In the latest episode of PropTech Power Talks, we talked to Andrew Knight, a seasoned expert at the intersection of data, technology, and the built environment. With over fourteen years of experience at Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a globally recognised professional body for standards in land, property, infrastructure, and construction, Andrew has been a driving force in shaping how the real estate sector adapts to the digital age at RICS.

In this conversation, Andrew unpacks the rising influence of automated valuation models, where Andrew strikes a thoughtful balance between human judgment and machine intelligence. He also sheds light on the transformative potential of tech in ESG, from satellite data and carbon tracking to biodiversity and land management.

Reflecting on his time at RICS, Andrew shares powerful lessons on driving innovation within legacy institutions and what the future of property intelligence might look like. If you're curious about how data, AI, and sustainability will shape the next decade of real estate, this is a must-listen episode.

Q: You studied geology at UCL, and now you’re a leading voice on AI and data in real estate. What's the through line in that journey?

A: Geology was part of my academic background, but my degree also included computing. Over the last few decades, I’ve worked across sectors with a strong IT and technology focus, from salesforce automation to manufacturing. When I joined RICS, I developed a deep understanding of the built and natural environment, so what I’ve ended up doing is fusing my tech background with that sector expertise. That combination is incredibly relevant today as both fields are at a critical inflection point.

Q: Real estate talks a lot about going digital, but progress is uneven. What are the biggest blockers to meaningful transformation?

A: There are several, both structural and cultural. Structurally, real estate is highly fragmented—thousands of companies across the lifecycle of land and property. Every asset is almost bespoke, unlike standardized industries like automotive or aerospace. The sector is also conservative, hasn’t historically invested in R&D, and data is often still trapped in unstructured formats like PDFs or Word documents.

Culturally, there's also a fear of change. Add to that the long lifecycle of assets—often spanning decades or centuries—and you get a landscape where transformation is complex and slow. We need to address behaviors, improve data curation, and align incentives to drive progress.

Q: You've been involved in creating data standards at RICS. Why are these so crucial—and what happens when we ignore them?

A: Standards are important to ensure we speak the same language in terms of property attributes, features, and values. But over time, my view has evolved. Given the fragmented nature of the sector and the emergence of AI, expecting a single technical data standard is a bit of a fantasy.

What we need is a common understanding of key attributes—and then use tech to translate, interpret, and extract meaning from varied sources, including unstructured formats. AI can now help bridge gaps between disparate systems. So rather than chasing a single standard, we should use tools to enable interoperability and intelligent data conversion.

Q: You've written about automated valuation models (AVMs), a hot topic in real estate. Are we heading toward automation or augmentation?

A: It’s a bit of both. For standardized assets—say, flats in a specific jurisdiction—with quality data, automation is possible, particularly for underwriting or portfolio-level valuations.

But valuations serve many purposes—taxation, secured lending, investment—and for more complex or nuanced cases, human judgment is essential. So we’re likely to see augmentation dominate, where technology supports professionals by curating data, generating insights, and enhancing decision-making. Human oversight remains critical for validation, ethical responsibility, and applying contextual understanding.

Q: Over your fourteen years at RICS, you led through major technological change. What's one lesson you've learned—and one thing you'd do differently?

A: First, get your data strategy right. Everything stems from data. Organizations need to understand the value of both internal and external data. Then, focus on people—change management is key. You need leadership buy-in and a culture that supports innovation.

And avoid trying to "boil the ocean." Don’t adopt tech for the sake of it. Start with clear business problems you want to solve, and build from there. Always anchor digitization efforts to a tangible business purpose.

Q: The natural environment is also part of your scope. How can tech and data help bridge the gap between ESG goals and action in property?

A: We have to think about sustainability from the start—biodiversity, flood risk, land use, and more. Tools like satellite imagery and drone data, analyzed with AI, can now track everything from rewilding efforts to carbon offsetting through forestry.

As we move through the lifecycle of an asset, data is essential for understanding both embodied and operational carbon impacts. Building management, energy efficiency, biodiversity—it all depends on the quality of data we collect and analyze. There’s sometimes skepticism around the energy use of tech itself, but the benefits in terms of carbon savings and operational efficiency often far outweigh that.

Q: Ten years from now, what will property intelligence look like—and what will we laugh at ourselves for not doing sooner?

A: I think we’ll laugh at how poorly we managed data. We’re still making decisions based on gut feel more than facts. In sectors like automotive, batch traceability means manufacturers know exactly which component went into which car. We should aspire to that in real estate—with building passports, digital twins, and high-quality, up-to-date asset data.

We’ll look back and wonder why we didn’t track building materials, fire safety data, or maintenance records more systematically. The Building Safety Act in the UK is a step in the right direction, but there's a long way to go. Ultimately, we need data-driven, transparent, and safe environments to live, work, and play.

Andrew Knight brings a rare blend of technological insight and deep sector experience, making him an important voice in proptech's evolution. From data standards to sustainability, his reflections remind us that the future of real estate hinges not just on tools, but on mindset, collaboration, and clarity of purpose.

Stay tuned to PropTech Power Talks and watch the latest episode here: https://youtu.be/mN_rsnMRsXk