At the Legatics Real Estate Forum, industry professionals came together to discuss how legal technology is reshaping the way real estate deals are delivered. From AI-driven document automation to smarter client collaboration, the event revealed how firms are moving from isolated tools to integrated ecosystems. Conversations focused on balancing innovation with trust, transparency, and real impact – proving that the future of legal services is about more than just speed.
Panel discussion
Group discussions
Challenges and opportunities in legal tech for real estate, including:
- Budget vs. appetite for innovation
- Evolving junior lawyer training
- Risk and accountability in tech adoption
- Embedding tech into client workflows
- High-impact use cases for AI and automation
The group shared insights and best practices on:
- Tool selection and integration
- Change management and training
- Balancing efficiency with cost and ROI
- Avoiding overreliance on tech
- Building connected, client-centric platforms
Jump to discussion
Market insights and trends
Anthony Seale, CEO of Legatics, shared his perspective on the state of the market and emerging trends shaping deal activity going into 2025.
He noted that while the market is indeed rebounding, the recovery remains gradual and uneven. We appear to be in the early stages of an upturn, with deal volumes showing a notable increase in 2024 compared to 2023. However, performance varies significantly by sector:
- Industrial & warehousing: Strong growth across regions, with increases ranging from 13–29%
- Retail: Showing signs of recovery after a subdued year
- Offices: Experiencing a modest bounce back, with approximately 6% growth
- Data centres: A niche segment on the rise, largely driven by AI adoption and expanding digital infrastructure needs
Anthony also highlighted that while deals are getting done, they’re taking longer to close. The average transaction duration reached 363 days in 2024, up from 342 days in 2023 – suggesting that many of the deals finalised this year actually began the year prior.
Several underlying factors are contributing to this increased complexity and extended timelines:
- Risk-sharing by banks has led to a higher number of stakeholders per deal
- An influx of international capital, with 45% of Q4 UK commercial real estate transactions involving foreign investors
- More layered financing structures — including mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and joint ventures
- New players entering the space, such as pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and private credit providers
As Anthony emphasised, this evolving deal landscape requires greater coordination, legal agility, and sophisticated project management to navigate successfully.
Panel discussion
The session, hosted by Hugh MacDonagh – Senior Business Development Manager at Legatics and former Real Estate Finance Associate at Clifford Chance – convened a broad group of legal professionals spanning private practice, in-house teams, knowledge leadership, and legal innovation to examine how technology is reshaping real estate law. The panel discussion included an in-house counsel at a commercial bank and an associate at a leading global law firm, providing a diverse range of perspectives on the topic.
The discussion spanned key trends, challenges, and future opportunities – from budget constraints to AI adoption, and from evolving junior lawyer training to smarter client-law firm collaboration.
This forum offered practical perspectives on:
- how law firms can stay relevant and deliver lasting value
- how in-house teams are approaching tech adoption
- evolving expectations around legal training and delivery models
- what clients want from tech-enabled legal services
- where innovation efforts are gaining traction (and where they’re not)
Challenges
Summary of key challenges from panel discussion:
Tech adoption: appetite vs. budget
In-house teams are increasingly tech-savvy, but budget constraints often force them to choose between building solutions internally or investing in tools with a clear, proven ROI. As a result, there’s little appetite for unproven or overly “shiny” tech that doesn’t directly solve a real problem – many teams would rather build it themselves than invest in something superficial.
The changing nature of junior lawyer training
The panel expressed concern over how automation is reshaping the learning journey for junior lawyers. Tasks that once provided hands-on training – like drafting, indexing, and binder management – are now automated, prompting firms to rethink how foundational skills are developed.
“We’re removing the grunt work – but we can’t lose the knowledge that used to come with it.”
Risk, insurance, and trust in legal tech
In-house legal teams are open to using tech – but only when it’s backed by the same level of professional responsibility as legal advice. Law firms are expected to provide clear onboarding, insurance assurances, and accountability for any technology deployed.
Opportunities
Summary of key opportunities from panel discussion:
Where tech can go next
The panel shared a forward-looking view of where legal tech could deliver the most value in the near future:
- AI-driven summaries of complex agreements
- Document variation tracking across large portfolios
- Automated notice generation for multiple obligors
- Deal dashboards that flag blockers and assign next actions
These tools offer real opportunities to enhance clarity, speed, and execution certainty across real estate transactions.
Value-for-money and pricing transparency
Clients are less focused on lowering fees and more concerned with getting value and transparency. Standardised work is becoming cheaper through automation, while complex matters still warrant higher fees – as long as firms demonstrate the added value.
