Sep 20, 2023
How Technology is Leading the Way of Real Estate Now towards a Better Future
Real estate market is being introduced into a new realm where technology is incorporated into the pillars of the new property vision, coining the term proptech as the light at the end of the real estate future tunnel. So, what is proptech? Proptech in real estate is the term used to refer to the contemporary intersection of real estate world and whole-life technology trend, to produce a masterpiece of cooperation promising to elevate the lifestyle of both people and nature. This new whim of proptech adoption in the property market came as a reaction to the traditional real estate technology trends, and the natural dumping construction sites are creating, in light of the incessant increasing need for new living spaces around the world. Consequently, developers started opting to search for innovative alternatives that simultaneously answer the housing requirements, while also getting along with people’s tendencies towards the new eco-friendly lifestyle in environmentally-safe houses.
Towards this end, tech innovations in the real estate industry nowadays are gradually taking over the aspects of the sector, as we started to see more of smart homes in real estate, instituting technology in real estate as fait accompli without which the development is left with no actual attractions for interested buyers. Hence, the future of real estate and proptech has become totally dependable since the utilization of proptech advancements proved to be a sine qua non for facilitating various aspects of life and living. In this blog, we are offering some examples of how technology is incorporated into the property industry to vouch for a better and more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Artificial intelligence in real estate
Deploying AI in establishing a property will elevate the development to a premium level, as it will provide a futuristic luxurious setting of living for the residents. This opulence will be achieved in two main aspects, the residents’ comfort, and the monthly fees expenses. First of all, living in a smart-home-system house will make your daily routine much easier, as you will have all the commands of your chores readied as simple as a mere touch on the control panel of your house. Turn on the lights, AC, adjust the temperature, control the blinds, and whatever other action you need, they will all be one touch away from happening. You can also incorporate a voice system, where you do not even have to move from your place to touch anything, simply name what action you need to take, and it will happen. Indeed, the world has never been easier before, but every day, with the development of technology, it will all literally become at a snap of your fingers. On the other hand, incorporating technology within the system of your house promises a significant reduction in your monthly bills. For example, installing motion sensor lights will guarantee that lighting energy consumption will be minimal as the sensors will take responsibility for you to turn off the lights when there is no need to use them. As such, this is the least example of how proptech impact on the real estate industry is remarkable to a large extent. As well, switching off TV if you left it on, programming AC and heating to be adjustable according to your presence at home or to be tuned on at a certain time before you wake up or come back home, these are other examples of how technology can aid and facilitate things for you while at the same time save energy and bills. Even more, new technology has been enhancing hygiene, the effect of which was perceived during the Covid pandemic, as the touchless systems reduce the recurrent indirect contact of people, decreasing as such the risk of getting infected with common disease.
Sustainable technology in real estate
Green building designs have become the trendy concept of modern real estate with their invitation to sustainable installations that last long and cause no harm to the surrounding atmosphere. The features of these systems aim at minimizing waste and reducing energy consumption, promoting, as such, practices that do not harm nature, yet at the same time serve their purposes in the best way. The examples of these practices are many, including using eco-friendly construction materials and methods to start with. Moreover, you may install energy-efficient appliances around the house. For instance, you can use sensor-controlled water taps that cut the unnecessary water flowing, and the same could be applied to the lavatory. Also, in terms of electricity, you could replace most of this energy-consuming source with solar panels that will provide you with the same efficiency, yet with a better recycling way of nature resources. Further, you can even grow the plants around your house without having to waste irrigation water by setting rainwater harvesting systems that will benefit from the nature water to give it back to nature.
Internet of Things (IoT) devices
Nowadays, we do not talk about IoT (Internet of Things) in property management only; rather, home appliances have also become automatized through internet. Indeed, controlling things around your house right now is not determined by your staying home anymore, as you can now practice the action you need remotely, merely by a click on your phone wherever you are. Furthermore, through monitoring software you can turn on the machines you need to work on while you are away and shut them down once you are done with them. This will help you comfortably arrange your chores and practices without having to run all the way home and consuming your energy and time.
