Boston Launches Curb Lab to Digitise and Coordinate Kerb Space
Boston’s Office of Emerging Technology has launched the Curb Lab, a cross‑department effort that uses artificial intelligence and open‑data assets to produce a live, citywide digital map of curb‑side parking rules. The initiative builds on a three‑year asset‑management platform and a DOT SMART grant that enabled AI analysis of sign data. By publishing real‑time curb information, the Lab aims to cut cruising, double‑parking and idling while boosting accessibility and traffic flow. Success will be measured through new metrics such as occupancy, turnover and dwell‑time violations.
Omni Hotels & Resorts Modernizes Guest Engagement with Canary Technologies
Omni Hotels & Resorts announced it will integrate Canary Technologies’ Guest Experience Platform across its portfolio. The rollout includes AI‑powered Guest Messaging via SMS, WhatsApp and 100+ languages, plus a mobile‑friendly Digital Compendium that consolidates property information. The partnership aims...
Research Uses Shape Memory Alloy and Fibre-Reinforced Concrete to Strengthen Ageing Bridges
Swiss researchers at Empa have demonstrated a novel bridge‑deck strengthening technique that embeds heat‑activated iron‑based shape memory alloy (Fe‑SMA) bars within an ultra‑high‑performance fibre‑reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) overlay. Laboratory and large‑scale tests on 5 m cantilever slabs showed that the Fe‑SMA/UHPFRC system...
The Value of Circular Steel in Modern Construction
7 Steel UK is scaling a fully domestic, circular steel model that turns the UK’s 8 Mt of annual scrap into low‑carbon billets using an electric arc furnace. By keeping scrap in‑country, the company shortens supply chains, boosts material traceability and cuts embodied...
New Property Portal Launches
London‑based nHabit has entered the property‑portal arena with an AI‑driven rental matchmaking platform. It offers a free tier of up to three active listings and a pay‑as‑you‑go price starting at £10 per listing, with volume discounts and no lock‑in contracts....
Industry Anticipates Significant Digital Shift in Conveyancing This Year
The Conveyancing Association’s 25th‑anniversary conference highlighted a rapid digital transformation in conveyancing, with industry leaders predicting acceleration through 2026. Speakers noted that digital tools now exist to improve transparency and transaction speed, but their impact hinges on coordinated action across...
Nothing to Sneeze At: Mitigating Viral Plumes with Innovative Air Circulation
The article highlights that standard HVAC systems are inadequate for removing viral plumes in office buildings and proposes modern solutions such as improved filtration, ionization, and especially thermal destratification to dilute and disperse airborne viruses. It explains that viral particles...
Rightmove Reports Surge in Property Valuation Leads to Agents
Rightmove announced a 50% jump in valuation leads in January 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. The increase stems from the launch of its Online Agent Valuation product and AI upgrades to existing tools. The expanded suite—including Rightmove Discover,...
Opendoor CEO: ‘We’re Asking You to Hold Us Accountable’
Opendoor reported Q4 2025 revenue of $736 million, a 33% drop from the previous year, while net loss ballooned to $1.1 billion, nearly ten times the prior period. New CEO Kaz Nejatian, who took over in September, outlined “Opendoor 2.0” and pledged transparency,...
Is Compass Stock a Buy After Kanen Added 1.6 Million Shares to Its Position?
Kanen Wealth Management disclosed a $14.36 million purchase of 1,573,950 Compass shares in its Q4 2025 filing, lifting its holding to 20.5% of the firm’s $329.38 million assets under management. The transaction pushed the value of Kanen’s Compass stake to $67.59 million, reflecting both...
Ownwell Raises $50M Series B Round
Ownwell announced a $50 million Series B financing, bringing its total capital to $74 million. The round includes $30 million in equity led by Alpha Edison and Mercato Partners, with participation from Intuit Ventures and other investors, plus $20 million in debt from Western Alliance...
Exclusive: Eric Trump Calls Maldives Hotel First of Many Real Estate Tokenization Projects
World Liberty Financial announced the tokenization of loan revenue from the Trump International Hotel & Resort in the Maldives, marking the first project in a broader on‑chain real‑estate strategy. The initiative is being built with real‑estate developer DarGlobal and tokenization...
