MARSEILLE / SINGAPORE, July 3, 2025 — Blockchain, Web3, and artificial intelligence are redefining the rules of global real estate, with industry leaders urging companies to embrace technological disruption or risk falling behind. That was the key message emerging from the Real Estate Investment in Global Trade Hubs session at the 55th World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Global Business Forum (GBF), recently held in Marseille, France.
Speaking at the event, Lia Rochat, Founder and CEO of France-based Archismart Solar, highlighted blockchain and Web3 as the two key technologies that will transform how real estate is developed, financed and traded.
“Adopting innovative technology solutions is critical to remain competitive in the evolving real estate and business landscape,” said Rochat. “Blockchain and Web3 will enable decentralised, transparent, trusted and faster interaction — without relying on central authorities such as banks, brokers, or big tech platforms.”
She added that the tokenisation of assets — a core function of Web3 — will enable peer-to-peer exchange of real estate assets, drastically changing how property transactions are approached and executed.
Dubai and Singapore at the Forefront of Real Estate Tokenisation
Other panellists noted that blockchain-enabled innovations are already being implemented. Diego Cortese, Vice President – Venue Commercial at Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), revealed that the DWTC has partnered with the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority to regulate digital assets and signed a landmark agreement with the Dubai Land Department for the tokenisation of real estate transactions.
Singapore, meanwhile, continues to position itself as a regional leader in digital assets. The Singapore Real Estate Market Outlook 2025 by CBRE projects transaction volumes to grow by 10%, driven by strong investor interest in residential, logistics and data centre assets. Declining interest rates and continued economic resilience are expected to support market sentiment.
The tokenisation of real estate assets — converting physical property into digital tokens tradable on blockchain platforms — is gaining traction as a means of enhancing liquidity and democratising access to investment. Singapore-based CitaDAO recently completed the country’s first commercial real estate tokenisation, involving a Midview City industrial property valued at US$635,000.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has actively fostered the growth of digital token offerings and earlier piloted a live wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) programme aimed at enabling interbank settlement for retail transactions.
Artificial Intelligence Adds to the Tech Disruption
At the WTCA GBF Real Estate Summit, Jacopo Dettoni, editor of fDi Intelligence, underlined that artificial intelligence is emerging as the next major wave of disruption in real estate. “Acknowledging the wave and trying to ride it rather than being hit by it is how we are going to define winners and losers,” he remarked.
He also noted that global real estate investment is shifting from traditional office spaces to residential, industrial, and life science properties — a trend accelerated by the evolution of workplace models and the growing demand for decentralised data centre locations.
Mediterranean Spotlight for Global Trade Opportunities
Held under the theme “Gateway to the Mediterranean,” the WTCA Global Business Forum gathered over 400 attendees from more than 50 countries and territories, including nearly 120 World Trade Center businesses. The forum served as a global platform to foster new business connections and explore investment opportunities in Marseille, one of Europe’s oldest port cities.
The Real Estate Summit addressed key themes such as the role of commercial real estate in economic growth, the acceleration of sustainable infrastructure, and the expansion of logistics and data centre facilities beyond traditional economic hubs.
Future of Real Estate Is Digital, Decentralised and Data-Driven
With the convergence of Web3, tokenisation, AI, and sustainable development practices, experts at the Forum agreed that real estate is entering a new digital era. “Companies that embrace these shifts early will gain a competitive edge, while those that resist risk becoming obsolete,” said one delegate.
As cities like Dubai and Singapore move quickly to deploy blockchain-based platforms for property transactions and regulation, the global real estate sector is poised for transformation — one that promises not only greater efficiency, but also broader participation and transparency in real estate investment.