The advance of technology has surely left no sector out of its influence, and the real estate world was no exception. Hence, most developers saw that in order to step ahead and start something that would sustain their market presence in the future, they definitely need to pave the way towards the consumers of the new world, and that is technology. All in all, this combination proved to be of highly efficiency, as it elevated the quality of buildings and living to an unprecedented supreme level.
To know more about the future of real estate technology and sustainable projects and to choose the best of them, you are welcome to contact us at Mada Properties, the leading real estate agency, to help you find the best property that answers all your needs.
Stay informed with expert-written articles and the latest trends in the real estate market.
August 2, 2026
Before you ask which property to buy, ask which type to buy. Choosing among the types of real estate investment is the decision that sets how much capital you need, what shape your return takes, and how quickly you can exit if circumstances change. With the options in Saudi Arabia now spanning residential, commercial, land, off-plan and funds, the question is no longer whether to invest in property — it is which type.
Before comparing, one distinction that trips up a lot of investors:
The type determines what you own; the strategy determines how you profit from it. This guide focuses on the type.
Covers apartments, villas and residential units within larger developments. It carries the broadest demand in the Saudi market, because that demand is driven by a basic need rather than a business cycle, which makes it the least volatile of the six.
Investors who want regular rental income with limited risk, and first-time buyers entering through direct ownership.
You can browse available residential units across Mada Properties’ developments and compare them by district and price.
Covers offices, retail units and commercial space. It offers longer lease terms, and tenants often carry part of the operating and maintenance costs, which lifts the net yield above residential.
Investors with larger capital and a longer horizon, who accept that the return tracks the business cycle.
Buying a plot to hold until its value rises with urban expansion, or to develop later. Its main advantage is that it needs no maintenance, no management, and never becomes obsolete. The trade-off is that it produces nothing until it is sold or developed.
Investors with surplus liquidity they will not need for several years, and the patience to wait for the location to mature.
Buying a unit under construction below its expected handover price, paying in instalments tied to construction milestones. It is one of the fastest-growing types in the Saudi market, because it lets you enter at a lower price with payments spread across years rather than a single lump sum.
Investors who want early entry into a promising location without holding the full amount today, and who can wait until handover.
Rather than buying a whole property, you buy units in a managed portfolio listed on the financial market and receive periodic distributions. It is the lowest-cost entry into the property sector.
Investors entering the property market with small capital, or diversifying an existing portfolio without taking on any management burden.
Covers warehouses, storage facilities and industrial units. Demand has grown alongside the expansion of logistics activity and e-commerce in the Kingdom, and it offers long lease terms with institutional tenants.
Institutional investors, or those with direct experience in this specific sector.
The fastest route to the right type is not searching for the best one — it is eliminating the ones that do not fit. Each of your constraints removes one or more from the list:
What survives those four cuts is your real shortlist, and it rarely runs to more than two options.
Note that none of these started with the question "which one yields most?" The return is the result of choosing correctly — not the criterion for choosing.
When it comes to choosing the type specifically, who advises you matters more than anything else. A developer holding a residential project will recommend residential. A landowner will recommend land. Not because they are misleading you, but because that is all they have.
At Mada Properties we work as a licensed real estate broker rather than a developer, which means we have no stake in steering you toward one type over another. We start from your objective, then search the whole market for what serves it.
No type is better than another in the abstract — only better suited to a specific objective, horizon and level of capital. Residential gives you stability. Commercial gives a higher yield at greater risk. Land gives growth without income. Off-plan gives early entry at a lower price. REITs give an easy way in with high liquidity.
Start by settling your objective and your time horizon, then speak to the Mada Properties team for a recommendation built on an actual reading of the market rather than a list of available units.
Residential apartments in active districts are the clearest route for anyone starting with direct ownership, since demand is stable and management is simpler. For those starting with limited capital, REITs offer an easier entry with no management burden at all.
Residential carries lower risk, leases more easily and suits individual investors. Commercial delivers a higher rental yield on longer leases, but requires more capital and is more exposed to an economic slowdown. The choice depends on your capital and your tolerance for vacancy periods.
