EDITORIAL
On March 28th, 2025, Milan hosted the eight edition of the prestigious Real Estate Awards. [1] This year’s core theme was focused on “Start-ups and new business models: is the future fully digital?” (“Start-up e nuovi modelli di business: il futuro è solo digitale?”), analysing the integration among new start-ups’ innovation and traditional business models’ stability [2][3].
During the event, experts such as university professors and start-up leaders discussed on combining creativity and flexibility in new ventures with the experience and stability of traditional enterprises. Among speakers, Piero Almiento from SDA Bocconi, Raffaele Boiano from Fifth Beat and Ilaria Profumi, entrepreneur with a 20-year experience in strategy and digital innovation [4]. One of the core topics was the role of Italian startups in real estate, highlighting how they drive market change through advanced technologies and new business models. Nicolò Sozzi, founder and CEO at Billding, explained how his software allowed for easier management of utilities for proprietors and landlords. Gianluca Fioranelli, founder at Rent2Cash, similarly illustrated how the “rental advance” service his business offers is revolutionizing the market [2].
The real estate market is historically quite relevant in Italy: properties have always played a crucial role in Italian families’ assets management and in many Italians’ investment strategies in the long term. The so-called “brick” has been considered a safe haven and sign of economic stability since after the second world war. Yet the market, growing steadily in the second half of 2024 [5], is now facing a few issues mainly connected to a growing misalignment of supply and demand: according to a 2025 market analysis by Blog Immobiliare Cavallo [6], real estate supply has decreased by 4% while demand continues to rise, leading to a growing imbalance. Finally, the new construction segment continues to face challenges due to high property costs, which discourage potential buyers [7]. The new players emerging in the industry could change the course and partially address these concerns and issues, providing for new business models, capable of overcome these potential roadblocks.
The Real Estate Awards 2025 showcased a sector at a crossroads—where traditional business models and emerging startups must find synergy in order to thrive. While AI and new business models promise to modernize the industry, challenges like market misalignment, rising costs, and bureaucratic hurdles remain pressing issues. The real test will be whether these innovations can truly bridge the gap between technological advancements and real-world affordability and accessibility. Will the Italian real estate market fully embrace this digital transformation, or will resistance to change slow its progress? The coming years will determine whether startups are disruptors or simply another wave in the industry’s long evolution.
Cover Photo by Babak Habibi on Unsplash
1. “Milano, al via l’ottava edizione dei Real Estate Awards 2025” by Adnkronos, https://www.adnkronos.com/economia/milano-al-via-lottava-edizione-dei-real-estate-awards-2025_7lqEszHPcyqjXnU0ARUFYw, last opened on Saturday, April 5th 2025
2. “Milano si prepara ad accogliere l’ottava edizione dei Real Estate Awards 2025” by Tiscali Notizie, https://notizie.tiscali.it/economia/articoli/real-estate-awards-2025-milano-si-prepara-ad-accogliere-ottava-edizione-00001/, last opened on Saturday, April 5th 2025
3. Real Estate Awards’ Official Website, https://realestateawards.it, last opened on Saturday, April 5th 2025
4. “Milano, al via l’ottava edizione dei Real Estate Awards 2025” by Cittadino Canadese, https://cittadino.ca/milano-al-via-lottava-edizione-dei-real-estate-awards-2025/, last opened on Saturday, April 5th 2025
5. “Mercato immobiliare: compravendite e mutui di fonte notarile – primo trimestre 2024” by ISTAT, https://www.istat.it/comunicato-stampa/mercato-immobiliare-compravendite-e-mutui-di-fonte-notarile-i-trimestre-2024/, last opened on Saturday, April 5th 2025
6. “Mercato immobiliare nel 2025: crisi e strategie di analisi” by Immobiliare Cavallo, https://www.blogimmobiliarecavallo.com/post/mercato-immobiliare-nel-2025-crisi-strategie-analisi, last opened on Saturday, April 5th 2025
7. “Previsioni mercato immobiliare 2025” by Notaio Fabio Cosenza, https://www.notaiofabiocosenza.it/2025/01/02/previsioni-mercato-immobiliare-2025/, last opened on Saturday, April 5th 2025
