Last month, I had the opportunity to present at the first SIOR Chicago Chapter Luncheon of the year, held at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse in Rosemont. The session, titled " Future-Proof Ready: Practical Applications of AI for Business Growth and Operational Efficiency," was designed to cut through the noise surrounding artificial intelligence and offer practical, actionable guidance for integrating AI into the everyday workflows of commercial real estate professionals.
Like many in attendance, I come from a brokerage background. I spent more than a decade as an industrial broker before transitioning to my current role as president and co-founder of Evoke Partners, a firm operating at the intersection of technology, energy, and real estate. That experience shapes how I think about AI - not as a replacement for brokers or advisors, but as a tool that, when applied with intention, enables us to work faster, smarter, and with better information.
From Curiosity to Capability
During the luncheon, I walked attendees through a live demonstration of how I incorporate AI platforms into my daily workflow. Beginning with a straightforward prompt, I previewed how tools like Claude and Realai can generate a real-time market intelligence dashboard - pulling vacancy rates, absorption figures, rental rates, and trend data across major U.S. industrial markets, refreshed at regular intervals. Access to dynamic, living data offers a distinct advantage over relying on static quarterly reports.
The response in the room was notable. Tasks that once required junior brokers or analysts days - sometimes weeks - to complete were executed in a matter of minutes. The speed and accessibility of these tools clearly resonated with attendees who had not yet fully explored their potential.
AI as a Workflow Partner
From there, I demonstrated how AI can be used to build a prospecting and development pipeline through automation and workflow integration. Microsoft Copilot, for example, operates within an ecosystem where AI, CRM, and task management tools work in concert to identify target properties, key decision-makers, and contact details. I also showed how AI can draft outreach emails, monitor response rates, and analyze campaign performance - including open rates, replies, and meeting conversions.
In one concrete example, the system calculated that it had saved me six hours in a single week — time reallocated toward strategic thinking and higher-value client work.
A point I emphasized throughout is the importance of training your AI the way you would onboard a new team member. Consistent use allows the tool to accumulate context, anticipate your needs, and progressively align with your working style and priorities.
Underwriting, LOIs, and Offering Memoranda
A significant portion of my presentation focused on underwriting and documentation. I demonstrated how platforms such as RealAI.com can generate back-of-the-napkin underwriting, full pro formas, lease analyses, RFPs, letters of intent, and offering memoranda - in under ten minutes.
Accuracy was a concern raised by the audience, and it is a fair one. AI accelerates the production of a first draft; it does not replace the need for careful review, professional judgment, and accountability. I continue to rely on experienced colleagues to validate assumptions, stress-test scenarios, and confirm that AI-generated outputs are sound. That said, reviewing five AI-generated models in two hours is materially more efficient than building those models from scratch in the same timeframe.
Leaning Into the Shift
A recurring question throughout the luncheon was whether AI poses a threat to the broker's role. My answer was unequivocal: no. AI replaces inefficiency, not expertise. Certain entry-level tasks will evolve, but that shift creates space for higher-order, strategic work - more time, more transactions, deeper client relationships, and ultimately, greater opportunity.
Brokers who embrace AI will hold a meaningful advantage over those who do not. AI will not diminish the value a skilled broker brings; rather, it will clarify where that value truly lies.
Start Small, Stay Curious
If there is one message, I hope resonated with the audience, it is this: you do not need to be a developer or a technology expert to get started. Begin with the tools already at your disposal. Use the AI embedded in your email platform to draft or refine correspondence. Use Claude to summarize key provisions in a lease or conduct a quick deal analysis. One of my preferred applications is pasting deal assumptions and asking AI to identify risk profiles or flag whether expenses and taxes appear inconsistent with comparable transactions over the prior three years. The quality of output is directly tied to the quality of your questions - learning to prompt well is a skill worth developing.
Experiment with different tools, embrace trial and error, and learn by doing. The professionals who will gain the most from AI are those who remain curious, adaptable, and genuinely open to new ways of working.
AI does not eliminate the need for expertise - if anything, it raises the bar. The competitive advantage shifts from the ability to gather information to the ability to interpret and act on it. The best advice I can offer is simply to begin. You will not regret it.