Direct ownership means buying, managing and carrying full responsibility for the asset, in return for greater control and a higher yield. REITs allow entry with less capital, higher liquidity and no management, in exchange for lower returns and limited influence over portfolio decisions.
Over the long term, yes, particularly along the paths of urban expansion. But it generates no income during the holding period, which means capital sits idle for years. It suits investors with surplus liquidity who do not need a recurring return.
Under the framework in force since January 2026, non-Saudis may own property within designated zones including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar, with applications made through the Saudi Real Estate portal. REITs are accessible through the financial market.
August 2, 2026
Saudi Arabia hosts the Asia Cup 2027 from 7 January to 5 February, with 24 teams playing across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. For the Saudi real estate market, the significance is not the month of football. It is the build cycle underneath it, one that runs on to Expo 2030 Riyadh and the 2034 World Cup.
The property impact starts with the project ledger, not the match schedule. What is taking shape:
These are permanent assets; they outlast the final whistle.
The effect reaches the market through three channels.
Short-term rentals appear fastest and fade quickest, concentrated around venues during the tournament weeks. Infrastructure capitalisation matters far more: a district exits with a higher service level than it entered with, and that lift in land and unit values holds. Third, accelerated delivery timelines in Riyadh convert seasonal demand into structural demand.
Yes, but selectively rather than across the board. Gains concentrate near venues and new transport corridors, while the wider market stays governed by supply, demand and financing conditions. Outcomes from previous host cities should not be transposed onto Saudi Arabia mechanically.
The broader trend is the more reliable guide. The Real Estate General Authority projects the market to reach around 101.62 billion dollars by 2029, at roughly 8 percent CAGR. Vision 2030 drives that trajectory; the tournament accelerates it rather than creating it.
Demand concentrates in north and central Riyadh, closest to transport links and business districts. Currently available through Mada:
We work as a licensed brokerage rather than a developer, so the options we show you are the market's, not our own inventory. We read the indicators, shortlist what fits your objective, compare the alternatives honestly, and stay with you through completion.
The Asia Cup 2027 will not redraw the Saudi property map overnight. It will accelerate a cycle already under way and hand specific districts a lasting advantage. Talk to Mada Properties about the option that fits your objective.
7 January to 5 February 2027 in Saudi Arabia, across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar, with 24 teams.
No. Gains concentrate near venues and new transport corridors; the wider market follows supply, demand and financing.
The short-term rental effect does. The infrastructure effect stays and continues supporting values.
August 2, 2026
Riyadh will host Expo 2030 on a six-million-square-metre site north of the capital, next to King Salman International Airport, with more than 40 million visits expected. This article covers how Expo 2030 impacts real estate investment in Riyadh, where the opportunities are concentrated, and when the timing is right to enter.
The event draws millions of visitors and thousands of companies and delegations, lifting demand for residential, hotel, and commercial units before and after it takes place. With limited developed land in the serviced areas of North Riyadh, this demand gradually pushes prices and rental yields upward around the site.
Estimates from Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, owned by the Public Investment Fund, point to a GDP contribution of about SAR 241 billion during the construction phase, and more than SAR 262 billion in total. This spending concentrates in construction and infrastructure — feeding directly into the value of nearby real estate assets.
The project is expected to create around 171,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the organizer. Each hiring wave means new residents moving to Riyadh and additional demand for housing and rentals, especially in districts close to work hubs.
Dubai and Shanghai show that real estate activity starts years before the event and continues after it. On the other hand, oversupply in some districts can pressure returns, so early entry into clearly titled assets near real demand drivers is preferable — judged on net yield, not projected price alone.
Mada Properties is a professional real estate brokerage — not a direct developer — giving you wider, more neutral options. We help you with data-driven advice to choose the right asset from Riyadh's projects before demand peaks. Contact us to build your property decision with confidence before 2030.
Most likely yes over the medium term, driven by demand and new infrastructure, with variation between districts.
North Riyadh districts near the site and the airport, such as Al Narjis, Al Arid, Al Fursan, and Al Sahafa.
Yes, under the approved ownership rules, with the option of Premium Residency when the conditions are met.