01 Industry overview
The auditing real estate industry at a glance
The broader U.S. auditing-services market is estimated at $53.55 billion in 2026, while real-estate audit demand is supported by REIT reporting, quarterly reviews, internal controls and expanding cybersecurity assurance.
- $53.55B[56]
- U.S. auditing market, 2026
- 3.23%[56]
- U.S. market CAGR, 2026–2031
- 1,449,500[31]
- U.S. accountants and auditors, 2025
- $562,000[57]
- REIT audit fees, 2025
- Market size
- The U.S. auditing-services market was estimated at $53.55 billion in 2026, up from $51.88 billion in 2025. This is a broad auditing-services measure rather than a separately reported real-estate-audit total; no authoritative standalone market-size series for real-estate auditing was identified.[56]
- Forecast & CAGR
- The U.S. auditing-services market is forecast to reach $62.81 billion by 2031, implying a 3.23% CAGR from 2026 to 2031. Growth is associated with integrated assurance covering cybersecurity, ESG disclosures and operational risk.[56]
- Segmentation
- Real-estate auditing demand is segmented across annual financial-statement audits, quarterly reviews, audit-related registration-statement work, tax services and other reporting or lender-support services. In one 2025 REIT filing, audit fees were $562,000, audit-related fees were $28,000, tax fees were zero and other fees were $29,000.[57]
- Key players & concentration
- Large audit networks compete with regional and specialist firms for real-estate and REIT engagements. PCAOB’s inspection system covers registered firms that audit public companies and other issuers, but the sources reviewed did not provide a current, reliable concentration ratio specifically for real-estate auditing.[58]
- Pricing
- Public REIT filings show that pricing is engagement-specific: Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust reported $562,000 of audit fees for 2025, including annual audits and quarterly reviews. A separate REIT disclosed $592,245 of audit fees for 2025, illustrating variation by entity size, structure, reporting requirements and scope.[57]
- Trends, drivers & challenges
- Demand is being driven by recurring REIT reporting, complex property valuations, internal-control work and technology risk. The SEC requires domestic public companies to disclose material cybersecurity incidents within four business days after determining materiality, increasing audit and assurance attention to cyber controls and financial-reporting risk.[57][16]
- Consumer behavior & competition
- The principal buyers are REITs, real-estate operating companies, property funds, lenders and other owners requiring audited statements or assurance over controls and reporting. In a 2025 REIT filing, all reported audit and non-audit fees were pre-approved by the audit committee, highlighting competition based on independence, sector expertise and committee oversight rather than consumer retail behavior.[57]
- Regulation
- PCAOB standards apply to registered public accounting firms preparing audit reports for public companies and other issuers; the PCAOB standards page lists requirements effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2025. Public real-estate issuers are also subject to SEC cybersecurity disclosure requirements, including Form 8-K disclosure of material incidents within four business days.[58][57]
- Latest news
- Recent 2025 REIT filings show continuing demand for external audit and review work: Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust reported $562,000 of audit fees, while another REIT reported $592,245. The filings also show audit committees pre-approving audit and non-audit services and reviewing auditor independence.[57]
02 Ranking
Top 10 Companies in the Auditing Real Estate Industry
The leading companies in the auditing real estate industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.
Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026
Deloitte stands out for real estate financial statement audit and assurance because its revenue growth was 5.7% while EY focuses on global assurance for real estate since its FY2025 revenue reached US$17.9 billion.
Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓
Editor's top 3 picks
Where to start, by need.
#1 Overall · Leader in real estate audit and assurance
Deloitte
GB
Ranked #1 · 9.0 · Real estate audit and assurance
Why we picked it: It provides financial statement audit and assurance services tailored for real estate firms, with an indicated revenue growth of 5.7%.
#2 overall
EY
GB
Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Real estate audit and assurance
Why we picked it: It supports real-estate assurance needs within a global Assurance business that reported US$17.9 billion in FY2025 revenue and 7% growth.
#3 overall
PwC
GB
Ranked #3 · 8.7 · Real estate audit and assurance
Why we picked it: It serves real estate audit, tax, and advisory requirements, with indicated revenue growth of 5.7%.
Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.
