Embracing AI: JLL Spark’s proactive approach to transforming commercial real estate

In the week of February 9, AI anxiety hit Wall Street. Companies in financial services, software, logistics, and real estate all experienced share price turbulence based on fears of AI disruption (the ‘AI Scare Trade’). While we understand that many people view the rise of AI with apprehension, at JLL Spark we have always viewed AI as a pivotal opportunity for commercial real estate (CRE). Many pieces of the CRE value chain are simple businesses yet still incredibly inefficient in their execution, which means AI can add significant value driving increased revenue, lower costs, and improved client outcomes.   

Since 2018, JLL Spark has made many investments in AI-driven technologies for CRE, and JLL and our clients are reaping the benefits from these relationships. Early identification of winning startups fosters business resilience, allowing us to grow revenue, enhance efficiency, and ultimately improve our core services in brokerage, advisory, and property management. Additionally, our parent company JLL has built many of its own proprietary AI products, such as JLL Falcon and JLL Azara, which have increased our efficiency and delighted our clients.  

Consider our investment in EliseAI, an AI-powered property management assistant that operates 24/7 to nurture prospective residents, maximize lettings (aka rentals), and handle routine maintenance requests. By automating property management, EliseAI drives revenue increases through faster lettings while saving costs on maintenance, all while improving tenant satisfaction. This kind of tool exemplifies how AI can increase net operating income for real estate investors, a clear win for JLL’s clients. 

Similarly, Orbital represents a fusion of LegalTech and PropTech, revolutionizing property transactions by replacing outdated legal due diligence with an AI-driven legal risk rating system. Orbital’s platform accelerates deal timelines while reducing errors, saving investors significant time and money in the process.   

We’ve also backed OpenSpace, which leverages AI and computer vision to create comprehensive 360-degree visual records of construction sites, indexed over time for easy reference. This technology minimizes disputes, improves project oversight, ensures compliance, and supports JLL’s PDS teams in delivering projects on time and under budget. 

Our portfolio includes Jeeva, an agentic AI sales solution that autonomously identifies high-intent leads, crafts personalized outreach, manages follow-ups, and handles objections—allowing sales reps to concentrate on closing deals. In CRE sales, where relationships are paramount, Jeeva’s hyper-personalization drives efficiency without sacrificing the human touch, strengthening JLL’s competitive edge in client acquisition. 

Proda addresses a perennial pain point by automatically capturing, standardizing, and error-checking rent roll data, streamlining portfolio management for investors and landlords. Proda helps JLL save significant time processing data while increasing accuracy, which drives better outcomes across JLL’s capital markets business. 

qbiq accelerates real estate layout planning, generating optimized designs in seconds, which aids architects, developers, and JLL’s space planning consultants in creating more functional and sustainable environments. 

Ren Systems provides relationship intelligence for dealmakers, delivering actionable insights on people and companies to uncover and win more opportunities, seamlessly integrating into JLL’s networking and business development efforts. 

JLL Spark is actively seeking further investments in AI technologies that drive increased revenue, operational efficiency, and client satisfaction. By spotting and nurturing these AI innovators, JLL Spark ensures that JLL doesn’t just survive technological shifts but thrives through them. Our investments have already led to tangible improvements: enhanced data accuracy, reduced cycle times, and innovative client solutions that differentiate us in the market. As AI continues to evolve, this forward-thinking approach builds long-term value, insulating our core business from volatility and empowering us to shape a more efficient, sustainable future for real estate. 

In times of market uncertainty, it’s easy to focus on the risks. But at JLL Spark, we see AI as an opportunity to innovate and lead. If you’re an entrepreneur building the next big thing in AI for CRE, we’d love to hear from you—apply for investment here. 

Sean Wright is an Investment Principal at JLL Spark, covering the EMEA region. 

Interested in a strategic partnership with JLL Spark? Apply for an investment here.