Heimstaden is changing residential real estate management with AI
Heimstaden, a European residential real estate operator, is integrating AI to modernize property management, aiming to automate and streamline processes such as letting and environmental risk assessment while maintaining employee oversight.
Heimstaden, a European residential real estate operator, is rethinking property management by integrating AI to modernize traditional processes like tenant placement, rent collection, and maintenance. The company’s leadership accelerated its AI strategy in June 2025, selecting OpenAI’s platform to empower employees and redefine core operational processes. The ambition is to develop self-operating buildings where AI anticipates needs, coordinates tasks, and supports decision-making throughout the property lifecycle. Co-CEO Helge Krogsbøl emphasized that while the purpose of providing homes remains unchanged, the methods of operation are evolving through technology adoption.
In the Netherlands, AI has already reduced the cost of producing virtually staged property images from approximately €50 to less than €0.10, a reduction exceeding 99%. Heimstaden estimates annual savings of €130,000 in that market alone due to these efficiencies. The company’s AI strategy focuses on three pillars: employee empowerment through training, a central transformation office and AI champions to drive initiatives, and strengthening property management systems and data models for AI readiness. The letting process exemplifies this approach, where AI tools and training enable staff to create listings and price properties more effectively.
Heimstaden applied AI to assess environmental risks across its portfolio, a task previously requiring extensive manual effort and technical resources. Julia Erlandsen, an environmental sustainability analyst without a software development background, used Codex to standardize scattered data from public sources, reducing the delivery requirement from five people working for a year to two people working for two months. The project generated over six million rows of useful data from 20,112 assets, avoiding the need for external consultants and creating a repeatable capability for climate-risk assessments and reporting.
Since ChatGPT Enterprise launched in September 2025, half of Heimstaden’s employees began using it within two to three months. A central AI transformation office maintains a library of approved use cases, ensuring employees follow data security rules while retaining responsibility for reviewing AI-generated content and approving decisions. Adoption extends to real estate caretakers, including some initially sceptical, such as one in Norway who used ChatGPT to draft a prioritized refurbishment plan for a neglected apartment.