Full ranking
| # | Company | Overall ↓ | Impact | Performance | Momentum | Innovation | Company snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deloitte Real estate audit and assurance · GB | 9.0 | 9.9 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Deloitte · Data as of November 11, 2026 Provides financial statement audit and assurance services tailored to real estate firms.[16]
| |||||||
| 2 | EY Real estate audit and assurance · GB | 8.9 | 9.8 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · EY · Data as of November 11, 2026 EY's global Assurance business reported US$17.9 billion in FY2025 revenue.[59]
| |||||||
| 3 | PwC Real estate audit and assurance · GB | 8.7 | 9.7 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · PwC · Data as of November 11, 2026 Provides audit, tax and advisory services for real estate clients.[1]
| |||||||
| 4 | KPMG Real estate audit and assurance · GB | 8.5 | 9.5 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · KPMG · Data as of November 11, 2026 Publishes dedicated real estate accounting and reporting guidance for audit clients.[23]
| |||||||
| 5 | Baker Tilly Real estate audit and assurance · US | 8.5 | 7.2 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · Baker Tilly · Data as of November 11, 2026 Serves REITs, developers, owners and property managers through audit and assurance services.[60]
| |||||||
| 6 | Crowe Real estate and construction audit services · US | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · Crowe · Data as of November 11, 2026 Crowe reports more than 1,800 real estate and construction clients.[61]
| |||||||
| 7 | EisnerAmper Public real estate audit and tax services · US | 8.0 | 7.0 | 9.4 | 8.9 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · EisnerAmper · Data as of November 11, 2026 Its Real Estate Services Group provides audit, tax and advisory services to public real estate companies.[62]
| |||||||
| 8 | Grant Thornton Global audit and assurance for real estate · GB | 7.8 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · Grant Thornton · Data as of November 11, 2026 Provides assurance, tax and advisory services across more than 150 markets.[63]
| |||||||
| 9 | BDO Global audit and assurance for real estate · BE | 7.7 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · BDO · Data as of November 11, 2026 Audit and Assurance remain BDO's revenue anchor across its global network.[64]
| |||||||
| 10 | RSM Real estate audit and assurance services · GB | 7.7 | 8.3 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · RSM · Data as of November 11, 2026 Offers real estate audit and assurance for owners, developers, REITs and property managers.[65]
| |||||||
How we score
- Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
- Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
- Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
- Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.
Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.
Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.
Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.
Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.
Cite this ranking
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the auditing real estate industry. In Auditing Real Estate Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/auditing-real-estate-industry-statistics/#top-companies
Revenue of the largest auditing real estate companies
Deloitte leads with $70.5B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).
03 Trends & forecasts
Top 10 Auditing Real Estate Industry Trends & Forecasts 2027
What is changing in the auditing real estate industry, with the evidence behind each trend and a forecast for 2027.
Forecasts were generated by an AI model from the cited evidence. They are estimates, not guarantees.
01Audit demand grows steadily
Medium confidenceThe broader U.S. auditing-services market is estimated at $53.55 billion in 2026, up from $51.88 billion in 2025, with a projected 3.23% CAGR through 2031. REIT reporting, quarterly reviews and internal-control requirements provide recurring real-estate audit work.[57]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, real-estate audit demand should expand modestly, broadly tracking the low-single-digit growth expected for the wider U.S. auditing market. Recurring REIT compliance work is likely to make demand more resilient than transaction-dependent advisory services.
02REIT audits remain recurring
High confidenceWheeler Real Estate Investment Trust reported $562,000 of audit fees for 2025, including annual audits and quarterly reviews. Inland Real Estate Income Trust reported $725,000 of audit fees for 2025, also covering annual statements and quarterly Form 10-Q reviews.[57]
Forecast 2027: Quarterly review and annual audit cycles will continue to anchor 2027 revenue for real-estate audit firms. Fee growth should come mainly from portfolio complexity, reporting requirements and added control testing rather than from a sharp increase in audit frequency.
03Audit fees vary by complexity
High confidenceReported 2025 audit fees ranged from $562,000 at Wheeler REIT to $725,000 at Inland Real Estate Income Trust. The filings indicate that fee scope differs according to entity structure, operating partnerships, registration statements and quarterly reporting requirements.[57]
Forecast 2027: Pricing in 2027 will remain engagement-specific, with larger or more complex property structures supporting higher fees. Average fees are likely to rise gradually as auditors price in technology, valuation and control risks.
