Akash Singh as Director of Digital, AI & Customer Experience

Independent real estate group Urban Real Estate has made an industry-leading investment in its digital future, appointing Akash Singh as Director of Digital, AI & Customer Experience.

The newly created executive role brings digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and customer experience together under one dedicated portfolio, positioning UrbanReal Estate at the forefront of innovation within the independent real estate sector.

A mathematician and data scientist by trade, Singh brings 20 years of experience across the media, PropTech, medical and IT industries, together with a proven track record in artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

Singh will lead Urban Real Estate’s digital and AI strategy across the group, with an initial focus on reducing manual reporting, connecting business data, and simplifying repetitive administrative processes. For Urban’s sales agents, this means better access to information, stronger insights, and more time for prospecting, advising vendors, nurturing buyers, and building relationships. For property managers, the focus will be on removing unnecessary administration, improving workflow visibility, and creating more time for proactive communication with landlords and tenants.

The appointment also supports Urban Real Estate’s broader recruitment strategy, strengthening the platform, systems, and support available to high-performing real estate professionals. Urban Real Estate Managing Director Chris Lowry said the appointment reflects the group’s commitment to building an environment where ambitious people can do their best work. 

“The best people want to work with businesses that invest in their success. They expect strong leadership, modern systems and a platform that helps them perform at a higher level,” Mr Lowry said. “As an independent group, we have the agility to move quickly and develop solutions around the needs of our people and customers. This investment will help our sales agents and property managers work more effectively, make better-informed decisions, and focus their energy where it creates the most value. 

“Akash brings a rare combination of technical expertise, commercial thinking, and cross-industry experience. His appointment is an important part of building a contemporary real estate business that can attract, support, and retain exceptional talent.”

Urban Real Estate CEO Katrina Tarrant said the appointment was not about removing the human element from real estate but creating more space for it. “Real estate will always be a people business. This is not about becoming less human; it is about using technology to help us become even more human,” Ms Tarrant said. “Our sales agents should be spending their time in conversations, building trust, and helping customers make confident decisions. Our property managers should have the capacity to be proactive, responsive, and present for landlords and tenants. They should not be held back by disconnected systems, duplicated tasks, or hours of manual reporting.

“For people considering their next career move, this is what joining Urban Real Estate increasingly means: having access to the technology, insights and support of a progressive group, while retaining the relationships, local knowledge and personal service that make great real estate professionals stand out.

“Success will not be measured by how much technology we introduce. It will be measured by whether our people feel better supported, whether they have more time for meaningful work and whether our customers feel more understood, informed and cared for.”

Singh will work closely with teams across Urban Real Estate to understand their current workflows, identify pressure points and turn opportunities into practical initiatives that deliver measurable benefits. “This is an industry-leading investment for an independent real estate group and an important step in Urban Real Estate’s next phase of growth,” Ms Tarrant said.

Singh commenced in the role on 21 September 2026.