AI Adoption Lags Behind Intent, CRE Awareness

BOSTON -- While technology is now essential, many commercial real estate teams are struggling to translate innovation, particularly AI into everyday operational impact, according to a new global research report.

Building Engines, a JLL company, has released “The State of Property Management Technology, 2026,” based on a survey of more than 350 commercial real estate (CRE) professionals conducted in partnership with BOMA International.

The research shows that AI awareness is rising rapidly, with more than 45 percent of respondents saying they have a good understanding of how AI can support property management – more than double last year's figure.

But adoption lags far behind intent: Only 28 percent of property teams have implemented AI in their building operations, despite nearly half planning to invest more in property management software in the coming year.

Tenant satisfaction may be improving on paper, but the day-to-day experience tells a different story. While 41 percent of property managers believe tenant satisfaction has improved over the past year, tenant comfort issues continue to account for nearly two-thirds of all service requests.

More than half of property teams spend five or more hours each week managing tenant communications, most of it via email, creating inefficiencies that strain already-lean teams.

The report also highlights a growing disconnect between how satisfied property managers believe tenants are and the experiences of the broader employee population within buildings, underscoring the need for more proactive, technology-enabled tenant engagement tools.

Sustainability is no longer just an ESG initiative, it's a business imperative. Nearly 60 percent of respondents rank energy efficiency and expense reduction as their top sustainability priority for 2026, with most teams actively tracking energy and water usage.

However, major data gaps remain, including refrigerant tracking, which nearly half of respondents do not monitor at all, posing both regulatory and operational risks.

Industry-specific insights reveal that retail and industrial property managers feel particularly underserved by existing software, with fewer than half confident that today's tools meet their needs; creating opportunities for purpose-built technology focused on preventive maintenance, capital project management, and tenant experience.

The report concludes that success in 2026 will depend on property teams' ability to:

• Turn AI's promise into practical tools that improve daily operations.
• Deliver tenant experiences that match rising expectations.
• Use sustainability data to reduce costs and improve performance.

"Property teams are interested in AI and technology, but many are still unsure how to apply it in ways that actually make their jobs easier," said Aliza Carpio, Director of Product Management, JLL. “The opportunity in 2026 is to move AI from a concept to a practical tool that solves real, day-to-day challenges. Across nearly a decade of our annual research, one theme remains consistent: property management continues to grow more complex, but teams that pair proven operational fundamentals with smart, focused technology investments are best positioned to succeed."

For more, go to jll.com.