The Viking Chats: How PropTech Could Finally Fix UK Housing

The latest episode of The Viking Chats sees Kristjan joined by Sammy Pahal, Managing Director at the UK PropTech Association, for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of PropTech, government involvement in housing technology, and why the UK property industry still has a long way to go when it comes to digital transformation.

Sammy explains how the UK PropTech Association was built to support innovation across the entire property lifecycle, from planning and construction through to transactions and asset management.

One of the key themes throughout the conversation is how differently commercial and residential property have approached technology adoption over the last decade.

While commercial real estate embraced innovation teams, digital strategy and large-scale technology investment early on, residential estate agency has often remained more fragmented and reactive.

Kristjan and Sammy discuss why that gap still exists today, touching on everything from market structure and incentives through to the challenge of creating industry-wide standards.

The conversation also explores the growing involvement of government in PropTech.

Sammy shares insight into the work happening with MHCLG, including initiatives around housing delivery, digitising transactions, improving planning systems and scaling the UK PropTech sector.

There is also discussion around the increasing importance of UPRNs, digital infrastructure and how AI could shape the future of property technology.

Another major topic is the merger between the British Property Federation, the Association of Real Estate Funds and the Investment Property Forum to create Real Estate UK.

Sammy explains why bringing these organisations together could create a stronger unified voice for the real estate industry and help drive more meaningful collaboration with government.

The episode finishes with discussion around the newly forming residential PropTech committee, which aims to bring together experienced voices from across the residential sector to help shape policy, innovation and future industry direction.

For anyone interested in property, housing, technology or digital transformation, this episode offers a valuable insight into where the industry is heading next.