The Build to Rent Annual Conference (BTRAC) 2025 confirmed what many in the sector already feel: the Build-to-Rent (BTR) market is maturing fast, and operational excellence, driven by data and compliance, is defining which portfolios will lead this next chapter of growth.
Gathering investors, developers, and operators at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, this year’s conference reflected a record-breaking 2024 for the sector, with £5.2 billion in investment according to Knight Frank. Despite market headwinds, BTR continues to prove both resilient and innovative, blending design, sustainability, and technology to meet tenant expectations and deliver solid returns.
Building Safety and the Efficiency Imperative
Among the standout sessions was a panel exploring how digital tools can drive efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance. Zutec Managing Director & CRO, James Cannon, captured the heart of the challenge with a single question: “Is my building safe?”
Compliance with the Building Safety Act (BSA) remains top of mind across the industry, particularly as the BTR sector scales its high-rise portfolio. The Act demands stringent evidence of safety and accountability, requirements that have fundamentally reframed how owners and operators must manage building data.
Cannon shared that “with a third of all UK BTR high-rises on our platform, we’re seeing a clear trend: a shift away from disjointed processes and spreadsheets, and towards more integrated systems.” This move from building-level management to portfolio-level data consolidation, he explained, provides operators not just with compliance assurance, but with a foundation for efficiency and strategic insight.
Data as a Strategic Asset
That theme—data as the new lever for asset performance—ran throughout BTRAC 2025. Delegates discussed how the most successful BTR operators are treating building information not just as a compliance requirement but as a key to long-term value.
Integrating safety and operational data across a portfolio enables a “corporate view” of risk, maintenance performance, and tenant satisfaction. It’s also critical groundwork for the industry’s next step: AI-readiness. Structured data unlocks predictive capabilities, from forecasting maintenance needs to optimising energy performance. This digital maturity is beginning to separate top-performing portfolios in an increasingly competitive investment landscape.
Find What Matters: The Data Foundations for AI-Driven Building Information
Design, Sustainability, and Community: The Broader BTR Vision
Beyond technology and regulation, the conference also showcased the creative and operational innovations reshaping BTR living. Sessions explored how thoughtful design, sustainable materials, and curated amenities are transforming tenant experience, particularly as suburban BTR developments attract new demographics.
Investors continue to navigate economic volatility, but the underlying fundamentals remain strong: institutional appetite, consistent rental demand, and the growing professionalisation of BTR operational models.
The Road Ahead for BTR Operators
The message from BTRAC 2025 was clear: compliance is only the beginning. The successful BTR operators of the next decade will be those who can turn regulatory rigour and operational data into strategic advantage.
For asset managers balancing safety, performance, and resident satisfaction, this means investing in digital ecosystems that connect compliance to value creation. As the Building Safety Act continues to shape operational priorities, those who master data-driven management will not only stay compliant, but they’ll also set the benchmark for what excellence looks like in Build-to-Rent.
If managing information across your BTR portfolio feels complex, now is the time to rethink how structured data and digital tools can strengthen compliance, performance, and building safety. Explore our booklets on digital handover and data migration to help you create consistent, portfolio-wide data models. And if you’re interested in seeing how conversational AI can deliver instant, document-backed answers, join the waitlist for early access to Zutec AI.