CoStar Confirms Layoffs Following Investor Criticism, AI Push
CoStar Group confirmed a new round of layoffs while unveiling its Homes AI feature, a tool that blends Microsoft Azure models with the company’s property data. The cuts, reported to affect photo, video, and content teams tied to Homes.com, come...
What’s Behind a Big Jump in January Property Tech Funding
Property‑tech companies secured roughly $1.7 billion in January 2026, a 176 % jump from the same month a year earlier. The average deal size more than doubled to about $34 million, reflecting a shift toward larger, later‑stage rounds. Generative AI is identified as...
Grotto AI Secures $10M to Improve Leasing With AI
Grotto AI announced a $10 million seed round led by ICONIQ to tackle multifamily housing vacancy, a problem estimated to cost $500 billion in lost value. The startup’s AI platform provides real‑time coaching to leasing agents, analyzing conversations to improve rapport and...
Exclusive: Ownwell Lands $30M To Help Homeowners Lower Their Property Tax Bills
Ownwell, an AI‑driven property‑tax appeal startup, closed a $50 million Series B round—$30 million in equity and $20 million in debt—bringing its total equity funding to $54 million since 2020. The company now serves over 500,000 residential and commercial owners across 12 states, having processed...
MCR Property Group Launches £360m Flow Student Platform
MCR Property Group has unveiled Flow Student, a purpose‑built student accommodation platform valued at £360 million in gross development value. The platform currently operates roughly 6,000 beds across six UK cities and aims to reach 15,000 beds – a £1 billion portfolio...
VR Training Expands Access and Elevates Standards for SMART Apprenticeships
International Training Institute (ITI) partnered with Interplay Learning to deliver VR‑based apprenticeship training across SMART JATC facilities nationwide. The immersive simulations enable small training centers, some with as few as ten apprentices, to provide hands‑on experience comparable to large labs....
Reframing the Role of Facilities Managers as Strategic Partners
Facilities management is often labeled a cost center, limiting its strategic influence. Maureen Roskoski argues that reframing FM as a risk‑management function can shift executive perception and unlock needed resources. She emphasizes distilling massive operational data into clear business outcomes...
Capital Projects Spotlight Nationwide Push to Modernize Libraries
Municipalities across the United States are committing substantial capital to modernize public libraries, positioning them as multifunctional civic anchors. Projects range from a $35 million expansion in La Mesa, California, to a $49 million, 45,000‑sq‑ft new facility in Gallup, New Mexico, each...
BLOG: Inside Modern Conveyancing – the Extra Steps Agents and Vendors Don’t See
Modern conveyancing now involves extensive behind‑the‑scenes work that extends beyond the legal milestones agents typically see. Pre‑exchange depends on continuous identity, sanctions and source‑of‑funds checks, while lender criteria evolve throughout the deal. Conveyancers act for both buyer and lender, adhering...
Bringing Together PPC and SEO for Agents
The Negotiator article urges estate agencies to integrate pay‑per‑click (PPC) advertising with search engine optimisation (SEO), arguing that combined data and testing can sharpen messaging, boost keyword intelligence, and stretch limited budgets. It highlights rapid ad‑copy testing via PPC, leveraging...
Labour MP Calls for More Tracking of Short Lets
Labour MP Rachel Blake has forced a Commons debate using the Ten Minute Rule to demand tighter tracking of short‑term lets in London. She argues that the existing 90‑night annual cap is ineffective because councils cannot verify rental frequency, and...
Oregon Adopts New Building Codes to Reduce Energy Costs and Increase Energy Efficiency in Newly Constructed Homes
Oregon's Residential and Manufactured Structures Board approved updates to the state residential energy code, requiring new homes to install energy‑efficient heat pumps instead of traditional ducted air‑conditioning. The code change is projected to save homeowners about $125 per month, or...