04Internal-control work expands
High confidencePCAOB standards cover audits of internal control over financial reporting integrated with financial-statement audits, and the amended AS 2201 standard becomes effective on December 15, 2026. Real-estate issuers therefore face additional implementation and documentation attention entering 2027.[58][57]
Forecast 2027: Internal-control testing and remediation support should become a larger part of 2027 real-estate audit engagements. Firms with expertise in property-management systems, consolidation and access controls will be better positioned.
05Cyber assurance becomes routine
High confidenceThe SEC requires public companies to disclose a material cybersecurity incident generally within four business days after determining materiality. SEC rules also require disclosure of cybersecurity risk-management, strategy and governance information, increasing assurance attention to technology controls.[57]
Forecast 2027: By 2027, cyber-related procedures should be a routine component of audits of listed real-estate companies, particularly where leasing, tenant, payment and property-management systems are cloud-based. Demand will favor auditors able to connect cyber events with financial-reporting materiality.
06Technology-assisted testing rises
High confidencePCAOB amendments addressing technology-assisted analysis of electronic information apply to audits for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2025. The amendments respond to wider electronic data use and clarify auditor responsibilities for technology-assisted analysis.[58]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, auditors will use more data extraction, exception testing and automated population analysis across rent rolls, general ledgers and property-level transactions. Human review will remain important for unusual items, estimates and valuation judgments.
07AI shifts work toward judgment
High confidenceThe U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects accountant and auditor employment to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035 and says cloud computing, artificial intelligence and blockchain are expected to automate routine tasks while increasing the importance of advisory and analytical duties.[31]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, AI adoption should reduce manual reconciliation and sampling effort while increasing demand for review of model outputs, estimates and exceptions. Real-estate audit firms will likely invest in governed AI tools rather than fully autonomous audit processes.
08The talent pool remains large
High confidenceBLS counted 1,449,500 accountants and auditors in the United States in May 2025, with mean annual pay of $94,750. The occupation is projected to add about 79,400 jobs between 2025 and 2035.[31]
Forecast 2027: The 2027 market should have a substantial labor base, but competition for specialists in REIT accounting, valuation, controls and data analytics will remain strong. Firms are likely to use technology and offshore or shared-service teams to moderate capacity pressure.
09Quality-control costs increase
High confidencePCAOB QC 1000 and related amendments become effective on December 15, 2026 after a one-year postponement intended to give firms more time to implement compliant quality-control systems. The rules cover firm-level quality management and related audit practices.[58]
Forecast 2027: Implementation and monitoring costs should remain elevated in 2027, especially for firms auditing public real-estate issuers. These costs will encourage standardization, centralized technical review and greater investment in audit documentation systems.
10Independence oversight tightens
High confidenceWheeler REIT reported that its audit committee pre-approved all audit and non-audit fees and determined that the services were compatible with auditor independence. Inland Real Estate Income Trust likewise reported audit-committee approval and monitoring of auditor services and fees.[57]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, audit committees will continue to scrutinize non-audit services, partner relationships and fee approvals. Independence documentation will remain a competitive differentiator when REITs select or retain auditors.
04 Statistics
Technology & Innovation
Technology priorities in real estate are shifting toward data infrastructure and AI. In 2025, 98% of institutional real estate investors identified data infrastructure as a top priority for the following 24 months.
