This article was translated using the help of AI
Good digital solutions are not created at the desk alone. They emerge where they will later be used: in the daily work of property managers, agents, and their teams. That’s why SMG Real Estate regularly organizes direct exchanges with the market to discuss together which challenges are moving the industry, which new ideas have potential, and where digital products can truly support daily work.
An important format for this is the Customer Forum. In 2026, SMG Real Estate once again brought together customers from different areas of the real estate industry. Over two days, representatives from property management and the brokerage business took center stage. Current developments were discussed together, new ideas reflected upon, and initial prototypes reviewed. Experiences with existing products and packages from SMG Real Estate also flowed into the exchange.
The personal setting with small groups created space for open conversations, honest feedback, and concrete insights into the participants’ daily work. This enabled SMG Real Estate to gain valuable insights to better understand the needs and challenges in the market.
Prototypes and Innovation: Making Ideas Visible Early
On the SMG Real Estate side, the Customer Forum was accompanied by Philipp Keller, Head of Product Business Customer, Urs Scheuber, Head of Sales, and Emin Filip, Head of Product Agent Tools. For the presentation of the prototypes, product managers from the respective areas were additionally involved. This allowed new approaches to be presented directly firsthand and discussed together with the participants.
A central component of the two days was the product focus areas for the coming year, including initial prototypes. These are deliberately presented at an early stage after being created in short internal workshops using AI-supported programming, also known as Vibe Coding. This makes it possible to visualize new ideas more quickly and validate their potential with the market. This early feedback is crucial for consistently aligning solutions with the actual needs of users.
AI as Support in the Transformation of the Real Estate Industry
The conversations clearly showed how much the real estate industry is currently changing. Particularly in the area of artificial intelligence, a clear development is emerging: the focus is increasingly on not just digitizing processes, but intelligently supporting and partially automating them.
The goal is to reduce repetitive tasks, create better decision-making foundations, and increase efficiency along the entire value chain. At the same time, it remains essential that new technologies are seamlessly integrated into existing workflows and provide tangible added value in daily work.
These topics were particularly in focus during the exchange with property managers. Among other things, the discussion covered what contribution existing and new approaches can make—such as the Flatfox integration, recommendations for listing optimization in the Insights Hub, AI-supported lead responses, cost forwarding, or comparison options for assessing one’s own performance. The central question was always how operational efforts can be reduced and daily processes simplified.
Lead Quality in Agents’ Daily Work: What Really Matters
The exchange with agents also showed: handling leads remains a central aspect. The focus was primarily on the quality and relevance of these contacts and their impact on efficiency and resources in daily work.
The discussion particularly addressed which information about potential sellers is especially helpful for better assessing the relevance of a lead, evaluating its potential, and recognizing the right time for follow-up. The assessment of property prices was also part of the discussion, as it plays an important role in preparing mandate conversations.
Another focus was on the visibility of agents in the market. Existing solutions such as reference properties, the digital storefront, and agent photos were discussed in detail—particularly with regard to their usefulness, practical experience in use, and their relevance in the marketing process.
More Than Just a Meeting
In addition to the exchange between SMG Real Estate and its customers, dialogue within the industry is also an important component of the Customer Forum. In small groups, open conversations emerged about experiences, approaches, and perspectives, which deepened further in informal settings, such as during lunch together.
Another important aspect that ran through the entire format is transparency. It was important to SMG Real Estate to provide insights into strategic considerations, show development directions, and make visible where ideas are still in their early stages. In all these discussions, the role of AI was repeatedly at the center and what role it already plays today in property search—in addition to new approaches on the platform side such as intelligent search on ImmoScout24 or through external tools.
The openness on such a day creates trust and forms the foundation for collaborative product development. But the exchange also continues after the event. Participants receive access to selected developments through Early Access and can actively help shape them. This way, feedback continuously flows into further development and proximity to the market is maintained.
The Customer Forum 2026 demonstrated how valuable direct dialogue with the industry is. The positive response reinforces SMG Real Estate’s commitment to continuing this format. Because practical, relevant solutions emerge where market understanding, technology, and collaborative exchange come together.
