Exploring how the pandemic accelerated digital change in the property sector and beyond.
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most significant global disruptors in living memory. From health to travel, education to commerce, no sector remained untouched. But one of the most profound and lasting impacts was on our relationship with technology. The shift was not merely a temporary adaptation – for many industries, including property surveying, it became a digital reckoning.
As lockdowns hit, face-to-face contact was restricted, and traditional business models were upended. The UK property sector, which historically relied heavily on in-person visits, paperwork, and manual assessments, had to adapt almost overnight. This necessity sparked a rapid, and in many ways overdue, acceleration in the adoption of digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI). But was COVID-19 truly the catalyst?
A Pandemic-Driven Pivot: In 2020, McKinsey & Company reported that businesses accelerated the digitisation of their customer and supply-chain interactions and of their internal operations by three to four years. What’s more, the share of digital or digitally enabled products in their portfolios accelerated by seven years.
Closer to home, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found that nearly 80% of UK property professionals reported changes to the way they work as a result of COVID-19. Many adopted digital tools for remote inspections, video calls for client consultations, and AI-powered platforms for data analysis and reporting. For surveyors, technologies like drones, 3D modelling, and AI-driven risk assessments quickly shifted from optional to essential. While these tools existed pre-pandemic, uptake had been slow. COVID-19 removed the option to delay.
AI Adoption: Necessity Breeds Innovation: Artificial intelligence, long discussed as the future, became very much the present. In property, AI has been applied in: Predictive maintenance and defect detection using image recognition | Market forecasting with machine learning models analysing vast datasets | Automated valuation models (AVMs) streamlining desktop valuations | Natural Language Processing (NLP) to review lease terms and documentation.
A 2021 Deloitte survey showed that 73% of UK businesses reported increased AI adoption since the start of the pandemic, with 44% saying AI was critical to their business success. In the property sector, this manifested in smarter data handling and reduced admin – key benefits for surveyors under pressure to deliver remotely and efficiently.
Shifting Client Expectations and Online Service Dependence
The pandemic changed what clients expect. People became accustomed to the ease of accessing services digitally, from banking and healthcare to homebuying.
According to a 2022 PwC UK report, 74% of consumers said they were more likely to engage with companies that offered digital experiences post-COVID. For surveyors, this meant increasing the transparency and accessibility of their services. Online booking tools, digital report delivery, and no person contact became standard, not novel.
Permanent Changes, Not Temporary Fixes
While many assumed that digital transformation during the pandemic was a stopgap, the reality has been different. Hybrid working has become the norm in many surveying practices. Cloud-based project management platforms such as Survey Booker, Revit, AutoCAD 360, and Matterport have made it easier to collaborate remotely.
Moreover, regulators have adapted. The RICS has continued to embrace tech, exploring how digital twins, AI, and data-led insights can be integrated into the profession long-term. The UK Government, too, is supporting this momentum with its Construction Playbook and Digital Framework Task Group, aiming to digitalise construction and property-related sectors.
Challenges Ahead
Of course, this shift isn’t without its hurdles. AI and digital tools require investment, training, and a careful balancing of data ethics and human oversight. In property, the value of experienced surveyors’ judgment remains irreplaceable. AI can assist – but not replace – nuanced professional insights, especially when dealing with older properties, structural anomalies, or complex legal concerns.
Cybersecurity, too, is a growing concern. As surveyors store more data online – from drone footage to client documents – protecting this information becomes a professional responsibility.
Conclusion: A Digital Evolution Accelerated
COVID-19 didn’t invent AI or digital tools. But it did create the conditions in which resistance to change became untenable. For property surveyors and the wider built environment sector in the UK, the pandemic acted as a wake-up call – proving that digital transformation is not just a competitive edge, but a necessity for resilience.
As we move further into a post-pandemic world, the question is no longer if we use AI and technology, but how well we do it.
Key Takeaways for UK Property Surveyors:
Embrace digital tools: Clients now expect seamless online experiences.
Invest in AI literacy: Understanding how machine learning supports your workflow is increasingly essential.
Balance innovation with expertise: Let tech augment, not replace, human insight.
Stay compliant and secure: As you digitise, ensure cybersecurity and data protection are prioritised.
