ATLANTA—From mobile devices and platforms to smart buildings and virtual deal making, technology is going to change the face of commercial real estate. In many ways, it already has.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Doug Irmscher, market director of JLL, to get his thoughts on the driving forces behind this trend. He also shines a light on the trend's potential impact and who the likely winners will be in this exclusive interview.

GlobeSt.com: What is the driving force behind this trend?

Irmscher: The technology sector—which has experienced enormous growth over the last seven years and is the leading industry for real estate transactions in the US—has driven nearly 25% of leasing activity across the country over the past two years, according to JLL's 2016 tech outlook. This rapid expansion of the tech industry has had a serious impact on most commercial real estate firm's business models. Gone are the days when the CRE sector saw technology as a cost center. Firms must introduce analytic tools to every aspect of their business if they plan to deliver the best possible service to their clients.

GlobeSt.com: What are the potential impacts of this trend?

Irmscher: Moving forward, commercial real estate firms will maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace by building their own proprietary technologies. For example, we have launched an in-house innovation team at JLL that does just that. One of the tools that JLL has recently rolled out is called Blackbird and it gives clients a virtual 3-D tour of individual markets, while visually integrating relevant data points for prospective buyers, landlords and tenants.

GlobeSt.com: Who will the likely winners will be?

Irmscher: Commercial real estate firms that embrace new tech trends while also having the resources available to develop their own innovations. Brokerage firms must be able to create platforms that directly contribute to achieving clients' investment and corporate business objectives.

Want insight on how commercial real estate pros need to adopt to future challenges now? Check out my recent column. And don't miss this glimpse into what forward-thinking retail developers are talking about right now.

ATLANTA—From mobile devices and platforms to smart buildings and virtual deal making, technology is going to change the face of commercial real estate. In many ways, it already has.

GlobeSt.com: What is the driving force behind this trend?

GlobeSt.com: What are the potential impacts of this trend?

GlobeSt.com: Who will the likely winners will be?

Instant Insights /

The Driving Force Behind This Dominant CRE Trend

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