The Future Of Smart Buildings

18 Jan, 2018

Access this research

Access all Building Digital Platforms & Operational Tech content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report

Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance

Executive Summary

The design and expected performance of non-domestic buildings has been evolving throughout history. What will smart buildings deliver in 2025? This report brings together the latest Verdantix research and a unique mix of insight from our interviews with over 25 senior executives across real estate, software, facilities management and building technology sectors, to provide a comprehensive view into the different visions for future smart buildings. The analysis finds that smart buildings in 2025 and beyond will prioritize the experience of building users, deliver more sophisticated energy management and provide high rates of space utilization. There are many competing visions on how building technology will be organized in the future, particularly whether smart buildings will be integrated through a single internet-of-things platform. Real estate investors, developers, facilities managers, product manufacturers and technology vendors should use this analysis to help them visualize the future scenarios for smart building development. 

The Future Of Smart Buildings
Defining Smart Buildings
Today’s Smart Buildings Leverage Technology To Improve Energy Efficiency And Deliver Enhanced Environment Credentials 
Key Questions For The Future Of Smart Buildings 

Smart Buildings Of The Future Will Become More User-Focused
Innovations In Advanced Analytics, Edge Computing And Systems Integration Will Permeate Smart Buildings
More Building Management Services Will Be Delivered Remotely In The Future 
Future Smart Buildings Must Consider Cyber Security And Maintaining Privacy For Building Users

Two Main Visions Emerge For The Future Organization Of Technology In Buildings
Highly Integrated Smart Buildings Will Have A Single Cloud-Based IoT Platform
Smart Building Technology Will Also Be Organized Through Multiple Asset-Specific IoT Platforms 
Three Stumbling Blocks Will Cause A Market Shakeout

Five Promising Avenues For Technologies To Smarten Up Existing Buildings

Figure 1. Multiple Definitions Of Smart Building Are Used Across The Market
Figure 2. Smart Buildings Have Been Developed Under A Range Of Visions
Figure 3. Vision 1: Highly Integrated Smart Buildings Will Have A Single Cloud-Based IoT Platform
Figure 4. Vision 2: Smart Buildings Will Be Integrated Through Multiple IoT Integration Platforms

About the Author

Susan Clarke

Susan Clarke

Research Director

Susan leads the Verdantix Smart Buildings practice. Her current research agenda focuses on software solutions for real estate management including integrated workplace managem...

Other related content

Webinar
Real Estate Leaders
Real Estate, Facilities & Workplace Tech
Building Digital Platforms & Operational Tech
Built Environment Energy & Decarbonization
Agentic AI In Real Estate: The Deployme...

Agentic AI has become the label of choice for real estate software vendors, but Verdantix finds that genuine agentic capability delivers value in a far narrower band than roadmaps ...

Upcoming / 15 October, 2026

Blog
Building Digital Platforms & Operational Tech
The Race To Autonomous Buildings Has Be...

When Verdantix assessed IoT platforms for building operations in 2024, the focus was on software that could connect sensors, equipment and building management systems (BMS), then t...

05 October, 2026

Blog
Real Estate Leaders
Are Data Centres Still Real Estate?

For REIT investors, it depends. And what it depends on is changing fast. Data centres have become one of commercial real estate's biggest growth stories in the US. But as they beco...

05 October, 2026

Blog
Projects & Construction Management Software
Industrialized Construction: Why Isn't ...

Industrialized construction is entering a new phase of momentum. Faced with chronic labour shortages, schedule pressures, rising costs and stubbornly low productivity rates, more c...

02 October, 2026

Industry Events
AI Platforms & Applications
Digital Transformation Leaders
Real Estate Leaders
Real Estate, Facilities & Workplace Tech
Industry Event // Migrating from Legacy...

Join Verdantix and Nakisa for a practical discussion on how IWMS is evolving in the era of AI. We’ll explore how organizations are re-evaluating legacy platforms, where near-term ...

Upcoming / 13 October, 2026

Webinar
Digital Grid Technologies
Corporate Sustainability Leaders
Corporate Sustainability & Climate Change Services
Corporate Energy Transition Solutions
Corporate Energy Leaders
Climate Financial Data & Analytics
Carbon Management Software
Built Environment Energy & Decarbonization
How To Profit From Energy Flexibility: ...

Most organisations know energy flexibility is coming. Far fewer have a clear view of what it means for their specific assets, operations and markets, or how to build a credible bus...

29 September, 2026