How AI and Automation Are Shaping CRE: CoreNet Global Survey

May 7, 2026

AI Corporate Real Estate Featured National More News

Industry professionals weigh in on how their firms are implementing new tech into everyday tools of the trade.

Artificial intelligence and automation are considered the most significant forces shaping corporate real estate, according to a new report by CoreNet Global in collaboration with Colliers.

But the annual survey of CRE professionals revealed many organizations are struggling with how best to integrate and implement new technology into portfolio planning, operations and workplace management.

The report, titled “CRE at an inflection point,” is based on surveys of more than 1,000 corporate real estate professionals across CoreNet Global’s recent surveys in North America, EMEA and APAC.

Globally, 51 percent of respondents named AI and automation as the main force impacting CRE over the next three to five years. In North America, that number climbed to 54 percent of respondents and Jodie Poirier, president of Occupier Services for the Americas at Colliers, was not surprised. In fact, she said she expected the percentage to be higher.

Poirier, who co-authored the North American report with Executive Vice President Chris Zlocki, head of client experience of global Occupier Services, said organizations here “are under pressure to extract more insight, efficiency and predictability from their real estate portfolios.”

“What this tells me is that while AI is clearly recognized as transformative, many occupiers are still in the process of connecting the promise of AI to the practical, scalable use cases inside their organizations,” Poirier told Commercial Property Executive. “We’re at a time where awareness is high, but confidence in execution is still catching up.”

That’s clear in the survey results. Approximately half of respondents globally reported feeling only somewhat ready to innovate, and just 21 percent said they have a well-defined framework in place. The most significant barriers cited were financial constraints, limited time and capacity, and organizational resistance to change.

Preparedness is a challenge

For the North American report, Colliers surveyed more than 600 industry leaders from across the globe, including occupiers, investors and service providers, providing a wide range of portfolios and priorities.

Of that group, 47 percent said their organizations were somewhat prepared to scale technology and 35 percent said they were prepared and already implanting innovations across key areas. Fifteen percent reported their firms were in early stages and planning was underway. Just 3 percent stated there was no clear strategy or resourcing in place at their companies.

For the North American respondents, financial and budgetary constraints were viewed as the most significant barrier to driving innovation at their organizations (39 percent), while 35 percent stated budgeting time and focus on solutions was the top issue.

Resistance to change followed at 33 percent along with 28 percent citing inability to overcome legacy systems and infrastructure. The other barriers cited included lack of dedicated resources (24 percent), unclear return on investment or business case (19 percent) and not an organizational priority (9 percent).

Nearly 50 percent of the respondents reported having only a partially developed innovation framework; 19 percent stated their firms have a well-defined, measurable framework with regular reviews and key performance indicators. The report notes, “alarmingly 12 percent admit they have no defined approach.”

Poirier said the “somewhat prepared” group represents the next wave of progress. She said those organizations understand the importance of innovation and are actively looking to scale, but many are constrained by budget pressures, legacy infrastructure and competing priorities.

“That’s why focus matters,” she said. “The organizations that will move quickly are those that are disciplined about where they invest, modernize incrementally and tie innovation directly to business outcomes rather than treating it as a separate initiative. Overcoming legacy systems is less about replacing everything at once and more about creating a clear roadmap forward.”

For the 12 percent of respondents who shared they have no defined approach to developing an innovation framework, Poirier said this is where strong advisory partnerships with Colliers or other CRE services firms become critical.

“Many organizations know they need to innovate, but they have not yet defined where to focus or how to execute in a disciplined way,” Poirier said. “Our role is to help clients bring structure and clarity to that process by identifying the areas where innovation can drive the greatest business impact, aligning the right stakeholders and creating a practical roadmap tied to measurable outcomes.”

Poirier noted many companies are in the pilot phase, testing tools and identifying practical use cases as they attempt to embed AI into day-to-day operations in a way that drives efficiency, better decision-making and measurable business outcomes. The companies that move ahead successfully will be those that approach innovation strategically, with clear priorities, strong data foundations and a willingness to evolve how they operate, she added.

Sectors driving CRE innovation transformation

Asked which CRE sectors are the leading driver of transformation in corporate real estate, not surprisingly 81 percent of the North American respondents chose technology. Life science & health care (36 percent) and industrial & logistics (29 percent) were the closest choices. They were followed by professional services (23 percent), financial services (23 percent), global energy (21 percent), retail (6 percent) and public sector/government at 4 percent.

The San Francisco Bay Area was chosen as the top North American innovation hub by 35 percent of respondents. The Northeast Corridor followed at 23 percent and Austin & Texas Triangle at 16 percent. Other regions came in with single-digit responses: the Southeast (9 percent), Midwest (8 percent), other (5 percent), Canada (4 percent) and Mexico at 1 percent.