May 27, 2025 | Patrick Sisson
Don’t look now, but AI is already rapidly transforming the role of CRE analysts — boosting efficiency while also reshaping hiring expectations.
Firms like JLL and CBRE are investing heavily in proprietary AI tools to automate time-consuming tasks — data cleanup, document drafting and underwriting — freeing analysts to focus on insights and strategy.
But the AI evolution is prompting anxiety across the industry.
Bisnow found that entry-level roles now require greater technical fluency, and firms are less willing to train new hires from scratch. Analysts who fail to adapt may find themselves left behind, while AI-powered tools enable top performers to handle more deals with fewer staff members.
Though layoffs haven’t followed — yet — companies are strategically avoiding future hiring by scaling with AI instead. Products like Henry and Diald AI can build investment memos or deal decks in hours, not days, reducing reliance on junior talent.
About 63% of CRE firms plan to boost their AI budgets by 5% to 25% over the next two years, while a quarter expect to invest even more aggressively, according to Ferguson Partners’ March 2025 AI Pulse survey. The driving force: the lure of faster deal flow and fatter margins.
This shift is forcing universities to reconsider how they teach analytics and discernment in a world where AI does the grunt work.
“It’s an evolution, not an extinction,” said Steven Song, CEO and founder of Diald AI.
But for new grads and junior analysts, the race is on to stay relevant.
— Kayla Carmicheal, Jay Rickey, Mark F. Bonner and Catie Dixon
Original article here.
