By Shamini Shah,Head of Marketing at &above, with 15+ years’ international experience driving growth, brand and go-to-market strategy across B2B, B2C and B2B2C businesses, including property and construction.

Delivering more homes has become one of the UK’s most pressing challenges, with the government aiming to add 1.5 million new properties during this Parliament. For housebuilders, meeting that goal means finding ways to increase output despite skills shortages, limited capacity and a housing deficit that continues to grow. AI can help, but it needs to be used much more effectively. 

Much of AI’s adoption in housing so far has centred on selling. CGI, social content and customer contact. These are all useful things, but they don’t help with the process of building more homes. If, however, we start applying AI to the procedures behind development and construction and use it to remove the fragmented information and administrative bottlenecks that slow decision-making and hold up progress long before work begins on site, then we might start to see real benefits.

Bringing intelligence into construction

Used within the planning phase, AI can help teams process development enquiries, assess potential opportunities and identify where further investigation is needed. Project specifications can inform preliminary cost estimates and supplier enquiries, while procurement systems can highlight materials at risk of arriving late. By analysing project data continuously, AI can also flag emerging delays, giving teams more time to intervene before problems affect delivery.

It’s not about removing people from the equation. In fact, the more AI is used, the more human judgement and experience are needed. But AI can help people access relevant information sooner. It can flag risks before they become problems. And it can help people to make better-informed decisions. They’re small changes, but together hold the potential to reduce friction across development teams, improve project efficiency and help housebuilders deliver homes more quickly.

Focus on outcomes

There are always risks with AI and the major issue here could be the adoption of AI simply because it is available. This is something we’ve already seen across multiple industries; businesses are under pressure to demonstrate that they are embracing the technology and introducing tools without a clear understanding of the problems they should solve. A more considered approach is needed.

Rather than measuring success by the number of AI tools adopted or processes automated, housebuilders need to focus on tangible results. Can the technology save employees time? Is it reducing errors, bringing decisions forward, or helping projects stay on schedule? When you start with a goal, you understand that adding the right platform is more important than simply introducing tools because you can. The best starting point is to identify specific bottlenecks across development and construction, then assess whether AI can make a meaningful difference.

This does not have to mean a large-scale transformation from day one. A targeted application that saves a single team several hours each week holds the potential to bring measurable value. And that’s what you’re looking for. Small, measurable improvements.

Managing accountability

As AI becomes more involved in operational decisions, effective governance becomes increasingly important. Where its outputs influence vital areas of any business, clear human oversight is essential. Employees need to understand where AI is being used, how its recommendations are checked and who is responsible for the decisions that follow, especially where inaccurate information could lead to expensive mistakes or delays.

The role of AI shouldn’t be to replace skilled teams, or to remove accountability from them, but to support them.

AI has genuine potential to help the housebuilding industry work more efficiently, but it’s not yet being fully accessed. If the UK is serious about delivering 1.5 million new homes this Parliament, developers need to look at how technology can improve the entire process, from early-stage enquiries and procurement through to construction and delivery, not just marketing. To do that, the focus needs to be on finding solutions that help people to get work done.

The proof of the pudding will be in whether more houses actually get built.