The new year's budget just dropped, and with it came a fresh set of data challenges. After working through the sources and tools with our teams, one pattern keeps emerging: the organisations that can connect their fragmented data, deploy AI with purpose, and blend human judgment with machine intelligence are going to move first in 2026. Everyone else will spend the year playing catch-up.
What's Actually Happening
Real Estate & Developers
When the mansion tax on properties over £2M hit, I watched analysts scramble to make sense of it using council tax bands from 1991. The analysis fell apart immediately. Wrong frameworks, outdated data sources.
At Keyrus, we've built our approach differently. We layer human market knowledge with the data that tells the story: new developments, current valuations, planning exceptions, transaction velocity, and market concentration. We know where to look because we've been in these markets long enough to understand what matters.
The real story isn't whether development stops. It's how it redistributes. We're already seeing properties cluster around £1.8M to just under £2M. There's emerging strength in mixed-use and alternative segments. Institutional investors are repositioning. By connecting transaction data, planning permissions, and funding flows, we can map exactly where capital is moving and which service providers need to reposition before their competitors do.
Energy & Utilities
The new energy cap is going to reshape distribution networks and investment flows in ways most people haven't thought through yet. Business consumption patterns will shift. Industrial users will recalibrate locations. Clients will switch providers.
The question your teams should be asking: which regions are about to see demand shifts? Which distribution networks will face congestion or suddenly find themselves underutilised? Where does infrastructure investment become urgent? We're using consumption data, tariff feeds, and facility location intelligence to map these flows now. Because maintenance planning, grid reinforcement, and customer acquisition strategies all need to shift with the data, not after the fact.
Insurance & Financial Services
Risk correlations don't stay static when policy changes. The insurers and financial institutions that win will be running continuous AI-driven model updates to catch emerging patterns before they hit portfolios. New variables are coming into play, especially with revised property valuations on the horizon.
Wealth Management
Client exposure varies dramatically by portfolio composition. Generic advice doesn't cut it anymore. AI can surface which clients are genuinely affected and which ones need strategic conversations right now. The wealth managers who get personalisation right, backed by real data, are going to have a massive advantage.
How This Works in Practice
We're using platforms like Dataiku for predictive modelling, Allmates.ai agents for autonomous scenario analysis, Alteryx for rapid data workflows, and Tableau for real-time dashboards. The goal is simple: move from scattered analysis to clear, actionable insight.
A developer can model portfolio stress in weeks instead of months. An insurer recalibrates underwriting monthly. A wealth manager prioritises client conversations based on genuine impact, not gut feel.
The real game changer? Being scenario-ready with your data before the market shifts.
Ready to Move First?
The budget is live. The organisations that win in 2026 won't wait around for clarity. They'll create it, using connected data and purposeful AI to position themselves now, while their competitors are still figuring out what happened.
At Keyrus UK, we help organisations move first. We know the property market. We know which data sources reveal real patterns and which tools surface genuine insight. We combine that market knowledge with best-in-class platforms to help clients understand where capital is flowing, how service distribution is reshaping, and where competitive advantage is emerging.
The question isn't whether 2026 will surprise you. It's whether you'll be positioned when it does.
Let's talk about your 2026 opportunity.
About the Author
Daniel Jimenez is a Principal Consultant in Data & AI at Keyrus UK, specialising in aligning advanced analytics and artificial intelligence with business strategy. With international experience leading digital transformation across finance, healthcare, and insurance, Daniel combines technical expertise in AI and statistics with a design approach to data storytelling. He helps CTOs and CDOs turn complex market changes into clear, actionable strategies.