Winchester Institute event looks at tech's impact on real estate development

From AI-driven innovations in design and construction to strategies for leveraging technology to drive venture capital success, the real estate development field is rapidly evolving. Auburn University’s upcoming CityBuilders symposium and networking event will equip industry professionals with the knowledge and skills to navigate these changes.

Hosted by Auburn’s Winchester Institute For Real Estate Development, the symposium will be held Sept. 11 (afternoon) through Sept. 12 (morning) at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National.

The agenda includes speakers from the hospitality, construction, project design, residential, government and defense sectors of the real estate development industry.

Take data centers, for example

The annual CityBuilders symposium and networking event allows the industry to convene, share and discuss specific areas and topics rapidly transforming real estate. Participants discuss new practices and technologies, but they also get a glimpse into future developments and customer needs. 

“Our symposium has always been unique in that we bring developers, property owners, service providers and users of the space together to discuss the challenges and opportunities,” said Greg Winchester, CEO of Summit Investors and the founder of the Winchester Institute. “Our hope is that the industry and students can use the symposium as a place to learn, network and advance the industry.”

This year’s theme examining the impact of fast-evolving technology on real estate development is deserving of the attention, he said.

“It’s interesting to notice that certain professionals, such as architects and contractors, are rapidly adapting to the changes from AI and technology. Property developers, investors and property management firms are gaining momentum in utilizing these technologies to service their clients and to gain a competitive edge,” Winchester said. 

“The long-term impact of technology on real estate is easy to underestimate,” he added. “For example, the explosion in data centers in recent years due to the AI and tech industry has been profound and arguably has exceeded many expectations from a decade ago.”

The upcoming symposium will be important and worthwhile for professionals to attend, he said.

“Real estate development is a risky, demanding and highly competitive business. Oftentimes developers cannot find the time or a place to focus both broadly and in-depth on technologies which will impact the quality of their projects,” Winchester said. “The Symposium will be an excellent forum for professionals to learn about other practices and technologies which they immediately utilize to improve their businesses. 

“They will be able to better plan for future technological change. In addition to the panel discussions, we expect the networking at the event to accelerate change as attendees share with each other.”

More roles are being influenced

Technology is affecting the real estate development field in a wide variety of ways, as was evident in panel discussions in January at another Winchester Institute-CityBuilders event that focused on trends and 2025 expectations.

For example, one answer to the labor shortage, which is a growing issue in the construction and hospitality sectors, is technology and management of it, experts said. Such challenges – and answers to them – affect investor decisions on new real estate development ideas.

“The only thing we can look at to help mitigate that (labor) issue is technology,” said Amanda Chivers, managing principal of Atlanta-based Crown Hospitality Consulting. The industry is “looking at tech for jobs that people don’t necessarily want to do.... You might start seeing it at your hotel, when a robot might come to your room to drop off a towel, or something like that.”

AI is making headway in providing real estate professionals greater insight into customer trends, their buying ability, and enhancing remote work, the panelists said.

Presentations also are easier and timelier with technology improvements, such as feeding data into an app or with AI that can “almost instantly produce a presentation that previously would have taken four analysts.”

Winchester Institute’s continuing mission

An event focusing on real-need challenges to find real-need solutions and awareness is exactly what the Winchester Institute is created to do, its founder said.

“We are excited to see Institute leadership enhance and expand its offering for industry and alumni engagement events. This will be the sixth year of the symposium, and it has grown in both content and attendance every year,” Winchester said. “This will be our first symposium in Auburn and it’s our hope that we can expand the symposium to an annual attendance of around 1,000, which will draw attendees both regionally and nationally.”

Auburn can become a regional powerhouse in terms of bringing together the university and industry to advance real estate development in the country, he said. 

“With the support of both the Harbert College of Business and the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, Auburn has a tremendous advantage in pulling together all the disciplines necessary for positioning current and future professionals to create smart communities which benefit all,” he said. “As a major land grant University, Auburn is uniquely positioned to become a leader nationally in real estate development.”

###

Learn more about the symposium. 

Learn more about The Winchester Institute.