Buy-to-Let Sees Renewed Interest From Wealthy Investors
Wealthy UK investors are increasingly allocating capital to buy‑to‑let property despite higher stamp duty, with 35 % of those holding over £2.5 million owning rental assets. After exhausting ISA and pension allowances, they turn to tax‑advantaged vehicles like VCTs and EIS, which...
Growing Proportion of Rental Homes Sold Remaining in Private Rented Sector
Research from SafeDeposits Scotland shows the share of Scottish rental homes that remain in the private rented sector after being sold nearly doubled, rising to 17% in 2025 from 9% in 2024. At the same time, 57% of sold rentals...
OneKey Chooses BPP for Home Search; HAR Partnership Expands Reach
OneKey MLS, serving over 43,000 members in the NYC and Long Island area, has partnered with Broker Public Portal (BPP) to power home search on OneKeyMLS.com, extending BPP’s Cribio.com consumer portal into a prime market. BPP, which launched Cribio in...
American Homes 4 Rent (AMH) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
American Homes 4 Rent reported a 6.2% year‑over‑year increase in core FFO per share to $0.47 and nudged its full‑year core FFO guidance to $1.87 per share. The company completed its development deliveries for the quarter, redeploying proceeds from the...
Opendoor Technologies Inc (OPEN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Opendoor reported $1.6 billion revenue for the quarter and posted its first adjusted EBITDA profit in three years, $23 million, driven by wider offer spreads and pre‑spring acquisition timing. The company completed a full rollout of its agent‑driven platform, which is delivering...
Booking CEO Touts Ties With Independent Hotels as Agentic AI and Airbnb Seek Gains
Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel emphasized the platform’s deep ties with independent hotels, which supply the bulk of its room nights, as the company confronts rising pressure from AI‑driven travel agents and Airbnb’s expansion into the boutique‑hotel segment. He announced...
Wyndham Takes $160 Million Hit After European Franchisee Files for Insolvency
Wyndham Hotels disclosed a $160 million charge after its largest European franchisee, Revo Hospitality Group, entered self‑administration in January. The charge covers uncollectible receivables, asset impairments and a write‑down of the Vienna House trademark acquired in 2022. Despite the setback, the...
REMAX Names New President; Tech Exec Joins Offerpad Board
REMAX promoted Chris Lim, who joined a year ago as chief growth officer, to president while keeping his growth responsibilities. Lim, formerly president of Christie’s International Real Estate, will now oversee the global network, emphasizing international expansion and affiliate services....
Project Profiles: Regenerating China’s Urban Villages
Shenzhen’s Nantou Ancient City project, completed in 2021, showcases an incremental, heritage‑focused regeneration of a historic urban village. A joint‑venture between the government, village committee and Vanke renovated roughly 300 of the 992 buildings, preserving the Ming‑era street grid and...
How Indian Travel Tech Bought Its Way Into the West’s Backyard
Indian travel‑tech firms have spent nearly $1 billion on acquisitions across the U.S., Europe and the Middle East since late 2024, marking a rapid global expansion. Leading players such as Prism (formerly Oyo), RateGain, TBO Tek and Ixigo are buying B2B infrastructure, OTA...
Airbnb Tests Loyalty Benefits. Chesky Says Program ‘Could Be a Massive Accelerant’
Airbnb has begun testing a suite of loyalty‑program benefits that avoid traditional points structures, signaling a strategic shift toward more personalized guest incentives. The company previously explored a “Superguest” program but never launched it, and now it is evaluating models...
House Bill Gives Facilities Tax Breaks for Improving IAQ
A bipartisan House bill, dubbed the Airborne Act, would grant commercial building owners tax credits for indoor‑air‑quality (IAQ) assessments and HVAC or filtration upgrades. Credits start at $1 per square foot for assessments, $5 per square foot for filter upgrades...
4 Trends That Will Define the Commercial Real Estate Industry in 2026
The commercial real estate (CRE) sector is pivoting toward integrated digital, wellbeing, resilience, and sustainability strategies in 2026. Owners will shift from reactive management to continuous, data‑driven optimization of HVAC, energy, and space utilization. Tenant experience becomes a core differentiator,...
