34% of UK property managers use PropTech. Only 12% can prove it's delivering ROI. That's a 22-point gap between adoption and demonstrable value — and it's been widening, not narrowing, for three years.
The Measurement Problem
Most PropTech buyers can't prove ROI because they never defined what success looked like before they bought the technology. "Better data" isn't a KPI. "More visibility" isn't a metric. Without a baseline measurement and a target improvement, you can't calculate return on anything.
The 12% who can demonstrate ROI share a common trait: they defined the problem quantitatively before selecting the technology. "Reduce energy spend by 15% within 12 months." "Cut reactive maintenance calls by 30%." "Reduce compliance administration time by 50%." Specific, measurable, time-bound.
What the 12% Measure
- Energy cost reduction — before-and-after utility bills, normalised for weather and occupancy
- Maintenance call reduction — reactive vs preventive ratio tracked monthly
- Time savings — hours spent on compliance admin, reporting, and data collection before and after implementation
- Tenant satisfaction — scored quarterly with specific questions about building environment and service responsiveness
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a realistic timeline for PropTech ROI?
Energy monitoring: 6-12 months to demonstrate savings. Predictive maintenance: 12-18 months (needs data accumulation). Compliance automation: 3-6 months for time savings.
Should I pilot PropTech in one building first?
Yes — always. A single-building pilot with clear success metrics gives you evidence to justify portfolio-wide rollout, and exposes integration issues before they scale.
Until next time — keep the evidence closer than the deadline.
Walk into your next senior management meeting with the answers
The free Director's Risk Check for UK portfolios takes five minutes. No sign-up to see your score.
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About HermanWa
HermanWa is a building compliance and operations platform for property and facilities teams in the United Kingdom and Singapore, with portfolios across the Gulf. It keeps one auditable file per building — statutory deadlines, inspection evidence, contractor work, energy and carbon — and its AI assistant, Herman, answers questions about your buildings in plain English. HermanWa tracks obligations including fire risk assessments and fire door checks, Building Safety Act duties, Legionella (ACOP L8), EICR, gas safety and EPC in the UK, and SCDF fire certificates, Periodic Facade and Structural Inspections, lift permits and Green Mark in Singapore. Directors can check their exposure with the free Director's Risk Check.