Nemetschek dTwin Report Highlights the Digital Disconnect in Real Estate Technology Adoption
Nemetschek dTwin, from Nemetschek Group, has published its new report ‘Rewiring Real Estate’. The findings highlight a critical gap: despite rising requirements for sustainability and technology, commercial real estate is still driven by manual processes and 'gut-driven' decisions.
Despite industry hype around AI, automation, and analytics, most property teams still rely on spreadsheets, instinct, and disconnected systems to manage their assets.
Munich, Germany – November 19, 2025 – Nemetschek dTwin, developed by the Nemetschek Group, a leading global provider of software solutions for the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AEC/O) and media industries, has now released its latest report. Entitled ‘Rewiring Real Estate’, the research reveals a critical disconnect for one of the world’s oldest industries; despite the increased requirements for fulfilling sustainability compliance, the rapid technological advancement and escalating demands on property managers, real estate remains deeply reliant on manual processes and ‘gut-driven’ decisions.
The research – which delves into the priorities, tools, processes, and concerns of property managers across the UK, US, and Germany – highlights a need for vendors to bridge the knowledge gap by educating the industry on how to better leverage the technology already within its reach.
‘Gut’ over data
Perhaps the most prevalent theme throughout the research is the persistence of instinct-led decision-making, even as property portfolios grow more complex. Of the real estate professionals surveyed, 79% admit that decisions about their buildings are still mostly ‘gut-driven’ rather than data-driven.
The ‘instinct over data’ mindset is further demonstrated by nearly half (49%) of professionals continuing to collect and manage data manually in spreadsheets, with 23% storing data across multiple, disconnected systems, 23% saying their data is paper based (and that figure grew to 34.3% for industrial operators) and only 5% linking data on a specialized platform.
“These figures paint a clear picture,”says Dr. Jimmy Abualdenien, Head of Digital Twin Product at Nemetschek Group. “The industry recognises the value of data but remains trapped by outdated workflows. Real transformation won’t come from buying new software to map isolated processes; it will come from connecting all operational data to achieve efficiency gains through monitoring, prediction and automated optimisations based on the complete actual reality.”
Doing more with much less
The report also highlights the mounting pressure facing property managers as they navigate rising expectations and limited resources.
Of property managers surveyed, 79% say they face more challenges with fewer staff, with that figure climbing to 84% among retail property managers. Meanwhile 75% of all respondents agreed that creating required reports is a complex, time-consuming and mainly manual task.
These statistics suggest that while operational efficiency remains a steadfast goal, many teams lack the tools or time to achieve it.
Educate, not just innovate
Rewiring Real Estate calls for a collaborative approach between technology providers and real estate operators, to foster innovation in the world’s oldest asset class.
Of professionals surveyed, 77% say they need constant insight into real-time building performance and 79% believe there should be a single repository for all critical building data. Yet, even for those respondents who store data electronically and know how to find it, there are limitations to the value they can derive from it. Across the UK, German, and US markets, 37% of professionals say they need expert knowledge to understand the data they have.
Vendors must move beyond product promotion to deliver real-world education, showing firms how to unlock the value of digital tools that can streamline data, improve efficiency, and drive more informed decisions.
“The report makes one thing clear,” added Dr. Jimmy Abualdenien. “Technology isn’t the barrier, understanding is. Vendors and operators must work hand in hand to rewire how this industry thinks about data and decision-making.”
About dTwin and the Nemetschek Group
dTwin is a visual analytics and connected intelligence platform for built assets and is a solution of the Nemetschek Group. Nemetschek’s dTwin platform connects, harmonises and visualises all facility data and real-time activity into a digital twin.
The Nemetschek Group is a globally leading software provider for the digital transformation in the AEC/O and media industries. Its intelligent software solutions cover the entire lifecycle of construction and infrastructure projects and allow creatives to optimise their workflows. Customers can plan, construct, and manage construction projects more efficiently and sustainably, and develop digital content such as visualisations, films, and computer games in a creative way. The software company drives new technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, and open standards (OPEN BIM) in the AEC/O industries to increase productivity and sustainability and continuously expands its portfolio, including through acquisitions and investments in innovative start-ups. More than 7 million users are currently using the customer-focused solutions. Founded by Prof. Georg Nemetschek in 1963, the Nemetschek Group today employs over 4,000 experts globally.
The company, which has been listed in the MDAX and TecDAX since 1999, achieved a revenue of EUR 995.6 million and an EBITDA of EUR 301.0 million in 2024. Since the end of 2024, the Nemetschek Group is certified in accordance with ISO 27001, the internationally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS).
About the Report
Rewiring Real Estate explores the challenges and opportunities in modernising property management through technology. The research was conducted by Censuswide who surveyed 452 Asset Managers and Heads of Innovation at real estate companies throughout Germany, the UK, and the US. The full study can be downloaded for free from the Nemetschek dTwin website.