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Every building begins with an idea, but bringing that idea to life involves hundreds of decisions, from the architect who develops the design to the materials, products and finishes that ultimately define the space.
Behind those decisions sits an extensive process of research. Architects explore new materials, interior designers compare products, builders investigate technical specifications and homeowners discover what might be possible for their own projects.
Much of this activity now takes place online, which gives brands the opportunity to become part of the design and specification process, often long before a product is selected or a purchasing decision is made.
Most product decisions start long before anyone makes an enquiry, in the research that architects, designers and homeowners carry out as a project takes shape.
THE DATA
Four months of research across ArchiPro
Between July and October 2026, ArchiPro recorded more than 2.09 million research sessions across Australia and New Zealand, involving 1.74 million distinct devices.
Over the same period the marketplace featured 347,872 products and 62,956 published projects, while its published pages generated a further 5.78 million impressions through Google Search.
- 2.09M
Research sessions
Across Australia and New Zealand, July to October 2026. - 1.74M
Distinct devices
Measured across both marketplaces. - 347,872
Products
Featured on the marketplace during the period. - 62,956
Published projects
Completed work from practices and brands. - 5.78M
Google Search impressions
Generated by ArchiPro's published pages.
Together, these figures offer a useful view of the scale of product research taking place across the built environment, and of the people and organisations influencing the decisions behind it.
THE SPECIFIERS
The professionals shaping product decisions
One of the most significant findings is the depth of engagement among architecture and design professionals, whose work places them at the centre of product research and specification across residential, commercial and institutional projects.
Over the four months, ArchiPro identified 9,471 architecture and design professionals from approximately 4,050 practices researching published brand content, alongside a substantial cross-section of the wider building industry.
- 9,471
Architecture and design professionals
From approximately 4,050 practices. - 11,355
Construction professionals
Builders and construction businesses. - 3,021
Engineers and technical consultants
Researching published brand content. - 20,040
Institutional researchers
From government, education and other institutions.
What makes this audience particularly interesting is how research spreads within individual organisations, often extending across many people inside the same practice.
- 109
Warren and Mahoney
Identified individuals researching published brand content. - 109
Designgroup Stapleton Elliott
Identified individuals researching published brand content. - 70
Ignite Architects
Identified individuals engaging with the marketplace.
These patterns suggest that product discovery is embedded across architectural practices, with different team members researching materials, comparing suppliers and developing specifications as a project progresses.
For brands, that creates an opportunity to build familiarity with the people making and influencing product decisions throughout the design process, particularly when the information available supports the practical needs of architects, designers and other building professionals.
Specification rarely sits with one person. It moves through a practice as the project develops, and every person researching is someone a brand can become familiar to.
THE HOMEOWNERS
A growing community of homeowners
Alongside this professional audience, ArchiPro recorded 830,373 measured private buyers researching published brand content over the same four months.
Auckland and Sydney each accounted for more than 210,000 measured individuals, followed by Melbourne with more than 111,000, while Brisbane, Christchurch, Wellington and Perth were also significant centres of activity.
- 210K+
Auckland
Measured individuals researching brand content. - 210K+
Sydney
Measured individuals researching brand content. - 111K+
Melbourne
Measured individuals researching brand content.
These audiences were actively engaging with supplier information too, generating 3,720 direct enquiries, 42,002 referrals to supplier websites and 6,196 document downloads during the period.
The relationship between homeowners and design professionals matters because successful building projects depend on both the aspirations of the people who will live in a space and the expertise of those responsible for designing it.
Homeowners may begin by exploring architectural projects or discovering materials, while architects and interior designers bring the experience and technical knowledge needed to translate those ambitions into considered design outcomes.
Inspiration → Research → Specification → Enquiry
For brands, being present with both audiences means building awareness throughout that collaborative process, from the earliest moments of inspiration through to detailed product research and specification.
THE CATEGORIES
From the building envelope to the finished interior
Product research on ArchiPro also shows how interest develops across categories, reflecting the breadth of decisions involved in completing a building project.
Windows, doors, cladding and facade systems continue to attract substantial attention. Cladding & Facades generated 37,139 product pageviews in New Zealand over the four months, and Windows & Doors remained among the leading categories in both Australia and New Zealand.
Some of the strongest growth, however, came from interior categories, suggesting the audience is engaging with products across the full spectrum of architecture and design.
- 8.4×
Lamps, Australia
Growth in research between July and October. - ~5×
Living Room Furniture, Australia
Growth in research between July and October. - 3.3×
Living Room Furniture, New Zealand
Growth in research between July and October.
