Heimstaden is changing residential real estate management with AI

A hundred years ago, managing a residential building meant finding tenants, collecting rent and keeping properties in good condition. Today, these fundamentals remain remarkably similar. What is changing is how that work gets done.

For European residential real estate operator Heimstaden ⁠ (opens in a new window) , this presents an opportunity: what if AI could fundamentally change how thousands of homes are managed?

In June 2025, Heimstaden’s leadership decided to accelerate its bet on AI. After evaluating several platforms, the company chose OpenAI. The goal was twofold; empower employees and rethink the processes at the heart of its business.

Heimstaden’s AI adoption focuses on tasks employees need help with. After ChatGPT Enterprise launched in September 2025, half of employees were using it within two to three months. A central AI transformation office maintains a library of use cases so colleagues can learn from examples across the business.

Its Procurement Intelligence Platform, currently being rolled out, combines workflow automation with OpenAI models accessed through APIs. Designed to operate across Outlook, SharePoint and Teams, it supports contract analysis, negotiation preparation and contract lifecycle management, with employees retaining responsibility for commercial decisions and approvals.

The ambition is to move towards increasingly self-operating buildings, where AI can help anticipate needs, coordinate work and support decisions across the property lifecycle. “The purpose of our buildings hasn’t changed.” says Helge Krogsbøl, Co-CEO at Heimstaden. “We provide homes for people. But the way we operate them continues to change as we challenge conventions and adopt new technology.”

Pricing: Intelligence and recommendations based on tools built in ChatGPT Sites

Letting puts all three pillars into practice: tools and training enable colleagues to create virtually staged images and listings; our central team coordinates improvements across pricing, advertising, ad review and market feedback; and we are making property data accessible to the AI tools that support pricing and listing creation.

“We see AI as one of the biggest opportunities to accelerate that transformation.”

Traditionally, getting it back onto the market involves assessing rental value, arranging photography, producing advertisements and responding to market demand. Each stage requires time, coordination and specialist input. And it is an information challenge; understanding what you own, what the competition has, and what the customer wants.

Review listings: Agent reviews all live ads against Heimstaden’s quality standards