Digital real estate: a review of the technologies and tools transforming the industry and society

© 2023 The Author(s); Shantou University. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Real estate plays a crucial role in driving national economies. However, the process of transferring properties and engaging with various stakeholders can be hindered by a lack of adequate information, complex procedures, and excessive paperwork. The advent of digital real estate has revolutionized the industry and how stakeholders interact. The present study aims to conduct a bibliometric and systematic review of digital real estate, utilizing historical, institutional, country, and keyword analyses for the bibliometric review and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for the systematic review. Through thematic analysis, the study identified four key themes for transforming digital real estate: information communication technologies, data collection technologies, data networking tools, and digital decision-making systems. Additionally, the study proposes a digital real estate transformation framework that can assist stakeholders, urban planners, and decision-makers in embracing digital tools and technologies. The study concludes that digital real estate has the potential to revolutionize future urban planning and real estate development through the use of decision support systems and advanced technologies.Peer reviewe

Spatial variations in COVID-19 risk perception and coping mechanism in Pakistan

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, which instigated governments to impose lockdowns across their countries. Amidst the lockdown in Pakistan, this study comprised measures of the COVID-19 risk perception, coping mechanism, and spatial variations. The data from 40 selected indicators was collected using an online questionnaire and grouped into domains (4 risk perception and 3 coping mechanisms domains). The results revealed the spatial variations and the levels of risk perception and coping mechanisms within the study area. Relative to each other, overall risk perception was highest in Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir) and Islamabad, and lowest in Balochistan province. Very little spatial variation was observed in terms of coping mechanisms. Age, gender, and marital status influenced the risk perception associated with COVID-19. The findings suggest spatial variation in risk perception, implying the need for localized and modified COVID-19 risk communication and risk reduction strategies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41324-022-00498-7

Relationship of Residential Location Choice with Commute Travels and Socioeconomics in the Small Towns of South Asia: The Case of Hafizabad, Pakistan

The existing literature of emerging markets fails to provide evidence to clarify if people choose their residential location based on commuting to work or other socioeconomic or household factors. The present paper seeks to provide such evidence in South Asia using the case study of a small city in Pakistan. This exploratory study was facilitated by primary data collected from 365 adults in Hafizabad, Pakistan, using face-to-face interviews in 2018. Two research questions were answered: (1) with what socioeconomic or mobility-related variables are the residential self-selections correlated? (2) how strong is the possible association of commuting to work to residential location choices compared to other factors, including social, economic, and family-related issues? The results of Chi-square tests and Proportional Reduction in Error analyses show that the three variables of neighborhood place, gender, and housing tenure type are associated with residential location choices. These findings are partly in line with studies on high-income countries, but gender and housing tenure are more specific to developing countries. Moreover, results of a Binary Logistic model show that marital status and house ownership of other household members define whether people choose their living place based on commuting rather than other socioeconomic and household issues. The finding of the latter variable contrasts with behaviors in high-income countries, whereas the former variable has some similarities. These findings highlight some contextual differences between house location selection in South Asia and other regions.DFG, 289342663, Städtisches Mobilitätsverhalten in Grossstädten der MENA-Region (UTB-MENA