AI in Commercial Real Estate: How It’s Being Used Today — and What to Watch for in 2026

BLOG // December 2025

AI in Commercial Real Estate: How It’s Being Used Today — and What to Watch for in 2026

Artificial intelligence has officially made its way into commercial real estate — but not in the flashy, sci-fi way headlines sometimes suggest. In reality, AI is quietly becoming another tool in the CRE toolbox, helping investors, tenants, and brokers analyze information faster, spot patterns earlier, and make more informed decisions. As we head into 2026, the question isn’t if AI will impact commercial real estate — it’s how much it already has, and where it actually adds value.

Here’s a practical look at how AI is being used today, how it’s influencing the market, and what CRE professionals should keep an eye on next.

How AI Is Actually Being Used in CRE Today

Despite the buzz, AI isn’t replacing brokers or eliminating the need for experience. Instead, it’s supporting the work that already happens behind the scenes.

Market Research & Trend Analysis

AI-powered research tools can process large volumes of data — leasing activity, rent growth, vacancy rates, and demographic trends — much faster than traditional methods. This helps teams:

  • Identify emerging submarkets
  • Compare performance across regions
  • Spot shifts in demand earlier

In short, AI speeds up the research process — but it still takes local knowledge to interpret what the numbers really mean.

Site Selection & Location Strategy

Retailers, medical users, and industrial tenants are increasingly using AI-driven data to support site selection decisions. These tools evaluate factors like traffic patterns, consumer behavior, workforce availability, and competition. Rather than relying only on historical comps, AI helps answer forward-looking questions:

  • Will this location still work five years from now?
  • Is demand growing or flattening?

It’s not replacing boots-on-the-ground market insight — but it’s sharpening the lens.

Underwriting Support (Not Replacement)

AI is also being used to assist with underwriting by quickly reviewing comparable sales, lease terms, and operating expenses to flag outliers or inconsistencies. Importantly, AI doesn’t “decide” whether a deal works. It helps highlight:

  • Assumptions that deserve a second look
  • Risks that may not be obvious at first glance
  • Scenarios worth stress-testing

Human judgment still drives the final call.

Property Operations & Asset Management

On the operations side, AI is starting to show up in areas like:

  • Predictive maintenance
  • Energy usage optimization
  • Tenant behavior analysis

These tools aim to reduce surprises, control costs, and improve tenant experience — all of which support long-term asset performance.

How AI Is Influencing the CRE Market

While AI hasn’t upended commercial real estate, it has changed expectations. Speed Matters More Than Ever.  When data can be analyzed quickly, decisions move faster. Groups that use AI effectively can often:

  • Evaluate opportunities sooner
  • Respond more quickly to market shifts
  • Compete more confidently in tight deal environments

That speed can be a meaningful advantage — especially in competitive markets.

Better Data, Not Just More Data

AI works best when paired with clean, accurate information. Markets with limited or inconsistent data still rely heavily on local expertise, relationships, and firsthand knowledge. That’s why technology hasn’t replaced brokers — and won’t. It’s made experience more valuable, not less.

What to Watch as We Head into 2026

Looking ahead, a few trends are likely to shape how AI continues to influence commercial real estate:

1. Broader Adoption Beyond Institutional Players

AI tools are becoming more accessible to regional and mid-sized firms, not just large institutional investors. Expect wider use across research, marketing, and deal analysis — raising the baseline for how CRE decisions are made.

2. More Informed Clients

As clients gain access to better data, expectations will continue to rise. Investors and occupiers will want not just information, but interpretation — understanding what the data means for their specific goals.

3. Technology + Experience Will Win

AI can surface insights. It can’t negotiate leases, navigate local politics, or understand tenant motivations.

The most successful CRE strategies in 2026 will combine:

  • Smart technology
  • Market knowledge
  • Relationship-driven expertise

That balance will matter more than any single tool.

The Bottom Line

AI isn’t changing commercial real estate overnight — but it is changing how decisions are made. As the industry moves into 2026, the firms that use AI thoughtfully — without losing sight of experience, context, and relationships — will be best positioned to help clients navigate an evolving market.

At NAI DESCO, technology supports our work — it doesn’t replace the local insight and strategic thinking our clients rely on.

Have questions about how these trends could impact your portfolio or site selection strategy?
Our team is always happy to talk through what we’re seeing in the St. Louis market and beyond.

Connect with NAI DESCO → Our Team