MIT Symposium on Technology, AI, and Real Estate
MIT Symposium on Technology, AI, and Real Estate
The real estate industry is undergoing a significant transformation driven by the integration of material and immaterial technologies, including billions of interconnected sensors and devices that enhance urban environments through real-time data analysis. Advances in artificial intelligence, such as large language models, and technologies like blockchain and IoT sensors, are revolutionizing property management by optimizing operations, improving energy efficiency, and enhancing occupant experiences. The emergence of data centers as a new asset class also presents substantial investment opportunities due to increased demand for cloud storage and internet traffic.
Overall, these technological advancements are reshaping the industry, offering opportunities for growth, efficiency, and sustainability. The 2025 MIT Technology and Real Estate Symposium will advance research on how these material and immaterial technologies affect the real estate industry by engaging scholars and practitioners.
On November 20–21, 2025, the symposium will hear from eight to ten scholars who are advancing the research in this field. The symposium concludes in the afternoon of November 21 with keynotes and a roundtable from practitioners who are employing these new technologies in their work. Authors of the papers presented at the symposium will be invited to submit revised papers to a planned special issue of the Journal of Real Estate Research. The normal peer-review procedure applies.
Presenters
Wen-Chi Liao, Associate Professor
Estimating the Financial Value of Feng Shui with the Assistance of Digital and Al Tools
Coauthors: Deng Yang Koh, Ganmin Yin, Siqi Zheng
Siqi Zheng, Professor
Estimating the Financial Value of Feng Shui with the Assistance of Digital and Al Tools
Coauthors: Wen-Chi Liao, Deng Yang Koh, Ganmin Yin
Luke Stein, Assistant Professor
Measuring and Mitigating Racial Disparities in Large Language Model Mortgage Underwriting
Coauthors: Donald Bowen, S. McKay Price, Ke Yang
Dan Milo, PhD Student
The Costs of Housing Regulation: Evidence From Generative Regulatory Measurement
Coauthors: Alex Bartik, Arpit Gupta
Ryan Chacon, Assistant Professor
Commercial Real Estate Sentiment: A Large Language Model (LLM) Approach
Coauthors: Thibaut Morillon, Cayman Seagraves
Pratik Kothari, Assistant Professor
Commercial Real Estate Sentiment: A Large Language Model (LLM) Approach
Coauthors: Thibaut Morillon, Cayman Seagraves
Heiko Leonhard, PhD Student
Liquidity Mechanisms in Tokenized Real-World Assets: Design, Fragmentation, and Arbitrage in Real Estate Token Markets
Coauthors: Ralf Laschinger, Gregor Dorfleitner
Wolfgang Schäfers, Professor
Liquidity Mechanisms in Tokenized Real-World Assets: Design, Fragmentation, and Arbitrage in Real Estate Token Markets
Coauthors: Ralf Laschinger, Gregor DorfleitnerDiscussants
Chongyu Wang
Assistant Professor and Francis Nardozza Fellow of Real Estate
Florida State University
James Scott
Research Scientist, Director of Industry and Programs
MIT
Will Doerner
Economist
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)
Albert Saiz
Daniel Rose Professor of Urban Economics and Real Estate
MIT
Peng Liu
Professor in Real Estate and Finance
Cornell University
Felipe Severino
Associate Professor of Business Administration
Dartmouth CollegeAgenda
Day 1: Thursday, November 20
Session 1 – Digital Transformation in Real Estate: Navigating the Cultural,
Regulatory, and Ethical Challenges of Al
| Time | EVENT |
|---|---|
| – | – |
| 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Registration |
| 1:30 PM – 1:40 PM | Welcome James Scott, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 1:40 PM – 2:00 PM | Opening Remarks Siqi Zheng, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Measuring and Mitigating Racial Disparities in Large Language Model (LLM) Mortgage Underwriting Presenter: Luke Stein, Babson College Authors: Donald Bowen, S. McKay Price, Luke Stein, Ke Yang Discussant: Felipe Severino, Dartmouth College |
| 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM | Coffee Break |
| 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | Estimating the Financial Value of Feng Shui with the Assistance of Digital and AI Tools Presenter: Wen-Chi Liao, National University of Singapore Authors: Wen-Chi Liao, Deng Yang Koh, Ganmin Yin, Siqi Zheng Discussant: Peng Liu, Cornell University |
| 4:15 PM – 4:30 PM | Coffee Break |
| 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | The Costs of Housing Regulation: Evidence From Generative Regulatory Measurement Presenter: Dan Milo, New York University Authors: Alex Bartik, Arpit Gupta, Dan Milo Discussant: Albert Saiz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Dinner Reception for Presenters & Discussants |
| Day 1 | Thursday, November 20, 2025 |
Day 2: Friday, November 21
Session 2 – Al and Digital Innovation in Real Estate Markets: Enhancing Valuation, Liquidity, and Market Insights
| Time | EVENT |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Using AI to Improve Price Transparency in Residential Real Estate Valuation Presenter: William Wheaton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Authors: Cunjia Xu, William Wheaton Discussant: Will Doerner, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) |
| 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Liquidity Mechanisms in Tokenized Real-World Assets: Design, Fragmentation, and Arbitrage in Real Estate Token Markets Presenter: Heiko Leonhard; Wolfgang Schäfers, University of Regensburg Authors: Ralf Laschinger; Heiko Leonhard; Gregor Dorfleitner; Wolfgang Schäfers Discussant: James Scott, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM | Coffee Break |
| 11:15 AM – 12:45 PM | Commercial Real Estate Sentiment: A Large Language Model (LLM) Approach Presenter: Ryan Chacon, Duke University; Pratik Kothari, Oakland University Authors: Ryan Chacon, Pratik Kothari, Thibaut Morillon, Cayman Seagraves Discussant: Chongyu Wang, Florida State University |
| 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM | Lunch |
| 1:45 PM – 2:00 PM | Introduction to Industry Panels James Scott, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Industry Panel I – The Al-Powered Real Estate Transformation Industry leaders discuss how artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing decision-making across the real estate life-cycle. Explore advances in predictive analytics, computer vision, and high-accuracy underwriting, detailing both the technological opportunities and the organizational strategies needed to stay ahead. |
| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Industry Panel 2 – Smart Buildings, Smarter Cities: The Tech, the Tenants, and the Tipping Point How do we create truly intelligent environments? Executives at the forefront of smart solutions will discuss how loT and Al drive breakthroughs in sustainability and user satisfaction. Gain real-world insights into automated maintenance and energy savings, and explore the major hurdles: evolving tenant expectations, the complexity of data privacy, and designing spaces that prioritize people over platforms. |
| 4:00 PM | Conclude |
| Day 2 | Friday, November 21, 2025 |
Organizing Committee
- Fábio Duarte, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Markus ElKatsha, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- William G. Hardin, Florida International University & Co-Editor of Journal of Real Estate Research
- James Scott, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Michael J. Seiler, College of William & Mary & Co-Editor of Journal of Real Estate Research
- Siqi Zheng, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
For issues relating to the paper submission or inquiries regarding the symposium’s academic program, please email jrscott@mit.edu to contact James Scott, Lecturer and Director of Industry Relations at MIT Center for Real Estate.
