How AI is driving the digital transformation of South Africa's real estate industry

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly central role in how property professionals communicate with clients.

This has seen the South African real estate industry undergo a significant digital shift. 

AI chatbots and virtual assistants have been adopted rapidly

Real Estate Services South Africa is highlighting the rapid adoption of AI chatbots and virtual assistants as agents seek to provide faster, more personalised, and more accessible service in an evolving market.

“AI-powered virtual assistants allow our agents to be available around the clock, ensuring clients receive prompt, accurate support at every stage of their property journey,” says Giovanni Gaggia, CEO of Real Estate Services South Africa.

“This technology not only improves responsiveness but also frees up our agents to focus on delivering personalised, high-value guidance where it matters most.”

Property transactions are becoming more complex

As property transactions become increasingly complex and client expectations continue to grow, responsiveness and clarity are considered key differentiators.

Buyers and sellers expect real-time updates, immediate answers, and smooth scheduling-especially in a market where decisions can be influenced by timing and confidence.

AI uses in real estate

• AI chatbots and virtual assistants are already being used by agents and agencies to:
• Respond instantly to inquiries about listings, pricing, viewing availability, and neighbourhood information.
• Book and confirm property viewings without requiring agent availability.
• Provide updates on new listings, valuation changes, and market movements as they occur.
• Assist first-time buyers and sellers with step-by-step process guidance.
• Qualify leads by gathering key buyer or seller information before the first conversation with an agent.

This shift ensures that clients are supported from the moment they express interest-often within seconds.

Client Benefits: 

• 24/7 access to support and information.
• Faster response times.
• Clear, consistent communication.
• Reduced confusion during the buying or selling process.

Agent Benefits:

• Improved productivity and time management.
• Ability to focus on negotiations, valuation strategy, and client relationship building.
• Data insights from client inquiries and behaviour patterns.
• Reduced administrative overload.

“The real value of AI is not to replace the agent, but to enhance the agent’s ability to provide service at a higher standard, Gaggia says. “Real estate is still a relationship business. AI simply gives us more time to nurture the relationship.”

AI systems continuously learn from interactions, improving the accuracy and relevance of information provided, leading to:

• Better-aligned property recommendations.
• More realistic buyer expectations.
• Smoother negotiations.
• Increased trust in the transaction process.

Real Estate Services South Africa is of the view that AI will play a significant role in raising the overall professionalism and accessibility of the sector.

“When clients feel informed and supported, the entire property journey becomes less stressful and more empowering,” says Gaggia. “That’s the outcome we care most about.”

Digital tools implementation

Meanwhile, the Building Industry Bargaining Council (BIBC), which serves more than 3 500 employers and 30 000 employees in the greater Cape Peninsula area, says it has been steadily implementing digital tools to strengthen the administration of employee benefits and streamline complex monthly processes.

This was as industries worldwide move toward data-driven, automated systems to improve accuracy and compliance, South Africa’s building sector is undergoing a similar shift. 

Over the past four years, the organisation has modernised systems that once relied heavily on paper, manual processing, and outdated communication channels.

Today, the BIBC is using technology to streamline operations, improve compliance, and give employers and employees faster, more reliable access to the information that matters most.

“For decades, our systems were built on processes that made sense at the time but could no longer support the scale and complexity of today’s building industry,” says Danie Hattingh, spokesperson for business at the BIBC.

“Technology has allowed us to rethink how we serve our members”.

The volume of data arriving in different formats created enormous administrative burdens. Thousands of employee benefit records had to be manually captured each month.

Matching employer deposits with submitted benefit returns was one of the biggest challenges, especially when payments lacked reference numbers or when benefits were submitted for unregistered workers.

For the first time, employers could capture and submit all attendance and payroll information electronically in a single standard format.

The transition is said to have brought immediate results with no more handwritten or faxed attendance registers, a dramatic improvement in the accuracy and completeness of submissions, the faster processing of returns, better compliance tracking and more frequent updates for employees on their benefit status. 

Independent Media Property