“It’s about cost, speed, and certainty – tech helps on all three fronts.”
Embedding law firms into client workflows
One strong theme was the growing expectation that law firms understand and align with a client’s internal legal execution model – especially beyond the transaction itself. Firms that embed themselves into a client’s working rhythm consistently deliver more value.
“Making life easier” isn’t just about speed – it’s about clarity, consistency, and working the way we work.”
Group discussions
The group roundtable discussions covered the challenges of navigating tool integration and adoption, including selecting suitable tools, overcoming user resistance, and more.
Integration and adoption
Summary of key points on integration and adoption:
- Mid-level associates often resist adopting new tools due to familiarity with previous methods, with a tendency to focus on minor obstacles rather than overarching deficiencies
- The desire for integration and open connectivity is evident, but it comes with a risk of overcomplication due to the variety of tools involved, potentially amplifying existing risks
- The challenge lies in the lack of guidance on selecting suitable tools
- User-friendly tools are more favored, while those with steep learning curves face resistance
Opportunities and education
Summary of key points on opportunities and education:
- Legaltech presents an avenue for reclaiming valuable time for other pursuits, whether it entails acquiring new skills or dedicating more hours to billable work
- Within law firms, inclusion and engagement are paramount in the innovation journey
- Rather than marginalising individuals from technological advancements, it’s crucial to involve them in meaningful discourse and decision-making processes
Speed, efficiency and cost
Summary of key points on speed, efficiency & cost:
- Interconnectivity among various technologies is vital, particularly in environments saturated with tools and platforms.
- Establishing a centralised hub for integration and training becomes imperative in navigating this complexity.
- As efficiencies are gained through technology, lawyers may end up doing less time recording for clients. However, this reduces revenue at the same time as firms take on additional costs to pay for legal tech subscriptions and solutions.
- It is important find ways for firms to recoup their investment costs in legal tech while still providing value to clients through more efficient services.
Over reliance on technology
Summary of key points on overreliance on technology:
- The allure of AI and other advanced systems notwithstanding, maintaining appropriate checks and balances remains imperative.
- The dangers of excessive reliance on technology are underscored, emphasising the need for human oversight to mitigate unintended consequences and preserve control over critical processes and decisions.
Group discussions
The roundtable portion of the session encouraged open dialogue on tech priorities, frustrations, and future ambitions. The following themes emerged:
A smarter legal tech wishlist
Attendees shared what they’d like to see over the next 6–12 months:
- Smart automation of standard contracts (e.g., asset management agreements)
- Email-integrated deal progress tracking
- Auto-updated checklists tied to documents/emails
- Better post-signing workflows for multi-document closings
Legal tech that fits – not fights – workflows
True adoption comes not from features, but from fit. The best tools are embedded, not bolted on. Simplicity, intuitive design, and meaningful integration into existing workflows were cited as key success factors.
- Trainees and junior lawyers are often the champions of adoption
- Partners want visibility, not complexity
- Successful platforms empower rather than overwhelm
From point solutions to connected ecosystems
Forward-looking firms are thinking beyond isolated tools and toward connected platforms. One firm described building internal tools – like issues list generators – while integrating with Legatics and other core systems to provide a seamless experience.
The goal: a unified lawyer interface where tools are accessible without friction or duplication.
Legal ops, delivery centers & distributed collaboration
Firms are beginning to connect lower-cost legal ops teams with front-line practice groups using centralised tech platforms. This approach enables repeatable work (e.g., CP tracking) to be handled efficiently while maintaining oversight and quality assurance.
Measuring ROI & platform value
Some firms are starting to track legal tech ROI through dashboards that measure:
- time saved per matter
- adoption rates across teams
- estimated savings vs. investment
There’s also growing curiosity around using this data for pricing insights, market benchmarking, and client reporting.
Legal community collaboration
Finally, there was optimism around increasing openness in the legal industry. Knowledge lawyers, informal networks, and even shared pilot programs were highlighted as drivers of cross-firm learning and innovation.
“The siloed approach is a massive waste of time. Why not work together to raise the bar for everyone?”
Closing thoughts
The panel closed with a shared recognition that legal tech is no longer about novelty – it’s about necessity. To stay relevant, firms must deliver transparency, practicality, and real-world impact.
If technology helps improve speed, cost, or certainty – clients are ready to embrace it. But they want proof, partnership, and purpose.
“Tech should help lawyers work better – not just faster.”
Interested in attending our other forums?
We have an upcoming forum available for registration! Reserve your spot now, or reach out if you’d like to be a panel speaker.
