CHICAGO, DALLAS—Corporate real estate has become increasingly important to C-suite level executives, and JLL has just made the latest in a series of moves that bolsters the technology that its clients use to analyze and direct their operations. The Chicago-based company has just entered into an agreement to acquire BRG, a Dallas-based expert in workplace technology that specializes in integrating off-the-shelf management systems. Company officials expect the transaction to close next month, subject to customary closing conditions.

After the financial crisis of 2008, top executives went looking for places to cut costs, and corporate real estate seemed like a good target. Furthermore, new and powerful analytic tools made it possible to discover inefficiencies in facilities management and design more productive workplaces.

However, in terms of cutting costs and finding inefficiencies, “a lot of low-hanging fruit has already been picked,” JLL's John Forrest, chief executive officer, corporate solutions, tells GlobeSt.com. “The next phase of productivity gains will have to be driven by technology innovation. JLL has always been a leader in using CRE technology to deliver real estate solutions to clients. We are taking that to a whole new level.”

“The C-Suite is definitely looking to the corporate real estate department to deliver,” says Traci Doane, currently president and chief executive officer of BRG. Once the acquisition closes, she will lead a new technology solutions team at JLL.

“We're an integrator,” she adds, and this has become a key need for many organizations due to the proliferation of different tools, including ARCHIBUS, Manhattan, CenterStone, IBM TRIRIGA and iOffice software, that help occupiers manage facilities, administer leases, oversee move, add and change projects, and all the other myriad tasks that now fall to CRE executives. “We help our clients navigate that complexity and find which solutions are right for them.”

That ability will further strengthen JLL's existing RED data and analytics platform. Many real estate managers already use RED to provide corporate leaders with granular-level data about maintenance, equipment use, building performance, the macroeconomic environment, and many other issues in an easily-digestible manner.

Acquisitions have become a key component of JLL's overall strategy, especially when it comes to corporate real estate. As reported in GlobeSt.com, for example, the company recently acquired Corrigo Inc., a Silicon Valley pioneer in cloud-based facilities management. Since the start of 2015, JLL has announced or closed 39 acquisitions with a combined value of more than $1.2 billion.

“Our goal is to arm our clients with better data and new insights to help them make informed, strategic business decisions,” says Greg O'Brien, JLL's chief executive officer, Americas. “Acquiring BRG helps get us there, faster, with experts who have more than 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 clients.”

Instant Insights /

JLL Strengthens its Corporate Real Estate Arm

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