The GIS system enables users to perform better real estate analyses, keep a secure land ownership record, and increase market transparency and accessibility.
Digital mapping will bring a revolution in Pakistan’s real estate sector, boosting the economy by enhancing trade activities, according to reports.
For digital mapping, the geographic information system (GIS) combines computer graphics technology with database structures. The system enables users to perform better real estate analyses, keep a secure land ownership record, and increase market transparency and accessibility.
This technology will soon revolutionise the real estate sector in Pakistan. Muhammad Khan, the General Manager of the Remote Sensing and Geo-Information System Lab, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), said that digital mapping had rapidly evolved as cities and municipalities started using the geographic information system to solve problems related to accurate information about the property.
“A property’s location is critical for purchase, sale, and investment. Because of future development prospects, the location and proximity of any plot of land can significantly increase or decrease its overall value,” he said.
He claimed that the real estate industry relied on face-to-face interactions to close deals. He believes that digital mapping will make the process faster and more convenient because it will allow agents and clients to visualise the real prospects of the property without having to travel a long distance to visit the site and finalise a deal.
“PropTech (property technology) has significantly changed the nature of the sector in recent years. People can now view the location and locality of any plot of land using interactive digital mapping. This technology enables individuals and businesses and urban planners to find suitable land, analyse building sites and make better decisions,” said Muhammad Khan.
In addition, several layers of additional data are superimposed on top of the base map to make it useful for a variety of purposes. As a result of this capability, the GIS system can provide users with a deeper understanding of location data, identify patterns, establish relationships, and help them make better decisions in future planning.
Muhammad Khan stated that government and financial institutions could use mapping data to create virtual land title databases to document the real estate sector while explaining the application of digital mapping. “Land grabbing and ownership issues have flooded the courts because Pakistan lacks such a database,” he added.
He stated that mapping data was heavily used by banks and financial institutions in the developed world for risk assessment and credit approvals. The real estate sector in Pakistan lacks proper documentation of land records. The issue exists because land registries are still kept on paper, which is prone to tampering and damage over time.
According to Muhammad Khan, in many cases, multiple people claimed a single piece of land, and no system could provide a way for such disputes to be resolved. “As a result, a system that digitally maps every piece of land to its rightful owner can bring much-needed transparency to this sector,” he added.
It has the potential to improve courtroom efficiency and boost investor confidence in Pakistan’s real estate market. The process can significantly improve the quality of real estate products offered on multiple platforms while helping Pakistan revolutionise the sector. “Digital mapping will improve the real estate market,” he said.