Webinar | Tuesday 03 February 2026 | 10.00am–11.00am | AREF x YARDI
The real estate funds industry is navigating a period of significant transition, shaped by market repricing, rising operational costs, tightening regulation and heightened expectations around reporting and transparency. Against this backdrop, this AREF–Yardi webinar explored how data, technology and AI are supporting fund managers as they respond to a rapidly evolving operating environment.
Companion research paper
Alongside the webinar, the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF) and Yardi have published a research paper examining the current state of data, digitalisation and technology maturity across UK real estate fund management.
The research is based on interviews with senior leaders from 10 UK-based real estate investment firms, representing more than 40% of AREF’s fund membership, alongside a targeted industry survey of executive- and senior-management-level representatives from a further 14 fund and investment management organisations. Together, this provides a broad and representative view of how the sector is responding to ongoing market and operational change.
Key themes explored in the paper include:
- The repositioning of technology as a strategic enabler rather than a support function
- Shifts in operating priorities following market repricing and interest rate volatility
- The role of AI as an efficiency multiplier, automating manual processes while retaining human judgement
- Variations in digital maturity across firms and the implications for governance, scalability and performance
Download the whitepaper here
Webinar overview
The webinar opened with an introduction from Ed Protheroe of AREF, followed by a presentation of key findings from the AREF–Yardi research by Matt Glenny, before moving into a panel discussion exploring how these themes are playing out in practice across different investment managers.
The discussion focused on practical approaches to data management, reporting and investor transparency, as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with adopting AI and automation within real estate investment operations. Panellists reflected on the importance of governance, organisational readiness and incremental change when modernising data and technology platforms.
The session concluded with a Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to explore specific challenges, use cases and priorities relevant to their own organisations.
Speakers
Moderator
Sammy Pahal, Director, UK Proptech Association
Panellists
Matt Glenny, Director – Commercial & Investment Management, Yardi
Christopher Woodley, Head of Performance & Data Management, Savills Investment Management
Stephen Walker, Head of AI & Technology, Real Estate & Alternative Investments, Aberdeen Investments
Emma Long, Head of Business Strategy, LGIM Real Assets
Watch the webinar recording
AREF members can access the full webinar recording here or by clicking the image below.