Digital Transformation in Real Estate and Design: The Subtle Shift Defining Success

Digital Transformation in Real Estate, Studios, and Designers: The Invisible Leap Shaping Success in 2025

Over recent years, I've collaborated with numerous real estate agencies and design studios that have shared a nearly unspoken truth among professionals: digital transformation is no longer a luxury or even just a competitive edge. It’s the divide between those who will lead the industry moving forward and those whose businesses may quietly shrink. But what does it truly mean to digitize an agency or studio beyond having a website and using messaging apps? More importantly, what can you start doing today to make a real impact on your results, talent attraction, operational efficiency, and client experience?

From Showcases to Digital Dashboards: Where Are We Really Standing?

One key insight I’ve gathered, both advising and launching my own projects, is that digital transformation goes far beyond adopting new tools just because of external pressure or posting a laptop photo on LinkedIn with the hashtag #digitalfuture. In 2025, the most significant gap is in ~~automated and integrated data management, collaborative workflows, and the authentic experience felt by clients and teams~~. This “invisible digital leap” is the internal shift that changes how projects are decided, marketed, and presented.

An internal survey by Whatfix on digital transformation in service companies and consultancies reveals that 81% of leaders feel their digital shift has changed their business model and brand perception within their industry. Meanwhile, those who have not digitized critical processes are losing up to 30% of business opportunities annually compared to competitors [Whatfix, 2025].

This figure, which might seem abstract, becomes clear when you see colleagues struggling with repetitive tasks, misunderstandings, and delayed deliveries, while digital-savvy companies land on covers, boost revenue, and have the freedom to innovate.

Why Digitizing Is No Longer Just About Technology

Nowadays, digital transformation is often linked to purchasing isolated tools: one CRM here, professional photography there, 3D renderings or AI for the daring. The real breakthrough happens when technology fades into the background—like electricity or water at home—and focus shifts entirely to people, their decisions, and seamless workflows.

Remember when you moved from storing physical plans and sketches in folders to having them organized and accessible to any team member from anywhere? That was the first big leap. Now, as an industry, it's time to embrace the next stage: ~~connected data, integrated processes, real-time presentations and communication, combined with decision-making driven by truly meaningful metrics~~.

Assessment: What Level of Digitalization Is Your Agency or Studio At?

Many believe they are advanced simply because they have a nice website or use some management software. However, deep digitization implies changing operational culture and core processes. I recommend starting with an honest self-assessment. Which of these levels best describes you?

Surface-level digitization: use of digital channels for marketing and communication, but internal processes remain manual and fragmented.
Isolated automation: using standalone tools (e.g., scheduling, digital presentations, ERPs, budget or quoting software) but lacking integration or a unified view.
Comprehensive digitalization: unified data flow from initial client contact to project delivery, internal communication through collaboration platforms, real-time reporting, and space for innovation.

I assure you, even those who seem to be on the cutting edge typically fall between levels two and three. That’s a good place—it’s where the most learning, testing, and adjustments happen.

Practical Tips for Successful Digitalization: What the Manuals Don’t Tell You

Shift your focus: Stop chasing tools only; start with processes and people. Technology should serve merely as the connector.
Evaluate and prioritize your battles: Identify clear bottlenecks (such as slow proposal generation, transfer errors, or poor client communication) and tackle them one by one.
Support internal culture: Share small wins, celebrate initial automations, and accompany those resistant to change. Empathy is your most powerful tool here.
Integrate visuals, processes, and management: In real estate and design, visual presentation is crucial. Use platforms that unify management and professional visual content creation—whether through AI, presentation platforms, or collaborative software.
Collaborate across related fields: Involving accounting, legal, agents, designers, and architects from the start multiplies the power of digitalization.

Real Lessons: Three Concrete Stories of Change

To ground these insights, here are three stories (from colleagues and clients, with fictitious names but real situations) illustrating how strategic digitalization makes a difference even at small scales:

Sofia’s case: an architect, manager, and "internal broker" in her own studio
Sofia, leading a small team, felt overwhelmed by constant emails, calls, and scattered sheets. After mapping her workflows and digitizing document management first, then rolling out collaborative dashboards for budgets and approval flows, she doubled her delivery capacity without increasing work hours. The surprising result: within three months, client communication felt “smoother and less stressful.”
Martin and the real estate agency that grew from word of mouth to local digital sensation
Martin, owner of a family agency with two decades in the neighborhood, transformed his business by tracking and analyzing internal data on leads, closing times, and client satisfaction through integrated CRM, web forms, and WhatsApp Business. Not only did he optimize ad spending on property portals, but he also pinpointed when to strengthen his team or launch new services. The outcome: a 37% revenue increase in one year.
A furniture showroom and the sales team revolution
Post-pandemic, the showroom introduced virtual visits with real-time assistance and automated demo scheduling, adding visual tools to compare pieces and settings. The unexpected effect? A 62% increase in inquiries, doubled closing rates, and a team that felt “less window-dressers and more consultants.”

