SCIENCE FICTION MEETS MARKET REALITY: ANDERS SÖRMAN-NILSSON ON THE FUTURE OF PROPERTY
Global futurist Anders Sörman-Nilsson says AI, climate change and shifting demographics are rewriting the rules of real estate.
3 min
“Today’s luxury is tomorrow’s expectation.”
It was one of Anders Sörman-Nilsson’s throwaway lines – but the kind that sticks. The Swedish-Australian futurist wasn’t talking about marble benchtops or rooftop pools. He meant robots in the home, AI personal assistants and cities so climate-resilient they could add decades to your life.
For Sörman-Nilsson, science fiction is no longer something you watch. It’s the world you live in, and if you’re in property, you’d better be designing for it now.
Take transport. In Los Angeles recently, he rode in a Waymo self-driving car and “never felt safer”. No human driver, no small talk, no risk of road rage. Just seamless, sensor-driven efficiency. Or healthcare. His GP now uses an AI medical scribe to complete reports and referrals, saving hours of paperwork. For patients, it means more time with the doctor and medical instructions translated into plain English.
These examples aren’t novelties. They’re signals. “AI is taking the robot out of the human,” he told the audience.
“It’s letting us do less of the menial and the mundane, and more of the meaningful and the human.”
Speaking to more than 100 property and investment leaders at the inaugural Kanebridge Quarterly Property Summit in Sydney, Sörman-Nilsson set out a future that is as exhilarating as it is confronting.
The night opened with a data-rich address from expert economist Dr Andrew Wilson, who set the economic scene for the year ahead.
His forecast: a robust housing market through 2025, underpinned by falling interest rates, inflation easing back to the RBA’s target, and a still-strong labour market.
From there, the conversation shifted from the short-term economic outlook to the long-term forces reshaping the industry, as futurist Sörman-Nilsson took the stage.
Over the course of an hour, Sörman-Nilsson unpacked the three significant forces reshaping real estate: AI, demographics and design, and why ignoring them could be fatal for investors, developers and cities alike.
One of his sharpest warnings was about climate change and the emergence of “climate oases” – the select cities and regions that will remain liveable and attractive as others become too hot, flood-prone or costly to protect.
“In Australia, Hobart, Launceston, and Canberra are among the most climate-resilient,” he said.
“People are already moving there for cooler temperatures and security. That’s not a trend you want to ignore if you’re thinking about where value will hold.”
Demographics, too, are shifting in ways the property market can’t afford to overlook. By 2035, Sörman-Nilsson predicts that 40 per cent of households could be single-person households. Fewer children, more solo living and longer lifespans will require housing models that prioritise community, flexibility and wellness over sheer size.
“If you want to live in Sydney in the future,” he quipped, “you might never know your grandkids because they’ll have to move somewhere they can actually afford.”
The implications for design are profound. He points to “Blue Zone” principles – the habits and environments linked to long, healthy lives – as a template for next-generation developments.
Think walkable neighbourhoods, green spaces, social connection and accessible services.
“Singapore has become the first urban Blue Zone by design,” he said. “If they can do in 20 years what took Okinawa hundreds, there’s no excuse for our cities not to aim higher.”
For all the provocation, there was consensus in the room. Panellist Darren Younger, CEO of Assetora, said the opportunity for property to integrate technology at the foundational level has never been greater.
“Technology isn’t just an add-on anymore. It’s becoming the foundation for how we design, transact and manage property,” he said. “From fractional ownership to AI-driven maintenance systems, the innovations are here; we just need to deploy them.”
Want more? Read the full story in the spring issue of Kanebridge Quarterly, here.
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Atlas Real Estate is reimagining how people connect with property, combining listings, market insights, local stories and lifestyle content in one destination for those buying, selling or simply exploring the market.
4 min
Property has always been about more than buying and selling. A home can represent a fresh start, a long-term investment, an architectural idea or a connection to a particular neighbourhood. Even when people are not planning a move, many still enjoy following the market, researching local areas and discovering the stories behind remarkable homes.
Atlas Real Estate is responding to that wider interest by creating more ways for people to engage with property. Bringing listings, market information, local perspectives and lifestyle stories together, Atlas offers a destination for anyone curious about homes and the communities surrounding them.
It reflects the reality that people approach real estate with different needs and motivations. One visitor might be actively searching for a new home, while another may want to understand recent results in their suburb. Others might be keeping an eye on changing market conditions, exploring an unfamiliar area or simply appreciating thoughtful architecture and premium residential design.
At atlas.com.au, those interests meet in one place. Visitors can browse properties for sale and recent results, while also exploring market insights, featured homes, local stories and introductions to the people behind Atlas. The result is an experience designed to remain relevant before, during and after a traditional property transaction.
“We’re reimagining real estate around how people actually engage with property today — bringing together market insight, exceptional homes, local perspective and lifestyle in a way that feels more relevant and useful,” says Michael Coombs, Director of Atlas Real Estate.
That approach recognises that an interest in property rarely begins on the day someone decides to buy or sell. A future buyer may spend months learning about suburbs, monitoring prices and refining their sense of what they want. A homeowner might follow nearby sales to understand the changing value and character of their area. An investor may be looking for broader market context, while a design enthusiast may be drawn to an exceptional renovation or a distinctive piece of architecture.
By accommodating those different forms of curiosity, Atlas aims to make engaging with real estate feel less transactional and more connected to everyday life. Property is shaped by its surroundings: the streets, businesses, landscapes and people that give a place its identity. Understanding a home therefore means looking beyond its floor plan or sales history to consider the lifestyle and community that come with it.
This broader perspective also gives local stories a meaningful role. Suburbs are constantly evolving, influenced by new businesses, changing demographics, design trends and the people who choose to make them home. Content that explores these forces can help readers build a richer understanding of an area, whether they are preparing to move there or simply want to stay informed about their own neighbourhood.
The same is true of market information. Sales results and property data are most useful when they are accessible and supported by context. Bringing recent results together with insights and local knowledge can help people follow the market on their own terms, without suggesting that every visit must lead immediately to a transaction.
For Atlas, this thinking forms part of “Real Estate, Reimagined”, its broader brand campaign focused on using brand, creativity and technology to deliver a more relevant, useful and human real estate experience. Rather than treating technology as an end in itself, the emphasis is on how it can make property easier and more engaging to explore.
That human focus matters because real estate decisions are often closely tied to significant moments in people’s lives. A move may be connected to a growing family, a new job, a change in lifestyle or a long-held ambition. Even outside those milestones, homes and neighbourhoods remain a source of interest because they reflect how people live and how communities develop.
Atlas’s approach makes room for both the practical and aspirational sides of that interest. Readers can seek out information with a clear goal in mind or browse simply because a property, place or story captures their attention. In either case, they can move easily between homes, results, market perspectives and local inspiration.
The ambition is not to redefine why people care about property, but to reflect the many reasons they already do. By combining useful information with engaging editorial content, Atlas is creating a place for buyers, sellers, homeowners, investors and the property-curious alike.
Whatever brings you to property, discover more at atlas.com.au
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