AI in the auditing real estate industry
- 98% of institutional real estate investors identified data infrastructure as a top priority for the following 24 months in 2025.[1]
- 76% of commercial real estate organizations were researching, piloting or implementing AI in 2025, while 34% focused on risk management and internal audit.[2]
- 41% of U.S. REALTORS® used AI or generative AI in 2025, according to the National Association of REALTORS® technology survey.[3]
- 37% of advanced commercial real estate AI adopters prioritized risk management and internal audit in 2025.[2]
Digital Transformation in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 27% of financial services firms reported financial benefits from AI in 2026, up from 14% in 2025.[4]
- 80% of financial services firms reported active AI use in 2026, up from 31% in 2025.[4]
- 26% of financial services firms reported using agentic AI in 2026, according to a global digital-transformation study.[4]
- 84% of financial services firms said integrating front-, middle- and back-office systems into one platform is important in 2026.[4]
- 43% of financial services firms said they will need an entirely new technology stack to succeed in the age of AI.[4]
Technology Adoption in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- About one-third of financial services companies reported using generative AI by January 2025, compared with 21% a year earlier.[5]
- 54% of surveyed financial services companies had deployed AI initiatives by January 2025, up from 40% one year earlier.[5]
- 59% of finance leaders reported using AI in their finance function in 2025, according to Gartner’s survey of 183 senior finance leaders.[6]
- 35% of financial institutions adopted or improved generative-AI capabilities during the 12 months covered by the 2024 survey.[7]
- 61% of financial institutions recently adopted AI or improved their AI capabilities, based on a 2024 survey across 11 markets.[7]
Cloud Computing in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 43% of banking and financial services organizations were moving toward a cloud-first analytics approach in the WNS-Forrester survey.[8]
- 87% of financial services firms increased cloud investment during the two years preceding LSEG’s 2025 global survey.[9]
- 33% of financial services firms were highly satisfied with cloud-related reductions in operational costs in Capgemini’s 2024 survey.[10]
- 91% of financial organizations had at least one cloud platform in 2023, up from 37% in 2020.[10]
- 82% of financial services firms used a hybrid- or multi-cloud strategy in LSEG’s 2025 global survey.[9]
Big Data in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 18% of finance firms adopted big-data analytics in the OECD’s cross-country comparison; the European data refer to 2019.[11]
- 11% of surveyed bank marketers were very confident in the accuracy of the data they regularly used in 2024.[12]
- 41% of surveyed bank marketers said their bank was already using data analytics to make decisions and achieve goals in 2024.[12]
- 43% of financial services firms had adopted customer-data platforms at least partially or were scaling them, based on Capgemini’s 2024 survey.[10]
- 37% of surveyed bank marketers said their bank was on the way to using data and analytics to support strategic goals in 2024.[12]
Blockchain in the auditing real estate industry
IoT in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 45% of financial-services enterprises across all surveyed countries said IoT was quite important to digital-transformation success in 2024.[14]
- 43% of financial-services enterprises across all surveyed countries said IoT was extremely important to digital-transformation success in 2024.[14]
- 19.3% of financial services and insurance respondents reported adopting IoT technologies in New Relic’s observability survey.[15]
05 Statistics
Data & Analytics
Business intelligence in the auditing real estate industry
- 76% of commercial real estate organizations were researching, piloting or implementing AI processes in 2025, United States and global respondents.[16]
- 61% of global real estate owners and investors remained dependent on legacy technology infrastructures in 2024.[16]
- 14% of commercial real estate respondents said their companies had well-structured data-management processes and robust privacy policies in 2025.[16]
- 43% of more advanced commercial real estate AI adopters prioritized financial planning and analysis, while 37% prioritized risk management and internal audit in 2025.[16]
Data analytics in the auditing real estate industry
- 5.1 out of 10 was institutional real estate’s self-assessed AI-governance readiness score in 2026.[17]
- 29% of real estate businesses were considering or incorporating data analytics into operations in 2024, the highest technology category surveyed.[18]
- 11.3% of respondents to the RICS Tech Partner Programme Survey operated in data analytics in 2024.[19]
- 6.2 out of 10 was institutional real estate’s self-assessed data-quality score in the 2026 NAREIM Technology, Data & AI Survey.[17]
Data Quality in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across significant European banking institutions, 32% did not apply data-quality-management principles to end-user computing in 2023.[20]
- Across global financial services, 34% of organizations rated their data excellent for accuracy and integrity in 2024.[21]
- Across U.S. banking and capital markets, 94% of respondents named data accuracy and reliability as a priority in 2024.[16]
- Across banks supervised by the European Central Bank, 28% reported that all data used by critical functions came from golden sources in 2023.[20]
- Across global financial services, 36% of organizations rated their data excellent for quantity and completeness in 2024.[21]
- Across U.S. banking and capital markets, 86% of respondents named data access and usability as a top concern in 2024.[16]
Data Governance in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 43.7% lacked a standardized certification process for analytics content in 2025.[22]
- Across global financial services, 54% of companies rated data governance at one of the two highest maturity levels in 2024.[23]
- Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 57.1% identified BI-content testing as the top future investment in analytics governance in 2025.[22]
- Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 82.9% had implemented governance policies specifically applying to business intelligence and analytics in 2025.[22]
- Across 35 surveyed banks, insurers, and financial-services firms in 38 countries, 54% had adopted a semantic layer for organization-wide data governance in 2025.[24]
KPIs in the auditing real estate industry
- 90% of Russell 1000 real estate companies publishing sustainability reports disclosed a specified assurance level in 2024.[25]
- 74% of real estate companies in the Russell 1000 that sought external assurance used an accountant firm in 2024.[25]
- 64% of Russell 1000 real estate companies receiving assurance covered sustainability report sections beyond greenhouse-gas emissions in 2024.[25]
06 Statistics
Strategy & Growth
Real estate executives expect revenue growth to continue, alongside increased digital investment. For 2026, 77% of commercial real estate executives expected revenue growth by up to 10%.
