CRE Executives Use AI Weekly but Won't Trust It for Deal Decisions
Commercial real estate professionals are using artificial intelligence regularly-just not where it matters most. A new survey found that two-thirds of CRE executives use AI weekly or daily, yet only 5% trust it enough to inform deal decisions.
The gap between usage and confidence reveals where the industry stands. More than half of respondents use AI for support only and exclude it from final decision-making. Another 17% use it only after heavy verification.
Trust and Tool Selection Are the Real Barriers
For executives hesitant to adopt AI more broadly, practical concerns dominate. A third of commercial real estate professionals say they don't know which tools to use. Accuracy concerns follow closely, cited by 32% of respondents.
Cost and unclear ROI rank last among barriers, at just 5%. The issue isn't money-it's confidence in the technology itself.
Matt Key, VP of property data at First American Data & Analytics, framed the challenge directly: "AI adoption in commercial real estate is no longer the question - trust is. Professionals are using AI, but only if the outputs are verifiable and the data is reliable."
Where CRE Sees Real Value
The survey identified two execution areas where AI could deliver immediate value. Automating manual transaction and closing processes ranks first at 33% of respondents. Delivering reliable rent and sales comps in thin or opaque markets ranks second at 25%.
Both priorities point to the same underlying need: CRE professionals want less friction and greater confidence in the data feeding their decisions. A stronger data foundation makes AI more useful and trustworthy.
The survey included 255 commercial real estate professionals across brokerage, lending, capital markets, development, and asset management, fielded between March 31 and April 8, 2026.
CRE executives looking to build confidence in AI outputs may benefit from understanding AI Data Analysis Courses to better evaluate and verify AI-generated insights. For industry-specific guidance, AI for Real Estate & Construction training addresses the trust and decision-making challenges outlined in this survey.
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