Securing the Future of PropTech: Cybersecurity in Real Estate Technology

Chosen theme: Cybersecurity in Real Estate Technology. Welcome to a practical, human-first guide to protecting buildings, data, and people in a world where smart locks, leasing apps, and property platforms power every deal and every day. Subscribe and join the conversation.

Why Cybersecurity Matters in Real Estate Technology

From Lobbies to Logins: An Expanding Attack Surface

Smart intercoms, Wi‑Fi thermostats, tenant apps, and cloud leasing tools all connect your properties to the internet—and to attackers. Map your assets, classify critical systems, and close obvious gaps first. What’s your most surprising connected device on site? Tell us below.

Smart Buildings and IoT: Securing the Backbone

Place building automation, cameras, and access control on isolated VLANs or microsegments. Use firewalls and allow‑lists, not hope. Deny everything by default, expose only what is required, and monitor east‑west traffic. Share your segmentation wins—or woes—so others can learn.

Smart Buildings and IoT: Securing the Backbone

Every integrator and operator does not need admin rights. Enforce role‑based access, multi‑factor authentication, and per‑session approvals for privileged actions. Rotate credentials when contracts end. If your BAS supports SSO, integrate it and gain visibility. Have you tried just‑in‑time access yet?

Smart Buildings and IoT: Securing the Backbone

Firmware and Windows updates scare property teams for a reason. Schedule maintenance windows, simulate changes in a lab or digital twin, and keep rollback images ready. Document what worked, what failed, and what to test next time. Share your playbook with peers for feedback.

Use modern TLS configurations, encrypt documents at rest, and restrict sharing to authenticated recipients. Replace email attachments with secure portals and expiring links. Validate identities before releasing funds. What’s your current weakest link in the transaction chain? Name it, then fix it.

Protecting Transactions and Tenant Privacy

Collect only what you need, store it for only as long as necessary, and explain why in plain language. Support deletion requests, audit access, and honor consent. Align with regulations like GDPR and CCPA without drowning users in legalese. Invite feedback from tenants early.

Protecting Transactions and Tenant Privacy

Third‑Party Risk: Vendors, Integrators, and APIs

Ask for Proof, Not Promises

Request evidence such as SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 certificates, penetration test summaries, and secure development practices. Add a security addendum to contracts with clear obligations, breach timelines, and logging requirements. What vendor questions have saved you from future headaches?

API Keys Aren’t Candy

Store secrets in a vault, rotate keys regularly, and scope permissions narrowly. Monitor usage for anomalies and disable dormant integrations. Avoid embedding secrets in mobile apps or front‑end code. Share your favorite tip for keeping integrators honest about their API practices.

Onboarding and Offboarding Vendors the Right Way

Standardize access requests, approvals, and least‑privileged roles. Provide a shared test environment, not production credentials. When the project ends, revoke everything, recover badges, and archive logs. Publish your checklist internally and revisit it quarterly. Want a template? Subscribe to receive our latest version.

Incident Response That Works in the Real World

Run drills for access control outages, compromised leasing accounts, and BMS anomalies. Define roles, escalation paths, and decision points. Include vendors and the front desk. Did your last tabletop uncover a surprise dependency? Share it so others can check theirs today.

Incident Response That Works in the Real World

Backups are useless until tested. Keep offsite, immutable copies, document recovery steps, and practice on spare hardware. Measure recovery time and recovery point to set realistic expectations with leadership. What would you restore first in a building outage? Explain your order and why.

Human Factor: Agents, Brokers, and On‑Site Staff

Test staff with messages about urgent wire instructions, new tenant applications, and last‑minute access requests. Teach verification by voice, escrow callbacks, and known numbers. Celebrate reports, not just clicks. What phishing theme fooled your team once? Share it and the fix you adopted.

Use anomaly detection to spot strange HVAC patterns or suspicious portal logins. Beware convincing voice deepfakes that mimic executives during wire approvals. Establish verification rituals. How are you using AI today without compromising tenant trust? Share experiments and lessons learned.