Growth in the auditing real estate industry
- 88% of global commercial real estate executives expected their company revenues to increase in the 2025 outlook survey.[16]
- 88% of global commercial real estate respondents planned to use digital technologies to radically improve business performance or reach within 12–18 months.[16]
- 77% of commercial real estate executives expected their companies’ revenues to grow by up to 10% by the end of 2026.[16]
- 60% of global commercial real estate executives expected revenue growth above 5% in the 2025 outlook survey.[16]
- 81% of global commercial real estate respondents identified data and technology as the area most likely to receive increased spending in 2025.[16]
Differentiation in the auditing real estate industry
- 47% of commercial real estate respondents who considered themselves further along in AI adoption said the benefits had been transformative.[16]
- 14% of global commercial real estate respondents believed their companies had well-structured data processes and robust privacy policies in 2025.[16]
- 51% of commercial real estate respondents planning increased digital investment said their main objective was using AI to automate processes.[16]
- 97% of global commercial real estate respondents were committed to AI-enabled solutions in the 2025 outlook survey.[16]
Mergers and acquisitions in the auditing real estate industry
- $88.7 billion was the global commercial real estate M&A deal value in 2025, down 57% from 2024.[16]
- $300 million was the average U.S. commercial real estate M&A deal size in 2025, compared with $224 million globally.[16]
- $255 million was the average global commercial real estate M&A deal size in 2025, more than double the prior-year level.[16]
- 846 global commercial real estate M&A transactions were recorded in 2025, down from 3,286 in 2024.[16]
- $25.1 billion was the global real estate secondaries transaction volume in 2025, up from $24.3 billion in 2024.[26]
07 Statistics
People & Workforce
Workforce constraints remain visible as firms compete for experienced staff. In 2025, 18% of real estate firms identified agent retention as their biggest challenge over the next two years.
Hiring in the auditing real estate industry
Employee retention in the auditing real estate industry
- 75% of real estate professionals were very certain they would remain in the real estate business for at least two more years in 2026.[27]
- 89% of onsite property-level real estate employees worked fully onsite five days per week in 2025.[28]
- 87.5% of North American commercial real estate firms provided access to mental-health or non-work-related support in 2026.[29]
Remote Work in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 87% of U.S. financial services employees said remote work helped them balance home and work responsibilities in 2025.[23]
- Across U.S. financial services, 82% of companies offered some form of work-location flexibility in 2025.[30]
- 52.5% of workers in U.S. financial activities teleworked in June 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[31]
- 68% of U.S. financial services workers said they would consider seeking new employment if remote and hybrid flexibility were reduced in 2023.[32]
Hybrid Work in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 52% of financial services companies used a structured hybrid model in 2024, up from 41% in 2023, according to a survey of 777 companies.[33]
- 82% of U.S. financial services firms offered some form of work-location flexibility in July 2025.[30]
- 2.58 days was the average weekly in-office requirement among financial services companies using structured hybrid work in 2024.[33]
- 42.2% of remotely workable finance and insurance jobs were hybrid in July 2025 in the United States.[30]
- 39% of financial services companies offered corporate employees full flexibility over work location in 2024.[33]
Employee Engagement in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 31% of employees in the United States and Canada were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
- 12% of employees in Europe were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
- 16% of employees worldwide were actively disengaged at work in 2025.[34]
- 20% of employees worldwide were engaged at work in 2025, according to Gallup’s World Poll.[34]
DEI in the auditing real estate industry
- 30% of participating commercial real estate firms had a dedicated inclusivity budget in 2026.[29]
- 78% of participating commercial real estate firms assigned employee resources to inclusivity-related work in 2026.[17]
- 32% of employees at participating U.S. commercial real estate firms identified as people of color in 2026.[29]
- 43.5% of employees at participating North American commercial real estate firms were women in 2026.[29]
Change Management in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 60% of financial services executives planned to invest in new technologies as a strategic business change over the next 12–18 months in 2024.[35]
- 53% of banks identified a significant change portfolio requiring prioritization and coordination over the next two years in 2025.[36]
- 45% of banks reported issues resourcing change agents and stream leads for transformation workstreams in 2025.[36]
- 49% of financial institutions cited continuous learning and development as a way to prepare for technological change in 2024.[7]
- 43% of banks reported that senior leaders lacked a clear understanding of transformation in 2025.[36]
08 Statistics
Customer & Sales
Buyer and seller behavior drives the operating calendar that real estate firms must support with reporting and review. In 2025, 91% of U.S. home sellers used a real estate agent.
