval frameworks remain a structural barrier to delivery—particularly in housing and infrastructure-led regeneration.
6. Real estate continues to evolve in 2025, with demographic and housing demand shifts shaping the landscape.
Posts highlight that demographic changes—aging populations, migration, and shifting household structures—are redefining demand. In 2025, housing remains the central driver, with growing attention to affordable supply and operational models like senior living and co-living. CRE professionals are urged to position portfolios for structural resilience amid evolving social needs.
7. A lot of investors have been asking us, after 20 years often focused on London office assets, what does today feel most like.
Veteran investors are drawing parallels between today’s CRE cycle and past downturns. While London offices remain pressured, diversification is top of mind. The post reflects investor appetite for pattern recognition—learning from history to anticipate recovery trajectories—while also warning against simplistic comparisons in a structurally different, post-pandemic market.
8. Before you start anything new, ask yourself if you’re feeling…⚡️️️ 80% excitement 🔥 20% fear 🚫 0% deadness, If you are, go for it!
This personal reflection suggests a decision-making framework for new ventures: pursue projects that inspire both excitement and a touch of fear, but never indifference. While not CRE-specific, the mindset resonates with developers and investors navigating risk. Boldness tempered by realism remains a guiding principle in uncertain markets.
9. LLM hallucinations aren't bugs, they're compression artefacts. And we just figured out how to predict them before they happen.
Researchers argue hallucinations in large language models are not errors but side effects of data compression. New methods are emerging to forecast them before output. For CRE, where accuracy is vital, this could increase trust in AI-driven analysis, risk assessments, and compliance reporting.
10. the Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map – a new tool that defines the taxonomy of a retrofit and helps pinpoint specific points of intervention.
A new “Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map” breaks down retrofit strategies into a taxonomy of interventions. By standardising categories, it helps investors and developers better identify opportunities for carbon reduction and value creation. This tool could accelerate scaling of retrofit solutions in line with regulatory and ESG requirements.
— Carlo
Founder and Managing Director Benigni
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This post is sponsored by Benigni a specialist development manager working with international investors to realise long-term value through optimised development strategies. To learn more click this link to our website.
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