ICE Introduces Three Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Topics
Following a year‑long consultation, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has made three continuing professional development (CPD) themes mandatory for all professionally qualified members. The required topics—ethical and professional behaviour, safety and risk management, and sustainable development—must be addressed each...
Smart Moves: The Man Overseeing Balfour Beatty’s AI Plan
Balfour Beatty has launched a multimillion‑pound artificial intelligence programme aimed at a "productivity revolution" across its construction portfolio. The initiative is being led by a newly appointed AI chief, who will embed machine‑learning tools into design, scheduling and site safety...
Is Stabilisation in European Real Estate Transaction Timelines a Sign of Recovery?
Drooms’ Real Estate Trends Report 2026 indicates that European commercial real‑estate transaction durations have steadied at an average of 363 days. After several years of prolonged deal cycles driven by pandemic disruptions and tightening credit, the timeline appears to have...
Are We Doing Enough to Design for Low Temperature Heat in Net Zero Buildings?
The UK Climate Change Committee warns that net‑zero building designs often ignore low‑temperature heat distribution, embedding inefficiencies from the earliest stages. Heat pumps perform best at 35‑50 °C, yet many projects still design for legacy 70‑80 °C boiler systems, compromising seasonal COP...
How Agentic AI Is Driving the Property Operating System in Hotels
Hospitality technology is evolving from a patchwork of point solutions toward a Property Operating System (PropOS), an AI‑driven decision layer that coordinates actions across PMS, RMS, BMS and other platforms. Agentic AI enables these systems to act autonomously within defined...
Jones Lang LaSalle Inc (JLL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) posted record 2025 results, with revenue rising 11% to an all‑time high and adjusted EBITDA climbing 22% to $1.45 billion. Fourth‑quarter leasing revenue surged 17%, led by a 26% jump in office leasing, while free cash flow...
CoStar Rolls Out Homes AI; SkySlope Launches Agent Coaching App
CoStar Group launched Homes AI, a conversational search tool on Homes.com that uses Microsoft Azure AI to let users find listings via voice or text, integrating 3‑D tours, school data and market insights. SkySlope introduced Ayce, an iOS app that...
Lone Wolf Taps New CEO; Fathom Names VP of Growth
Lone Wolf Technologies appointed Matt Fischer, former Bullhorn president and COO, as its new CEO, succeeding Jimmy Kelly who moves to an advisory role. Fischer’s deep product and technology background is expected to accelerate Lone Wolf’s innovation agenda. Fathom Realty...
The Front Door Takes Center Stage at CES
CES 2026 placed the front door at the center of the smart‑home conversation, unveiling a wave of new lock technologies that blend biometrics, power‑generation and protocol upgrades. The Z‑Wave Alliance introduced the User Credential Command Class, enabling fingerprint‑based unlocking and...
The State of Facilities Management – 2026, From MRI Software and CoreNet Global
MRI Software and CoreNet Global released the 2026 State of Facilities Management report, surveying FM leaders worldwide. The study finds modernization is a top priority but is constrained by resource shortages, limited real‑time data, and an aging workforce. Energy management...
How to Advance Green Infrastructure F2or Urban Flood Resilience: Eight Lessons From the 2025 Shaw Forum
The 2025 Charles H. Shaw Forum convened over 40 real‑estate, government and nonprofit leaders to distill eight actionable lessons for scaling green infrastructure (GI) to boost urban flood resilience. Participants highlighted Hoboken’s data‑driven “resist, delay, store, discharge” strategy, the importance...
Ready To Free Your Team From Floor Cleaning?
Tennant has introduced the X6 ROVR, an autonomous mid‑size floor scrubber designed for high‑traffic facilities. The robot features a 26‑inch cleaning path, up to six hours of runtime on a lithium‑ion battery, and 75,000 sq ft coverage per solution tank. Powered by 3D...
How Digital Signage Providers Can Help Facilities Teams Add Value
Facilities managers upgrading to digital signage can extract greater value by partnering with providers like LG Electronics USA, which emphasizes cost efficiency, asset management, and return on investment. Bingham notes that modern signage must integrate seamlessly with other technologies to...