Sectors Where Digitalization Multiplies Value: Opportunities for Owners, Agents, and Designers

Digital transformation delivers strategic advantages across several areas. Here are some examples where the impact is most visible and quantifiable:

Owners: can monitor the status, performance, and feedback of their properties in real time, maximizing investments and facilitating sales or rentals.
Real estate agents: automate follow-ups, proposals, and contracts, manage multiple transactions, and personalize messaging at scale. This is where quality and volume set you apart.
Designers and architects: benefit from integrated project management with clients, version control, photo-realistic presentations, and AI-generated personalized content, boosting response speed and quality.
Students and entrepreneurs: gain access to tailored resources, networking, and learning, speeding up access to essential knowledge and best practices in a plug-and-play way.

“Automation and digitalization save thousands of hours year after year. Start with the area that hurts the most, and you’ll see results quicker than expected. It’s not about size but mindset.” — Shared by Vicente, COO at a regional real estate group.

Key Tools to Digitize Your Business in 2025 (And How to Choose Them)

Choose tools that act as bridges—not objectives in themselves—and focus on three core areas:

Integrated management (CRM, ERP, project dashboards): to centralize data and reduce manual effort.
Collaborative communication platforms (Slack, Notion, Google Workspace, Asana, Trello, Monday, etc.): so teams and clients coordinate without email or messaging app chaos.
Visualization and presentation tools: for creating renders, videos, virtual staging, animations, and more. This is where platforms like Deptho help transform images and spaces, shorten timelines, cut service costs, and multiply visual quality.

The key is integration and minimizing the learning curve. The time saved and improved delivery quality will far outweigh initial costs.

Overcoming Resistance and Achieving Long-Term Success: Breaking Digital Barriers

Resistance is often the biggest hurdle. I recall my first digital workshop before the pandemic: there was so much fear about "losing jobs" to automation that it took several sessions to reveal the true human value of change. The common fear—that digital means losing personalization, the artisanal touch, or warmth in client relationships—is inaccurate. Digital tools free up time for creativity, tailored design, and deeper attention.

One key recommendation from experience: always involve team leaders in designing and choosing each digital step. This turns them into champions and creators—not reluctant “forced users.”

Emerging Trends: Environmental Digitalization, Predictive Data, and Immersive Experiences

In 2025, it’s not enough to simply "be digital"; setting new standards of value is essential. Here are some trends already emerging in leading studios and agencies:

Continuous environmental impact measurement through data and process digitalization (for example, MUJI offers digitally circular economy furniture in their rental services, MUJI Report).
Predictive data usage (machine learning, AI) to tailor proposals and anticipate client needs based on historical patterns.
Immersive experiences: 3D presentations, virtual tours, digital staging, or interactive renders accessible from any device.

Start Today: Concrete Steps to Accelerate Digital Transformation in Your Business

Conduct a thorough process mapping: spot repetitive tasks, hidden needs, and information flow.
Engage your entire team with participatory workshops and share small wins from the very first digital step.
Evaluate platforms with easy integration and minimal onboarding, starting by addressing your most costly or visible bottleneck.
Measure and adjust: assign clear indicators (e.g., weekly hours saved, improved closing rate, lead growth, or fewer communication errors) and review progress monthly.
Scale gradually: after addressing urgent needs, layer in visual and presentation tools, or accounting integration, refreshing processes quarterly.

Ready to digitize your agency, studio, or real estate project? Try tools from Deptho at no cost to accelerate your process and enhance the visual impact of every presentation.

Remember: digital transformation is more than a paradigm shift; it’s an opportunity to redefine professional roles, improve your teams’ quality of life, and position your brand as a leader in an increasingly competitive market.

Want to Deepen Your Knowledge? Resources and Next Steps

If you want to keep progressing, the Deptho blog offers articles about digital innovation and sector transformation. For more tailored cases or to share your experience, feel free to contact me via the comments or our contact section.