Assessing the Demand for Online Integration Platforms in the Real Estate Business

Examination of the real estate market shows that implementing innovations in this field is a very difficult task. This prompts the question of the necessity of digitalizing the real estate business and of the demand for online integration platforms in this field.Aim. The presented study aims to assess the demand for online integration platforms in the real estate business.Tasks. The authors compare the online integration platforms in the real estate market with the online integration platforms in the hospitality sector and the individual passenger transport market in terms of the share of user profits that integrators receive for their services on the online platform; compare the share of user profits that integrators receive for their services on the online platform with the equivalent indicator in various other global economic activities; assess the value of the services provided by an online integration platform using the methodology proposed by G. G. Azgaldov and N. N. Karpova.Methods. The data were acquired from public Internet sources and personal interviews with the directors of companies that represent or employ the services of online integration platforms in St. Petersburg. The interviews and work with Internet sources were conducted in November 2019.Results. An integrator in the real estate market receives a share of profits of their service users that is comparable to that of the integrators in the hospitality sector and the individual passenger transport market. The share of profits of a Russian integrator in the real estate market is significantly higher than that in such industries as entertainment, fashion, or sports. The value of an online integration platform can be defined as highly valuable, since the expected value of this indicator is 1.5 times higher than the maximum table value.Conclusions. The performed analysis shows a high demand for online integration platforms in the real estate business. Market participants are willing to pay for the ability to use new digital technologies.