Demand for skilled professionals within the German real estate sector has seen a slight increase this year, although the integration of Artificial Intelligence remains heavily concentrated in specific regions, raising concerns about equitable economic development. According to a new analysis by market research firm Index Research and reported by “Handelsblatt”, over half of all job postings explicitly requiring AI expertise are clustered in just three states: North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin and Bavaria.
The data, compiled from job postings across various platforms including job portals, print media, company websites and the Federal Employment Agency, reveals a stark geographical disparity in AI adoption within the sector. The Saarland, in contrast, lags significantly, with only four job advertisements referencing AI throughout the entire period examined.
Between January and November, approximately 110,000 positions were advertised nationwide, representing a 4.3% increase compared to the previous year. While 2,650 postings explicitly mentioned digitalization competencies and 1,500 specifically demanded AI expertise, these AI-focused roles constitute only around 1.4% of all positions advertised within the industry-despite an impressive 277% annual growth rate in demand.
This geographic concentration is fueling a political debate. Critics argue that the uneven distribution of AI-driven opportunities risks exacerbating regional economic inequalities within Germany. While NRW, Berlin and Bavaria benefit from attracting and retaining AI talent, states like the Saarland are potentially being left behind, struggling to compete for skilled workers and innovation investment.
The relatively small percentage of overall roles requiring AI competence, even with the significant growth, also raises questions about the long-term strategy for digitalization within the German real estate industry. Some analysts suggest the current focus might be on tactical implementation rather than a fundamental, sector-wide shift towards AI-powered operations, potentially limiting the transformative impact on productivity and competitiveness. The government is now facing pressure to address this imbalance through targeted investment and training programs to promote broader AI adoption and skill development across all regions.