Interest in flooring, paints and other interior finishes increased alongside them. Research needs evolve naturally as a project progresses, from the envelope through to the furniture and lighting that complete a space, and each stage creates another moment where a brand can be discovered.
The envelope may be decided early, but the interior keeps the research going for months afterwards, and brands are discovered at every stage in between.
That makes a comprehensive product presence increasingly valuable, particularly when brands provide the range of imagery, specifications, finishes and supporting information that architects and designers need to evaluate products for their projects.
THE SHIFT
The next evolution of product discovery
Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in how people find the brands, products and information relevant to their building projects.
Between July and October, ArchiPro recorded 12,377 research sessions referred by identifiable AI assistants, with October activity 86% higher than July. ChatGPT accounted for the majority of these referrals, alongside activity from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Copilot.
- 12,377
AI-referred research sessions
From identifiable AI assistants, July to October. - +86%
Growth in AI referrals
October activity compared with July.
As AI becomes part of everyday research, the quality and accessibility of published product information matter more. Detailed descriptions, clear categorisation, technical specifications and documented applications all make product information more useful across every discovery channel.
Published architectural projects add another layer of value by showing how products perform visually and functionally within completed spaces, connecting individual materials and objects to the broader architectural outcome.
The information that helps an architect evaluate a product is the same information that helps a search engine or an AI assistant understand it.
For brands, this is an opportunity to build a richer digital presence that supports discovery through traditional search engines, specialist marketplaces and emerging AI-assisted research tools alike. We explored this shift in more detail in AI is changing how architecture and product discovery works.
THE OUTCOME
Where research becomes action
Across Australia and New Zealand, ArchiPro recorded 68,841 click-throughs to supplier websites over the four months, as marketplace research led audiences directly to the brands whose products had caught their attention.
Those visits connect the research taking place on ArchiPro with the information, services and purchasing pathways available on a supplier's own website, and several brands attracted hundreds of referrals during the period.
- 711
Cosh Living
Click-throughs in Australia. - 694
Stonini
Click-throughs in Australia. - 606
Gardeners Emporium
Click-throughs in New Zealand. - 566
Cult Design
Click-throughs in New Zealand.
The data also shows a clear relationship between the depth of a brand's published content and the attention its products receive, particularly when those products are connected to completed architectural projects.
Products tagged within published projects attracted approximately 3.7 times the attention of products without project tags.
A product presented on its own explains its appearance, features and technical characteristics. Featured within a completed architectural project, the same product shows its application, its relationship with other materials and its contribution to the overall design.
For architects and interior designers, that context is especially useful when evaluating products and communicating design decisions to clients, while homeowners gain a clearer sense of how materials, furniture and finishes might work within their own spaces.
WHAT TO DO NOW
Building a stronger presence in the specification journey
Several themes run through the research, particularly the value of comprehensive product information and of connecting products with real architectural applications. The useful question for any brand is a practical one.
When an architect, designer or homeowner researches your category, what will they find?
- 01. Publish the full range
Brands with extensive catalogues create more opportunities to be discovered through relevant searches, across every stage of a project. - 02. Give professionals the detail
Technical specifications, dimensions, finishes and documentation help architects and designers evaluate whether a product suits their project. - 03. Show products in projects
Tagging products within published projects shows how they have been applied in completed environments, giving audiences greater context and confidence. - 04. Keep it current
From product imagery and available finishes to supplier contact details, accurate information ensures people can find what they need as their projects develop.
These are practical areas of investment that improve how products are presented, discovered and evaluated across the marketplace.
WHAT COMES NEXT
An increasingly connected industry
The way the architecture and design industry discovers, researches and selects products now extends across professional practices, homeowners, digital publishing platforms, search engines and an expanding range of AI-powered tools.
What connects these audiences is their need for credible, accessible product information, and for an understanding of how individual materials and products contribute to completed spaces.
As the relationship between digital research and physical projects continues to develop, the value of a comprehensive product presence will extend well beyond visibility, helping brands become a more meaningful part of the architectural design and specification process.
Every product published, every project documented and every specification made accessible creates another opportunity to participate in the decisions shaping our built environment.
Source: ArchiPro Marketplace Executive Review, July to October 2026. Data reflects measured activity across the Australian and New Zealand marketplaces. Research sessions, identified individuals and engagement actions are reported as separate metrics.
See how your brand appears across ArchiPro
ArchiPro's Marketing and Platform teams can help brands understand how their category is being researched, who is engaging with their products and where their presence across projects, products and specifications could be strengthened.