Customer experience in the auditing real estate industry
- 53% of U.S. home buyers said their agent helped them understand the home-buying process in 2024.[27]
- 88% of U.S. home buyers purchased through a real estate agent or broker in 2025.[27]
- At least 90% of U.S. home buyers reported satisfaction with their agent’s responsiveness, process knowledge, honesty, market knowledge and people skills in 2024.[27]
Customer retention in the auditing real estate industry
Customer acquisition in the auditing real estate industry
Customer loyalty in the auditing real estate industry
- 87% of U.S. home sellers said they would definitely or probably recommend their agent for future services in 2023.[27]
- 61% of U.S. home buyers had already recommended their agent within one year of purchase in 2024.[27]
- 88% of U.S. home buyers would use their agent again or recommend the agent to others in 2024.[27]
Lead generation in the auditing real estate industry
- 26% of U.S. home sellers used an agent they had previously used to buy or sell a home in 2024.[27]
- 39% of U.S. home sellers found their agent through a friend, neighbor or relative in 2024.[27]
- 60% of U.S. real estate agents said repeat clients and referrals were the most effective lead-generation strategy in April 2026.[37]
09 Statistics
Marketing & Brand
Marketing channel use reflects continuing digital operations that increase documentation and disclosure inputs. In 2024, 64% of real estate professionals used Instagram for marketing in the United States.
Marketing in the auditing real estate industry
- 64% of real estate professionals used Instagram for marketing in 2024 in the United States.[38]
- 8 hours per week was the average time real estate agents spent marketing their personal brands in 2023 in the United States.[38]
- 90% of real estate agents marketed on Facebook in 2024, making it the most-used marketing channel among agents surveyed in the United States.[38]
- 78% of real estate brokers marketed on Facebook in 2024 in the United States.[38]
Digital marketing in the auditing real estate industry
- 60.64% of surveyed California real estate agents regularly used digital listing platforms in 2024.[39]
- 57.45% of surveyed California real estate agents regularly used virtual tours, staging or drone photography in 2024.[39]
- 49.47% of surveyed California real estate agents regularly used video production and social media tools in 2024.[39]
- 61.17% of surveyed California real estate agents regularly used market-analytics tools in 2024.[39]
Branding in the auditing real estate industry
- 66% of Gen Z and millennial respondents said real estate agents on social media make properties easier to find in the 2024 RE/MAX survey.[40]
- 66% of Gen Z and millennial respondents said real estate agents on social media make the buying and selling process more accessible in 2024.[40]
- 90% of real estate agents used Facebook for marketing in 2024, giving it the broadest brand presence among surveyed agents.[38]
Influencer Marketing in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- 7% of financial-services marketers reported folding creator or influencer marketing into other channels rather than maintaining a dedicated budget in 2026.[41]
- 5% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated but shrinking budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[41]
- 60% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated and growing budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[41]
- 37% of banking executives in a survey of 102 finance respondents recognized influencer marketing as a potent tool for authentic consumer connections in 2023.[42]
- 23% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated but flat budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[41]
10 Statistics
Operations & Execution
Operational reporting still relies heavily on spreadsheets in valuation and cash-flow work. In 2024, 51% of real estate firms used spreadsheets for property valuation and cash-flow analysis on average.
