Heimstaden is changing residential real estate management with AI

From rethinking how homes are rented out to building AI-powered property operations, Heimstaden is using OpenAI to improve how it manages homes. A hundred years ago, managing a residential building meant finding tenants, collecting rent and keeping properties in good condition. Today, these fundamentals remain remarkably similar. What is changing is how that work gets done.

For European residential real estate operator Heimstaden⁠, this presents an opportunity: what if AI could fundamentally change how thousands of homes are managed? In June 2025, Heimstaden’s leadership decided to accelerate its bet on AI. After evaluating several platforms, the company chose OpenAI. The goal was twofold; empower employees and rethink the processes at the heart of its business.

The ambition is to move towards increasingly self-operating buildings, where AI can help anticipate needs, coordinate work and support decisions across the property lifecycle. “The purpose of our buildings hasn’t changed.” says Helge Krogsbøl, Co-CEO at Heimstaden. “We provide homes for people. But the way we operate them continues to change as we challenge conventions and adopt new technology.” “We see AI as one of…