Organisations are prioritising AI in their real estate technology budgets
AI in commercial real estate has moved to focused use cases that create clear business value. JLL's 2025 Global Real Estate Technology Survey, fielded across 1,500+ senior investor and occupier leaders in 16 markets, shows broad activity, low maturity, and budgets shifting to build for scale.
88% of investors, owners and landlords have started piloting AI, typically running about five use cases at once. On the occupier side, 92% report active corporate real estate AI pilots.
It's a pivot from simple efficiency plays to growth and measurable impact. Over half of investors saw meaningful tech budget growth in the past two years despite economic headwinds, and 87% of all respondents say AI directly increased their real estate tech budgets.
Where the money is going
- Top priority: strategic advisory on technology and AI for the next two years.
- Upgrades to cyber and data security, plus infrastructure to integrate AI safely.
- Data platforms that can actually feed advanced models with clean, connected data.
JLL's chief technology officer, Yao Morin, noted that clients are choosing long-term value over quick wins. She emphasized that a strong data platform is essential for growth, and companies that invested early are pulling ahead.
Adoption is high. Maturity is low.
Fewer than 5% of companies started AI pilots in 2023. Now, a large share of occupier teams are implementing because the C-suite expects it and views AI as a competitive necessity.
The outcomes are mixed: only 5% say they hit every program goal, while 47% achieved two to three. Leaders build methodically-clear roadmaps, quality data and infrastructure, and AI embedded into core workflows-widening the gap with everyone else.
The cost of waiting
JLL cautions that delay doesn't just slow growth; it risks relevance as the market rewards tech-forward portfolios and operations. Even so, more than 60% of investors are still unprepared-strategically, organisationally and technically.
Sharad Rastogi, chief executive of JLL's Work Dynamics Technology Group, said effective AI begins with a clear strategy tied to business objectives. He added that execution needs the right mix of internal expertise and external partners to upskill teams, set governance, and build lasting capabilities.
Practical moves for real estate and construction leaders
- Set a 12-18 month AI plan that ties to hard KPIs: leasing velocity, NOI uplift, opex per sq ft, energy intensity, WALT, safety incidents.
- Pick a small set of use cases with near-term payoff: predictive maintenance, energy optimisation and carbon reporting, leasing and underwriting analytics, portfolio risk, space planning and utilisation.
- Fix the data first: unify leases, BMS/IoT, work orders, PM schedules, and capex; standardise naming; add quality checks; log lineage so audits are easy.
- Upgrade security: identity and access management, data segregation, key management, incident response, vendor risk reviews.
- Build operating guardrails: an AI steering group, clear product owners in FM, projects, and leasing; human review for key decisions; model monitoring; usage policies.
- Develop people and partners: train FM, PM, and asset-management teams on prompts, evaluation, and change management; bring in specialists for model deployment and integrations.
- Pilot with discipline: 90-day sprints, baseline metrics, control assets, and a stop/scale rule based on ROI and risk.
- Integrate into the tools your teams already use (CMMS, CAFM, IWMS, ERP) so adoption sticks.
What this means for your next budget cycle
Fund data and security first, then a handful of pilots that hit revenue or risk targets in under two quarters. Require every vendor to show data contracts, integration plans, security posture, and how results will be measured on your assets-not generic benchmarks.
If your team needs structured upskilling to move faster, consider focused training paths by role. See AI courses by job or scan the latest AI courses to fill skills gaps.
Further reading
- JLL research hub: jll.com
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