Process optimization in the auditing real estate industry
- 51% of real estate firms used spreadsheets for property valuation and cash-flow analysis on average in 2024.[16]
- 85.64% of surveyed California real estate agents regularly used electronic document-management systems in 2024.[39]
- 60% of real estate firms still used spreadsheets for reporting on average in 2024, according to Deloitte’s commercial real estate analysis.[16]
- 45% of real estate firms used spreadsheets for budgeting and forecasting on average in 2024.[16]
Operational efficiency in the auditing real estate industry
- 13% of real estate companies had access to real-time business intelligence and analytics in Deloitte’s cited industry data.[16]
- 20% of commercial real estate accounting professionals lacked real-time visibility into financial performance in 2026.[43]
- 22% of commercial real estate accounting professionals reported mismatched data across reports in 2026.[43]
- 43% of commercial real estate accounting firms identified manual or administrative work as their top challenge in 2026.[43]
Outsourcing / Offshoring in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across surveyed finance organizations, 64% were implementing or evaluating offshoring or nearshoring for finance operations in 2026, while 36% planned to remain fully U.S.-based.[44]
- Among significant European banks, 67% of outsourcing contracts were sub-outsourced to external service providers in the 2024 analysis.[20]
- Among significant European banks, 27% of critical ICT contracts were outsourced to external providers located outside the European Union in the 2024 analysis.[20]
- Across surveyed finance organizations, 17% were evaluating nearshore locations for future operations in 2026, compared with 13% evaluating offshore locations.[44]
- Among U.S. banks surveyed, 57% had considered outsourcing information technology departments in 2024, the highest share among listed departments.[45]
11 Statistics
Finance & Pricing
Cost pressures and capital conditions increase the complexity of financial reporting and review. In 2024, 94% of North American real estate respondents cited interest rates and cost of capital as a concern.
Pricing strategy in the auditing real estate industry
- 72% of North American real estate respondents cited tenant leasing and retention costs as a concern in 2024.[1]
- 74% of real estate survey respondents cited regulation as a business concern in 2025.[1]
- 77% of North American real estate respondents cited operating costs as a concern in 2024.[1]
- 94% of North American real estate respondents cited interest rates and cost of capital as a concern in 2024.[1]
Cost reduction in the auditing real estate industry
Profitability in the auditing real estate industry
- $9.8 billion was the median assets under management of global real estate investment-management firms in the 2022 survey.[46]
- 5% was the median increase in full-time-equivalent staff among firms that expanded their workforce in 2021.[46]
- $76 million was the median firm revenue of global real estate investment-management firms in 2021, excluding incentive fees and real estate investment income.[46]
- 60% of real estate investment-management firms increased full-time-equivalent staff in 2021.[46]
12 Statistics
Sustainability & Ethics
Sustainability assurance expectations are broadening beyond emissions disclosures. In 2024, 64% of Russell 1000 real estate companies receiving assurance covered sustainability report sections beyond greenhouse-gas emissions.
Sustainability in the auditing real estate industry
- 78% of global real estate sector market capitalization disclosed sustainability information in 2025.[11]
- 58% of real estate market capitalization in Emerging Asia disclosed sustainability information in 2025.[11]
- 50% of real estate market capitalization in the Middle East and Africa disclosed sustainability information in 2025.[11]
ESG in the auditing real estate industry
Ethics in the auditing real estate industry
Carbon footprint in the auditing real estate industry
- 273 billion square metres was the global buildings floor area in 2024, after expanding 1.7% during the year.[48]
- USD 5.9 trillion was the estimated investment needed in building energy efficiency by 2030 to align the sector with a net-zero pathway.[48]
- 592 billion dollars per year was the implied average annual building-energy-efficiency investment needed through 2030.[48]
- More than 30% of the European Union’s environmental footprint came from buildings in 2024, making buildings the region’s highest-impact sector.[49]
13 Statistics
Risk, Compliance & Legal
Compliance in the auditing real estate industry
- 13% of Portuguese real estate-sector respondents identified ESG compliance as a major challenge for the next six months in 2025.[16]
- 81% of Portuguese real estate-sector respondents identified construction costs as a major challenge for the next six months in 2025.[16]
- 77% of North American real estate respondents ranked state and local regulations among the key issues causing concern in 2025.[1]
- 63% of Portuguese real estate-sector respondents identified permits as a major challenge for the next six months in 2025.[16]
Risk Management in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- Globally, 42% of banking and capital-markets firms ranked data localisation as their No. 2 regulatory barrier in 2026.[1]
