FINE & Country Zimbabwe (FCZ) chief executive officer Karen Nyenga says the real estate sector should embrace the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to modernise the business.
FCZ has positioned itself as a premium real estate agency that blends local expertise with global reach to market exclusive homes.
The firm emphasises a personalised, lifestyle-driven approach, attention to detail and strong marketing capabilities, aiming to deliver both efficient sales and exceptional customer service for high-end property owners.
In an interview with NewsDay Business, Nyenga said AI utilisation was the way to go to improve the real estate sector’s industrial operations.
“The utilisation of AI in many of our transactions, even in the way we analyse data, allows us to identify needs at a glance and propose solutions. AI is undoubtedly the way forward to improve the real estate industry,” she said.
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She further explained that incorporating technology could help cover gaps in the sector.
“If we incorporate more technology, we will be able to cover gaps. Not only that, but we should also aim to expedite certain processes as they arise,” Nyenga said.
Available market trends and research show that AI is transforming the real estate sector by streamlining processes and enhancing decision-making across the value chain.
In property sales, AI-powered platforms can analyse market data to generate accurate valuations, identify emerging investment hotspots, and predict price trends with greater precision.
For buyers and tenants, AI enables personalised recommendations through smart search algorithms that match individual preferences with available listings.
Estate agencies can also deploy chatbots and virtual assistants to handle client queries 24/7, improving customer service while reducing costs.
Meanwhile, virtual reality tours powered by AI-driven rendering allow prospective buyers to explore properties remotely, saving time and broadening market reach.
Lastly, AI tools optimise marketing campaigns, flag fraudulent transactions and support risk assessment for financing and insurance.
Nyenga suggested training industry players on the effective use of AI.
“We also need to be trained up to be able to achieve this,” she said, further suggesting digitising the processing of title deeds in Zimbabwe to make the whole process faster.
“If title deeds could be processed digitally in Zimbabwe, as is done in other countries, it could reduce the time required from two or three weeks to just 30 minutes,” Nyenga said.
“This would bring immense benefits, as faster and more transparent processes would mean more transactions, increased revenue, and greater contributions to the fiscus and government. Everybody benefits at the end of the day.”
She believes that embracing innovation and revising outdated system could further upgrade the industry.
