- 76% of respondents say that coordination with the stakeholders involved is the biggest
challenge in transactions. - 89% of respondents lose more than 30 hours per deal due to miscommunication, 18% even
lose more than 150 hours. - 65% of respondents see a central collaboration platform for all parties involved as essential to
solving communication problems.
Frankfurt am Main, 8 April 2025 – According to a new survey by Drooms and Statista on the role
communication plays in transaction processes, conducted among a total of 50 real estate experts and 50
M&A managers, 76% of respondents see collaboration with stakeholders as the biggest challenge in
transactions. In addition, the number of stakeholders involved in a transaction (67%), the complexity of
the transaction itself (63%), a lack of transparency (60%), and slow processes (57%) are the biggest
challenges according to the experts surveyed. Overall, 51% believe that the complexity of transactions
has increased significantly in recent years.
One reason for these difficulties is the plethora of communication channels used by the various
stakeholders. 100% of respondents use email during the transaction process, 88% use phone calls, 78%
use video conferencing, 70% use centralised transaction platforms and 19% use messaging apps such as
WhatsApp. The latter is particularly concerning, as such messaging services are not automatically
protected under the GDPR.
“All stakeholders in a transaction must be able to rely on a ‘single source of truth’, otherwise a
profitable deal is doomed to failure from the outset. The problems with deal communication identified
in the survey significantly reduce the likelihood of a successful transaction. Communication really is
the lifeblood of smooth transactions. Miscommunication or delays in clarity can ripple through
processes, creating inefficiencies that quickly add up. This finding underlines the importance of clear,
timely, and effective communication in any business deal. That’s why we launched Drooms Chat last
year to centralise all deal communication on one platform. With our modern AI features, high security
standards and mobile access options, we are creating a due diligence platform that significantly
increases deal security, speed and the probability of success”, comments Alexandre Grellier, CEO and
Co-Founder of Drooms.
Lack of communication costs time and erodes trust
The study shows that ineffective communication not only leads to delays in decision-making (76%) and
process execution (75%), but also to the loss of information (72%) and misunderstandings (69%). The
high loss of time is particularly worrying: 89% of respondents state that they lose more than 30 hours
per deal due to communication problems, 18% report a loss of more than 150 hours. Converted to a
full-time position, that equates to almost four weeks of working time per year that can be lost due to
poor or miscommunication.
Importance of transparency and centralized communication systems
The survey also shows that a centralised collaboration platform for all parties involved (65%) and a
clear understanding of the distribution of tasks/communication framework (65%) as well as the
trackability of messages and documents (66%) are seen as crucial to solving communication problems
and making transactions more efficient. In addition, 42% of respondents are calling for stronger
security measures for confidential data.
Grellier explains: “Technological solutions such as centralised collaboration platforms play a key role in
optimising communication, securing the exchange of information and increasing transparency in
complex processes. In addition, those who do not pay attention to the necessary security standards of
their communication channels risk severe penalties from the supervisory authorities, as recent examples
from the USA clearly show.”
Of the real estate experts surveyed, 48% work for traditional real estate companies and developers,
42% at investment companies, funds and banks, 6% in the corporate real estate segment and 4% in the
public sector. Of the M&A managers, 30% work in private equity firms, 22% in M&A boutiques, 20%
in corporate finance departments, 18% in investment banks and 10% in management consultancies.
The full report can be found here: https://drooms.com/the-communication-factor-unlocking-efficiency-
in-transactions/
