DOI: 10.69554/tesl2126 ISSN: 2043-9156

From fragmented systems to financial clarity: Rethinking real estate technology in a new era of accountability

Blake Mulligan, Cliff Heyne
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This paper explores how evolving lease accounting requirements, growing regulatory complexity and rising business expectations are reshaping the relationship between corporate real estate and accounting teams. While many organisations have adopted technology to support lease administration and compliance, fragmented systems continue to create operational inefficiencies, reporting challenges and data inconsistencies. The paper outlines common barriers organisations face when managing real estate and lease data across teams, including siloed workflows, manual processes and limited collaboration between real estate, accounting and IT functions. It introduces a three-stage maturity framework for real estate technology adoption, ranging from spreadsheet-driven environments to fully integrated platforms that support shared data, workflows and governance. Drawing on real-world examples, implementation lessons and industry research, the paper highlights practical considerations for evaluating and adopting real estate technology, including stakeholder alignment, data governance, process standardisation and change management. It also examines the importance of cross-functional collaboration and shared understanding of accounting concepts such as ‘reasonable certainty’ under lease accounting standards. Readers will gain insight into how integrated real estate technology can improve operational visibility, support compliance efforts, strengthen collaboration across teams and enable more informed decision making. The paper concludes with actionable checklists and a prioritised roadmap that organisations can apply immediately. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.

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