The Key to Bridging the Property Sector Skills Gap

For property investors, political and economic uncertainty take top billing as their primary concerns. Yet, snapping at their heels is the skills gap, particularly in sustainability, according to a January survey by the British Property Federation.

That’s perhaps unsurprising, given the immense task the industry faces in achieving net zero. The property sector's outsized contribution to global emissions has been well documented, and nearly half of investors planned an acceleration of their net zero programmes this year, the BPF survey revealed.

Yet, as is often the case, ambition can mask reality. Bridging skills gaps isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. Partnerships with universities, immigration initiatives, apprenticeships - they all have a role, but the flow of skills can't match the urgency of the problem.

This is where generative AI steps in. To hit net zero at the required pace, a long sequence of smart decisions is needed. Decision-makers will be relying on mountains of data spanning energy efficiency, usage, optimisation, plus the usual flow of metrics investors use to build and manage portfolios.

To suggest that this gargantuan task could be managed solely through upskilling in every emerging field is, frankly, wishful thinking. But here's the good news: investors might be drastically underestimating what their current teams can achieve.

Exceptional people currently spend too much time doing low value, manual work that should be automated. If you work in the property sector, consider how much time you spend extracting data from old-fashioned documents and putting it into usable formats. The Fifth Dimension AI Assistant can execute tasks like that seconds, making work easier, faster and better for all professionals who work with high-value assets.

That’s why generative AI should be the focus when it comes to reskilling – as we wrote last month. By embracing the symbiotic relationship between humans and generative AI, we can unleash the full potential of both. Let's empower teams to do exceptional things, free from the boring, and turn investors' nightmares into dreams of a sustainable future.