This New Tech Is Making Real Estate More Accessible Than Ever

In 2025, there are barely any assets that are more valuable than real estate in the global economy. The data says this much. A recent report from Precedence Research estimates that the global real estate market cap in 2025 is $4.34 billion, with the capacity to grow to approximately $7.03 trillion by 2034.

Other sources suggest that the sector will experience faster, more imminent growth. According to data from Statista, the global real estate market is expected to reach a whopping $655 trillion by 2025.

Despite this, the real estate market remains inaccessible to a majority of the population. Buying a property remains a hectic procedure riddled with complex experiences for users across the entire process.

A major reason for this is the industry’s technology stagnation. Where industries like retail and finance have embraced technology, leveraging it to enhance user experiences with digital products like Amazon and Stripe, real estate has remained in the dark ages, failing to capitalize on the power of technology.

But all of that is changing thanks to a new wave of technology known as proptech. Short for property tech, this new wave leverages technology to improve the real estate stack, making it more accessible, less complex and cheaper.

Related: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building Wealth Through Real Estate

The long shadow of real estate’s legacy systems

One of the reasons the real estate industry has been unable to scale up to modern standards is its outdated tech and culture. Traditional systems prioritize a protocol of exclusivity, where information and data are only available to a select few, in this case, agents and brokers. As a result, there is barely any room for innovation and growth.

The most basic and essential real estate data are stored on Multiple Listing Services (MLS) databases. But these directories are proprietary, belonging to private corporations across various regions. Access is strict and streamlined for registered professionals only. Worse still, there is no central body in charge.

A glance at the industry’s design reveals its obvious issues. For one, inaccessibility limits the amount of consumer involvement in the industry. Fragmentation makes it difficult to aggregate data properly and introduces inconsistencies in the data. Then there are the costs involved, which increase the barrier to entry for both agents and customers.

Earlier efforts to modernize the industry have also unfortunately fallen short of expectations. Though they promoted online listings and added layers of user-friendly design, platforms like Redfin and Zillow failed to address the fundamental problem of a lack of transparency and unnecessarily complex process in the real estate sector. While shiny interfaces may simplify property browsing, the system remains fundamentally opaque if the legacy stack is not rethought.

What the new wave of proptech is doing differently

Where legacy systems thrived on exclusivity, proptech offers a different approach to industry mechanics, one rooted in principles of transparency, simplicity, and customer-first design. This much is evident from the new wave of platforms emerging onto the scene.

There are numerous examples to choose from. The most obvious one, perhaps, is the case of Airbnb, a platform that leveraged proptech to redefine property search and marketplaces in the real estate industry. By providing a simple user interface with all the relevant real estate data, such as location, interior details and pricing, the platform has transformed how customers engage with real estate, making renting and letting easy and straightforward.

Other platforms, like Ownli, are redefining the meaning of access in the real estate sector by introducing the concept of open-source MLS data and DIY simplicity in a simple, easy-to-use platform, potentially eliminating the need for agents entirely. At its core, the model reflects a broader shift toward giving buyers and sellers more control over the process, reducing the reliance on gatekeepers and making transactions more transparent and straightforward.

Related: How to Make Money in Real Estate: 8 Proven Ways

What this means for everyday people

The emergence of property tech presents a way for homebuyers and sellers to level the playing field. Everyone now has greater access to tools that were previously mostly unavailable and expensive to obtain.

Everyday people can now compete with agents and brokers through enhanced data access, streamlined transaction management systems and most importantly, simple human-friendly platforms.

The change also offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to bypass traditional gatekeepers. The organizations that are gaining success today are those that flip the model, leading with transparency, customer-first simplicity and design.

The key lesson here is that disruption doesn’t necessarily mean cutting people out of the process, but reengineering systems so that people are back at the center.

For decades, buying a home has felt like playing a game where the rules weren’t clear. The next generation of proptech isn’t just changing the rules; it’s rewriting the game to make it simpler, fairer and more transparent for everyone.

Due to the rapid progress of proptech, real estate is finally at its inflection point. Data silos are beginning to open, consumers are demanding more seamless experiences and entrepreneurs are stepping in to deliver them. What was once an industry defined by exclusivity is being reshaped by transparency-first platforms that prioritize clarity, simplicity and trust.

This change represents a cultural reset. Proptech is paving the way for real estate to function as people have always expected it to: open, equitable and customer-focused by reducing complexity and increasing accessibility.

In 2025, there are barely any assets that are more valuable than real estate in the global economy. The data says this much. A recent report from Precedence Research estimates that the global real estate market cap in 2025 is $4.34 billion, with the capacity to grow to approximately $7.03 trillion by 2034.

Other sources suggest that the sector will experience faster, more imminent growth. According to data from Statista, the global real estate market is expected to reach a whopping $655 trillion by 2025.