The skyline of Los Angeles seems to be a constant of cranes pressed against buildings, luxury high-rises reaching for the heavens, and historic neighborhoods with their continuous metamorphosis from gentrification and growth. Yet behind all of the construction sites and noise, the real estate landscape is undergoing a quieter, yet just as seismic a shift. Artificial intelligence, proptech, modular construction, and sustainability mandates are rewriting the rules of how cities are evolving, and one developer has uniquely positioned himself to read the signals before they become mainstream.
Barak Diskin is that developer. With a career that spans both traditional real estate and technology ventures, Diskin embodies a rare combination: a practitioner who understands the nuts and bolts of development, as well as a strategist who can anticipate the tectonic shifts shaping city life over the next decade. In a market long criticized for slow adoption, Diskin is applying digital tools and forward-thinking approaches to unlock opportunities others will often overlook.
The Tech Convergence: Building Smarter Cities
For Diskin, technology is not simply another business buzzword—it’s a lens for reimagining every stage of the development process. “To me, technology starts playing a role in the decision making from the earliest feasibility study all the way to tenant operations. AI and automation can not only transform how we do things, but how we think about value,” he says. “Markets that have traditionally been opaque and slow-moving are suddenly accessible in ways that give developers and investors a real-time pulse on opportunity.”
AI algorithms now allow Diskin’s team to model demographic shifts, project rental demand, and even simulate traffic patterns for new developments. Blockchain, in particular, is being explored as a tool to streamline financing and land transactions, reducing friction for buyers, sellers, and lenders. Meanwhile, modular and prefabricated construction techniques are not just speeding up timeline, they are reducing waste and costs while improving quality.
In Diskin’s view, technology is less about replacing human judgment and more about amplifying it. “Too many tend to think about building as simply about concrete, steel and glass,” he explains. “But it is so much more than that. It’s about people, behaviors, and patterns. The right data helps us design spaces that are both efficient and human-centric while meeting needs in the correct time.”
Urban Redevelopment & Housing Needs
Diskin’s projects often start with a simple question: how can cities do more with what they already have? He has developed a reputation for identifying undervalued pockets of metropolitan areas primed for redevelopment—places where flexible housing, mixed-use spaces, and live-work communities can thrive.
Los Angeles, like many major cities, faces a chronic housing shortage. Diskin’s approach often combines traditional urban development with forward-looking concepts, such as adaptive reuse of historic properties and micro-unit apartments designed for remote workers or younger professionals seeking flexibility. These projects do more than just simply generate returns, they reshape neighborhoods and set new standards for urban living.
“Urban redevelopment isn’t just about filling empty lots,” Diskin notes. “It’s about connecting communities, respecting the existing fabric, and maybe most importantly, anticipating the needs of a future population that will live, work, and socialize differently than we do today.”
Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2025/11/03/real-estate-technology-evolving-future.html
