The housing sector is undergoing a profound transformation, driven not only by advances in technology but the dedicated individuals who have committed their careers to it. This evolution isn’t just about the software, platforms or systems being implemented, but about the people behind these innovations.
For years, professionals within housing providers haven’t seen themselves as ‘tech’ people and instead viewed technology as the means to an end. As housing professionals, our primary focus was always on our tenants, leaseholders, and communities. It’s always been about delivering essential services to meet critical needs. As technology has evolved to become an indispensable enabler of services, a fascinating shift has occurred. Individuals from housing organisations, who may have been described as ‘tech savvy’ but never classically trained in IT or coding languages, have taken their sector knowledge and side-stepped into technology roles to drive meaningful change.
From traditional roles to tech innovators
Housing roles have traditionally required a profound understanding of the social and economic challenges faced by their communities. Technology was seen as a tool to support these efforts, rather than a central component of their work, but the rapid advance of technology has changed this perspective.
Digital platforms, data analytics and smart systems are now integral to the efficient management of housing services. This shift has necessitated a new breed of professionals within the sector, in the form of those people who can bridge the gap between traditional housing roles and modern technology solutions.
We’ve all been there, pointing at those handful of people who end up engaged in every project in the business and are often over-worked and stressed out. Why is that? From what I’ve seen, it was no coincidence that these people were often the most knowledgeable about the technology solutions in use; they’d taken it upon themselves to learn and adapt.
The most significant aspect of this transformation is how we now empower these ‘super-user’ housing professionals to become tech-innovators. These individuals bring a unique perspective to technology implementations, grounded in their intimate knowledge of the housing sector. They understand the specific needs and challenges of their businesses and communities, allowing them to tailor solutions that are both effective and empathetic. In the world of Microsoft, it’s what we’d call the ‘low-code revolution’. They embody curiosity for change while carrying the scars of experience.
Scaling expertise
When working within a single housing provider, my colleagues and I (all with similar housing backgrounds) found our sphere of influence was confined to the walls of that organisation. We championed improvements, refined processes and adopted new technologies to benefit the customers of our organisation. But we’re all in housing for similar goals, right? We all have similar aspirations for our communities. Why then were we all doing the same things, differently and not together?
Some have said the answer is unifying our data models and systems, others think organisations and even technology providers should merge to gain the benefits of scale. The truth is the world is more complicated than that. After all, this isn’t a race to the lowest common denominator; we may all have common ground but there’s a large difference between uniform conformity and housing collaboration with healthy technology competition.
At iProperty Cloud, many of our team started their careers in housing, immersed in its challenges and opportunities. Today, they collaborate with housing providers of all sizes across the UK, using their insights to create solutions that solve problems for everyone. The impact of their work extends beyond any single housing provider yet they can scale and flex to the unique needs of each.
The impact of technology acquisitions
When it comes to technology solutions, the landscape is changing. We know we’ve had our part to play as the first true Microsoft Dynamics ‘product’ to enter the market and disrupt the traditional solutions we’ve all become accustomed to. Most recently, the current wave of consolidations, takeovers and acquisitions (however you want to categorise them) among HMS providers such as MRI Software, Civica, Aareon, SDM and NEC add a new dimension to this story. While they may promise scale and efficiency, I fear they sometimes dilute the sector-specific expertise that makes housing technology effective.
Scale doesn’t always equate to progress. Large multinational corporations may bring a broader reach but housing’s unique challenges require tailored, human-centred solutions.
The human toll
A troubling consequence of these acquisitions is the human toll. Those super-users who once felt they had so much to give to so many more than they could reach moved on to technology businesses to make a larger impact. Now as technology businesses merge, those experienced professionals who understand the intricacies of housing are potentially leaving the sector completely. Imagine waking up one morning and removing a handful of super-users from your own business, for good. What would happen to your existing projects and to your future aspirations? Could you replace them?
At TechLabs, we’re a family-run, privately-owned business with a focus on sector success, not just profit. We believe these individuals are truly valuable, sector experts who have dedicated their careers to solving housing challenges. Their potential departure represents a significant loss, not only for their organisations but for the entire sector. When housing expertise is sidelined for a commercial imperative, the sector becomes a passenger and loses its compass.
Without the insights of those who know housing best, even the most sophisticated platforms risk becoming irrelevant to the people they aim to serve.
A call to action for housing professionals
For those housing professionals, those super-users, my peers, colleagues and hopefully one day future co-innovators, these moments in our sector’s transformation are both a challenge and an opportunity.
If you’re working in housing today for one specific housing provider or for a technology provider and you have a vision for change, consider how your expertise could drive innovation. The technology sector needs people like you who understand the heartbeat of housing; those who can design solutions that are as practical as they are transformative.
Transitioning into housing IT (at least for me) hasn’t been about leaving housing behind for profit, it’s been about scaling impact. It’s been about using knowledge to create systems that empower others, enhance experiences and address sector-wide challenges.
In the end, technology is only as powerful as the people who build, use and improve it. The sector’s ability to transform and innovate isn’t just about adopting new tools (as much as we love those we’ve created), it’s about empowering the people who know housing best to lead the way.
What I’m saying is that even for us as the people behind iProperty Cloud, built on Microsoft Dynamics365 and the Power Platform, the true power behind the Power Platform and indeed all transformative technology in housing, has always been and will always be, its people. We should never undervalue that.
Matthew Hedges is the products director at TechLabs London.
