Toward a BIM-enabled collaborative framework for real estate development: scientometric evidence on technological advances, trends, and challenges (2020–2024)

In recent years, building information modeling (BIM) in real estate development (RED) has expanded from single-building optimization to broader concerns such as low-carbon performance, spatial governance, market value assessment, and residential risk resilience. However, the stage-based evolution, knowledge structure, and research maturity of this field remain insufficiently synthesized. This study aims to identify the developmental trajectory, regional and collaborative patterns, thematic frontiers, and innovation pathways of BIM applications in RED from 2020 to 2024. Using a scientometric approach, 300 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection through a Boolean search strategy and the PRISMA framework. COOC 6.725 and CiteSpace were employed to analyze six dimensions: thematic evolution, geographical distribution, disciplinary integration, author collaboration, keyword dynamics, and content-based thematic coding. Krippendorff’s Alpha was used to test coding reliability. The results show that the field remains in a transitional stage from technological introduction to systematic integration, as indicated by a relatively high modularity value (Q=0.7055), a high mean silhouette value (S=0.8793), and the continued centrality of Cluster #1BIM. Three phases were identified: energy management (2020-2021), information modeling and intelligent construction (2022), and multi-source data fusion and integration (2023-2024). China led in publication output, although regional influence and collaboration intensity remained uneven. The study’s novelty lies in explicitly delimiting the analysis to RED and integrating hierarchical thematic coding with citation-weighted Sankey visualization. Based on these findings, a “1+3+N” collaborative innovation framework is proposed as a literature-based reference for future empirical research.