At PropTech House during SXSW in Austin, Texas, industry leaders, investors, innovators, and thought leaders convened to examine how technology is reshaping the built environment and redefining the future of real estate. The event, organized in collaboration with the U.S. PropTech Council, a network of real estate and technology leaders advancing innovation across the built environment, brought together founders, investors, and operators at the forefront of this transformation.
John Jones, senior vice president of government relations at Nareit, participated in the panel “The Latest in Housing Technology.”
During the discussion, Jones emphasized that the next phase of real estate innovation will be defined by execution and measurable performance. He highlighted the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning, robotics, and generative AI, as core drivers of change across development, operations, and asset management. Jones said PropTech is redefining the residential experience and driving performance across portfolios, emphasizing that “it’s not PropTech or human interaction, it’s PropTech and human interaction,” as AI, robotics, and digital platforms become core to how real estate is operated, experienced, and scaled.
Jones also underscored that REITs are uniquely positioned to lead this evolution, given their scale, transparency, and access to capital. He highlighted that publicly traded real estate companies have the institutional capability to integrate technology into core strategy and set the standard for how innovation is deployed across the industry, and that many have already begun to do so.
In addition, Jones moderated the panel “Breaking Ground: Women in Technology,” which brought together founders and executives building companies across construction, operations, and investment. The discussion reinforced a broader industry shift, as technology becomes a foundational component of how real estate is owned, operated, and scaled.