Just last week our team sponsored Retcon 2025 and had a chance to meet hundreds of leaders at the intersection of AI and CRE.
From autonomous agents to predictive analytics, the sessions buzzed with innovations that promise to redefine how we manage properties, engage tenants, and make decisions. But as the dust settles, one thing is clear: while multifamily real estate is riding the AI wave, the broader CRE landscape—from office to industrial to retail—still has some catching up to do. Here’s a rundown of the biggest AI highlights, key takeaways, gaps left unaddressed, and what it all means for the future of CRE.
Big Highlights from Retcon 2025
- AI Agents Are Stealing the Show
Forget chatbots that just say “hello.” Retcon showcased AI agents—think of them as digital assistants with superpowers. BetterBot’s session on multifamily operations revealed how these agents go beyond chit-chat to handle tasks like resident engagement and operational tweaks, tackling rising expectations and workforce shortages. Meanwhile, RealPage’s CIO Lance French painted a picture of autonomous systems that predict tenant needs and boost property values with surgical precision. The takeaway? AI isn’t just here to talk—it’s here to work. - Automation Is Tackling the Tedious
Repetitive tasks got a major glow-up. Trigo’s AI platform, for instance, blew minds with its 85%+ success rate in verifying rental histories—uncovering hidden evictions that traditional credit checks (with a measly <3% coverage) miss. This saves multifamily operators from million-dollar asset value hits caused by bad tenants. SITE Technologies also flexed its muscles, showing how a Fortune 100 retailer used its AI-driven platform to smartly allocate CapEx across 4,000 stores. Efficiency, meet AI. - Data Chaos? Meet Clarity
A standout session, “From Data Chaos to Clarity,” tackled CRE’s perennial headache: fragmented data. AI platforms are stepping in to unify leases, financials, and market trends into real-time dashboards, cutting through silos and speeding up decisions. Greystar’s Jordan Kobert added a Silicon Valley twist, showing how rapid iteration and consumer-grade UX can modernize legacy systems for multifamily management. Data isn’t just power—it’s now actionable. - Tenant Experience Gets Personal
AI isn’t just for back-office nerds. Panels on multifamily marketing and office leasing highlighted tools that personalize outreach, measure resident satisfaction, and streamline leasing journeys. In a competitive office market, AI is helping owners target tenants and close deals faster. Residents and tenants alike are feeling the love—and staying longer because of it. - Adoption Is a Team Sport
It’s not all tech and no touch. Sessions on organizational alignment stressed that AI’s success hinges on buy-in from the C-suite to the front desk. Tools like AI-driven dashboards dispel automation fears, while training frameworks balance tech with empathy. The message? AI thrives when humans embrace it.
Key Takeaways
- Multifamily Leads the Charge: High transaction volumes and resident demands make multifamily the PropTech hotbed. Lessons here—like automation and predictive analytics—are starting to ripple out, but they’re not fully there yet.
- AI Agents Are the Next Frontier: Moving beyond chatbots, these agents execute real work, from screening tenants to optimizing portfolios. They’re practical, impactful, and here to stay.
- Data Is King—but Needs a Throne: Unified data platforms are turning chaos into clarity, but only for those ready to invest in integration.
- Experience Matters: Whether it’s residents or office tenants, AI is elevating satisfaction and retention, proving it’s not just about efficiency—it’s about people.
- Culture Counts: Successful AI adoption isn’t just tech—it’s about aligning teams and proving value at every level.
Gaps Not Addressed: Where’s the Rest of CRE?
While Retcon 2025 was a treasure trove of AI innovation, it left some stones unturned—especially outside multifamily:
- Beyond Multifamily’s Bubble: The spotlight was squarely on apartments. Office, retail, and industrial CRE got passing mentions, but tailored solutions—like underwriting tools for office deals or supply chain analytics for warehouses—were MIA. Where’s the love for the rest of the industry?
- Integration Is Still a Dream: Trigo, SITE, BetterBot—these are stellar point solutions, but they don’t play together. CRE needs a unified platform that ties the value chain (acquisition, leasing, management) into one seamless system.
- Complex Workflows Left Hanging: AI agents are great at routine tasks, but what about the big stuff? Underwriting with 50+ variables, capital stack modeling, or market-specific heuristics for mid-tier cities like Houston or Tracy? These were barely whispered about.
- Data Readiness Beyond the Big Players: Multifamily’s data richness powers its AI edge, but office and industrial sectors are stuck with silos and outdated spreadsheets. No one tackled how to bridge that gap.
- Mid-Market Blind Spot: The focus was on big portfolios or urban hubs. Smaller markets and niche asset classes—like industrial hubs tied to Amazon’s supply chain—didn’t get their due.
Implications for the CRE Industry
Retcon 2025 signals that AI is no longer a “nice-to-have”—it’s a must-have for staying competitive. But the implications go deeper:
- Multifamily Sets the Pace, Others Play Catch-Up: The propagation path is clear—multifamily innovations will trickle to office, retail, and industrial. Smart players won’t wait; they’ll leapfrog by adapting these tools now.
- Efficiency = Survival: Automation and predictive analytics are slashing costs and errors. Firms that don’t adopt risk falling behind—or worse, fading into extinction, as Lance French’s “99% of species” analogy warned.
- Tenant Expectations Are Rising: AI-driven personalization isn’t optional. Tenants across asset classes will demand seamless, proactive experiences, pushing owners to invest or lose occupancy.
- Data Readiness Is the Gatekeeper: Without clean, unified data, AI’s promise stalls. CRE firms need to prioritize integration to unlock its full potential.
- Opportunity Knocks in the Gaps: The underserved areas—non-multifamily sectors, complex workflows, mid-tier markets—are ripe for disruption. Companies that fill these voids will gain a first-mover edge.
The Road Ahead
Retcon 2025 painted an inspiring picture of AI’s role in CRE: a world where agents work smarter, data drives decisions, and tenants feel heard. But it’s not the whole picture. Multifamily may be the trailblazer, but the rest of CRE is still finding its footing. The gaps—integration, complexity, and broader applicability—aren’t roadblocks; they’re opportunities for innovators to step up.
For the industry, the call is clear: embrace AI now, or risk being left in the dust. For forward-thinkers, it’s a chance to build the next big thing—whether that’s an underwriting super-agent, a cross-sector platform, or a tool for the forgotten markets. The AI revolution in CRE is here. The question is: who’s ready to lead it?
