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.
Presented Papers
Siqi Zheng, Professor
Estimating the Financial Value of Feng Shui with the Assistance of Digital and AI Tools
Coauthors: Wen-Chi Liao and Deng Yang Koh
Conference Organization 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.