- The U.S. banking regulatory and risk-management concern index fell to 88 in 2025, from 99 in 2024 and 117 in 2023.[50]
- Globally, only 3% of banking and capital-markets firms ranked quantum risk among their top three cybersecurity budget priorities for the next 12 months in 2026.[1]
- Globally, 47% of banking and capital-markets firms ranked third-party risk-management compliance as their greatest regulatory barrier in 2026.[1]
- Among surveyed U.S. financial institutions with more than $5 billion in assets, 90% used an enterprise risk management program in 2025.[51]
Cybersecurity in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- Globally, 57% of banking and capital-markets firms identified deepfake social engineering as a top AI attack scenario over the coming 12 months in 2026.[1]
- Among surveyed U.S. financial institutions, 60% increased investment in cybersecurity technology in 2025.[51]
- Globally, 68% of banking and capital-markets firms identified AI-powered malware as a top AI attack scenario over the coming 12 months in 2026.[1]
- Globally, 64% of banks planned to increase cyber investment in response to heightened global uncertainty and emerging threats in 2026.[1]
- Across financial-services respondents in 20 countries, 81% were investing in generative-AI-specific security tools in 2025.[52]
Data Privacy in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- Among EU- and UK-headquartered financial firms, the privacy-maturity score was 56% in 2026.[53]
- Across financial-services respondents, 44% cited limited in-house privacy or artificial-intelligence expertise as a barrier in 2026.[53]
- Financial-services firms ranked first among 17 sectors on the Global Privacy Index, with a score of 64% in 2026.[53]
- Across financial-services respondents, 79% viewed privacy as a competitive differentiator in 2026.[53]
- Across financial-services respondents, 82% reported board-level privacy review in 2026.[53]
Crisis Management in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)
- Among general counsels in financial services, banking and insurance, 71% reported involvement in business-continuity or financial-contingency planning in 2024.[54]
- Among general counsels in financial services, banking and insurance, 68% reported active involvement in organisational crisis-management strategies in 2024.[54]
- Among general counsels in financial services, banking and insurance, 61% reported involvement in monitoring and analysing crisis red flags beyond legal issues in 2024.[54]
- Among general counsels in financial services, banking and insurance, 60% reported involvement in framing internal and external crisis communications in 2024.[54]
Governance in the auditing real estate industry
- 66% of private commercial real estate executives said source data was mapped and verified in 2026.[16]
- 71% of institutional commercial real estate executives said source data was mapped and verified in 2026.[16]
- 65% of publicly listed commercial real estate executives reported selective AI solutions already in production in 2026.[16]
- 78% of executives at publicly listed commercial real estate companies said source data was mapped and verified in 2026.[16]
14 Statistics
Globalization & Expansion
Energy retrofits and cross-market deal flow add to reporting complexity across portfolios. The global real estate deal volume reached $888.6 billion in 2025.
Globalization in the auditing real estate industry
- 80% of Asia-Pacific commercial real estate respondents expected to undertake deep energy retrofits over the following 12–18 months.[16]
- 78% of European commercial real estate respondents expected to undertake deep energy retrofits over the following 12–18 months.[16]
- 70% of North American commercial real estate respondents expected to undertake deep energy retrofits over the following 12–18 months.[16]
- $888.6 billion was the global real estate deal volume in 2025, 14% higher than in 2024.[1]
Stakeholder management in the auditing real estate industry
- 38% of rental-housing professionals’ time was devoted to routine operational work in 2026, down from 42% in 2025.[55]
- 84% of global real estate investors said companies should maintain or increase investment in climate adaptation in 2025.[1]
- 20% of rental-housing professionals’ time was devoted to stakeholder engagement in 2026, up from 17% in 2025.[55]
- 17% of rental-housing professionals’ time was devoted to strategic and performance-driven work in 2026.[55]
Key questions about the auditing real estate industry
What is the U.S. auditing-services market size in 2026?
How fast is the U.S. auditing-services market growing from 2026 to 2031?
Which companies lead the auditing real estate industry?
What technology shifts are affecting audit work in real estate in 2026?
How is the real-estate audit demand structured?
Do audit fees for REITs stay consistent year to year?
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Auditing Real Estate Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/auditing-real-estate-industry-statistics
Samuel Norberg. "Auditing Real Estate Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/auditing-real-estate-industry-statistics.
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Auditing Real Estate Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/auditing-real-estate-industry-statistics.
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Social media in the auditing real estate industry