AI Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity in Commercial Real Estate
In a recent post, we argued that only AI-native real estate companies will survive and win. And the feedback we received confirmed a growing consensus: this shift is already happening.
But going from concept to reality requires more than mindset. It requires the right tools.
Being AI-native means having a team of AI-first thinkers who instinctively turn to technology to research, analyze, communicate, and create. These professionals don’t wait for permission or process—they reach for AI the way earlier generations reached for Excel or email. They’re multiplying their impact daily by embedding AI in every part of their workflow.
So what does that actually look like?
In this post, we highlight eight high-impact AI tools (plus a few bonuses) that CRE professionals are using right now to get more done in less time—without compromising quality.
A graphic created by gpt-4o’s image generation tool. Can you spot the hallucinations?
1. Gamma: Instant, Polished Presentations
Gamma is an AI-powered platform that turns rough content into professional presentations in seconds. It automates slide design and formatting, letting you focus on your message.
Example: An acquisitions analyst uses Gamma to quickly build a clean investment committee deck. By pasting in their investment memo, the tool creates a presentation with visuals, bullet points, and summaries that are meeting-ready—saving hours of formatting in PowerPoint.
2. Custom GPTs: Personalized AI Workflows
Custom GPTs allow you to build tailored versions of ChatGPT that follow specific instructions and perform niche tasks. You can upload reference documents, define response styles, and even program the assistant to integrate with external tools.
Example: A development associate builds a custom GPT trained on their city’s zoning code and their firm’s deal checklist. The GPT can answer zoning questions, suggest allowable uses, and cross-reference entitlements with site feasibility criteria—saving hours normally spent digging through PDFs.
3. Perplexity: Deep Research Simplified
Perplexity is a next-gen search tool that cites sources and synthesizes information across the web. It delivers clear, accurate answers—perfect for market research and trend analysis.
Example: An asset manager researching a retail repositioning opportunity uses Perplexity to compare demographic trends, foot traffic data, and lease-up velocity across five secondary markets. It cuts through noise and links to original sources, helping them decide which submarket to prioritize.
4. Google NotebookLM: AI-Powered Research Companion
NotebookLM lets you load in documents (PDFs, notes, spreadsheets) and ask questions across them. It summarizes, compares, and links concepts, all while citing sources from your uploads.
Example: A development VP loads in previous project budgets, lender term sheets, and GC proposals. With NotebookLM, she asks “What were the most common cost overruns?” or “How did interest rate assumptions evolve over time?” The AI surfaces insights buried across years of internal documentation.
5. Pinecone: Lightning-Fast Data Search
Pinecone is a vector database that powers similarity search—think lightning-fast retrieval of contextually relevant data across large, unstructured files.
Example: A brokerage team builds a Pinecone-powered CRM that surfaces “similar” past deals anytime a new listing is entered. So, if they input a suburban office asset, the system retrieves comps with similar square footage, tenant mix, and location dynamics—helping price the asset and identify buyers faster.
6. Lately: Automated Content Generation
Lately turns long-form content—like blog posts or property summaries—into short-form social media posts. It writes and schedules posts tailored to your audience, tone, and platform.
Example: A brokerage marketing lead uploads a recent multifamily deal write-up to Lately. The tool instantly creates a month’s worth of LinkedIn, Twitter, and email snippets highlighting various deal aspects, from tenant strategy to IRR performance—maximizing exposure without extra lift.
7. GPT-4o Image Generation: Visualizing What Doesn’t Exist Yet
GPT-4o introduces advanced image generation capabilities that allow users to create hyper-realistic visuals from text prompts. Great for simulating future designs or illustrating complex ideas.
Example: A developer evaluating a value-add industrial site uses GPT-4o to create “before and after” visuals for a pitch to capital partners. The tool renders current site photos and overlays them with AI-generated images showing proposed renovations, landscaping, and signage—telling the story visually and compellingly.
8. CRE Agents: Train Your Digital Coworker
CRE Agents is the AI-native operating system for commercial real estate teams. Rather than giving you one-size-fits-all tools, it lets you train a digital coworker to execute your workflows exactly the way you do them.
Example: An asset manager trains their CRE Agent to summarize tenant reports, flag anomalies, draft internal memos, and prepare slides for annual business plans, turning hours of manual work into minutes. Meanwhile, an acquisitions professional teaches their Digital Coworker to download OMs, extract key deal data, pull in market comps, populate an Excel model, and draft a pass/select memo for the team.
Join the CRE Agents Waitlist – be one of the first to train a digital coworker to work the way you do.
Bonus: Voice Mode (ChatGPT, Gemini) for Brainstorming on the Go
Both ChatGPT and Google Gemini now support voice interaction. You can hold natural conversations with the AI to think through ideas, jot down notes, or make lists.
Example: While driving to a site visit, a CRE broker uses voice mode to brainstorm key points for an upcoming client pitch. The assistant summarizes their thoughts, drafts bullet points, and sends them as an email to review later—turning windshield time into planning time.
Use ChatGPT Voice | Try Gemini
Final Thoughts
The professionals and firms that win in the next era of commercial real estate won’t be the ones who dabble in AI occasionally; they’ll be the ones who embed it deeply into how they work every day. Whether you’re building models, writing memos, pitching deals, or managing assets, there’s now an AI tool that can amplify your output and elevate your thinking.
The challenge—and opportunity—is to make these tools second nature. Start small, experiment, and build the muscle. Over time, the compounding effects will speak for themselves.
