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AI elevates CRE valuation: Blackstone leverages tech for strategic acquisitions. April 9, 2026 Majid Radaei, RadCRE The ascendance of AI in commercial real estate valuation. The commercial real estate (CRE) industry is experiencing a profound transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), particularly in the areas of property valuation and predictive analytics. Gone are the days when traditional discounted cash flow (DCF) models, while foundational, served as the sole bedrock for investment decisions. Today, sophisticated algorithms analyze vast datasets, including economic indicators, demographic shifts, transactional histories, social sentiment, and even satellite imagery, to generate highly accurate valuations and forecast market trends with unprecedented precision. This technological leap provides a significant competitive edge to firms that embrace it. Blackstone, JLL, and the data advantage. Leading institutional players are at the forefront of this adoption. Blackstone, known for its strategic and data-driven investment approach, has reportedly invested significantly in its proprietary data science capabilities to refine acquisition strategies across its multi-trillion-dollar portfolio. While specific details remain confidential, industry reports from sources like Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal have highlighted Blackstone's use of advanced analytics to identify undervalued assets and anticipate shifts in tenant demand across various regions, particularly within sectors like multifamily and hospitality where micro-market dynamics are critical. Similarly, major brokerage houses like JLL and CBRE have launched dedicated AI-powered platforms, offering clients enhanced market intelligence and predictive modeling. JLL Spark, their global venture fund, consistently invests in PropTech firms specializing in AI solutions, aiming to integrate these capabilities across their appraisal, brokerage, and advisory services. Predictive analytics shaping investment thesis. The capabilities extend beyond mere valuation. Predictive analytics, powered by AI, are now formulating investment theses by identifying emerging submarkets, foreseeing rental growth trajectories, and even anticipating potential distress in assets or portfolios. For instance, Green Street Advisors, a prominent independent research and advisory firm, utilizes proprietary algorithms to offer granular cap rate trend predictions and submarket performance forecasts that consider hundreds of variables often missed by manual analysis. This enables investors to proactively adjust strategies, mitigating risks and capitalizing on nascent opportunities. The ability to model various economic scenarios at speed, discerning optimal hold periods or disposition timing, is becoming an indispensable tool for maximizing returns. Challenges and the path forward. Despite the immense potential, challenges persist. Data quality and availability remain critical; 'garbage in, garbage out' holds true for AI models. Furthermore, the 'black box' nature of some advanced algorithms can sometimes make interpretability difficult for traditional CRE professionals. However, as AI tools become more transparent and explainable, and as industry-specific datasets grow richer and more standardized, their integration into daily CRE operations will only deepen. The evolution of computational power and specialized machine learning models specifically designed for geospatial and real estate data will continue to propel this revolution. RadCRE perspective. "The chatter around AI in CRE is finally translating into tangible results, and it's fundamentally reshaping how we approach due diligence and capital deployment," notes Majid Radaei, Founder of RAD Commercial Realty. "We're seeing institutional clients and savvy private investors move beyond basic analytics. For instance, when we underwrite a hotel acquisition, our RadCRE.ai platform isn't just crunching historical RevPAR; it's integrating real-time flight data, local event schedules, social media sentiment for specific brands, and even competitor pricing intelligence through AI. This allows us to predict demand fluctuations and potential ADR growth with a level of granularity that legacy methods simply couldn't touch. The true value of AI isn't just speed; it's the ability to uncover hidden correlations and risks in complex datasets that even the most experienced analysts might overlook. This is critical in today's environment, where a basis point shift in a SOFR-indexed loan (currently around 4.31%) can significantly impact a deal's viability, and precise asset valuation becomes paramount to secure competitive bridge financing at SOFR + 300-600 bps or higher leverage agency debt." Conclusion. The integration of AI into CRE valuation and predictive analytics is no longer a futuristic concept but a present-day reality driving efficiency, accuracy, and strategic advantage. As firms continue to invest in these capabilities, the commercial real estate landscape will become increasingly data-driven, rewarding those who harness the power of intelligent automation to navigate complex markets and unlock value. Sources: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, JLL Spark, Green Street Advisors, CoStar Group Evaluate your CRE deal with AI. 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JLL opens new office at O'Hare Plaza in Chicago. April 9, 2026 CHICAGO - JLL has opened its new office at O'Hare Plaza, a Class A office complex located at 8755 W. Higgins Road near the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The brokerage giant says that the new office uses a more efficient footprint that emphasizes amenity-rich design, communal workspaces and flexibility. The 5,748-square-foot space features city views, breakout areas, upgraded conference facilities and access to shared building amenities, including a tenant lounge with a restaurant/bar and outdoor spaces. "This move is a tangible example of what we recommend to clients: create a workplace that earns the commute through experience, flexibility and thoughtful design," says Marcellus Parker, head of corporate real estate, Americas, at JLL. Sustainability and employee well-being were core considerations throughout the design and build-out. The office features LED lighting, occupancy sensors and daylight sensors in open office areas, indoor air quality sensors and biophilic elements such as planters. The layout prioritizes access to natural light, with shared spaces such as the open office, meeting rooms and collaboration areas located along the window line. Height-adjustable desks and a range of meeting and collaboration settings support different work styles, while high-performance acoustic glass and sound-mitigating phone booths provide privacy. Open office workstations were reused from JLL's previous O'Hare Plaza space, supporting material reuse and waste reduction. JLL Design developed the vision for its new office based on the Y-shaped terminals of the O'Hare airport, creating a concept called "Grounded Connection." The design concept reflects connectivity as both a physical and metaphorical framework. A central collaborative hub is surrounded by distinct "neighborhoods" that mirror the airport's circulation. The office houses JLL's suburban office and industrial brokerage teams, property management professionals and Project Development Services team members. The new office complements JLL's existing Chicago-area locations, including the firm's global headquarters in downtown Chicago at Aon Center and an additional office at 150 N. Riverside. LaSalle Investment Management, JLL's investment management arm, is located at 333 W. Wacker Drive. The firm maintains a suburban Westmont office at 700 Oakmont Lane.

Western Realco acquires 12.14-acre fully entitled site in Anaheim, California for $40.7 million. April 3, 2026 JLL represents seller and buyer and will market development for lease. 600 Vermont JLL announced today that it has completed the sale of a fully entitled 12.14-acre industrial site located on East Vermont Avenue in Anaheim, California to Western Realco for $40.7 million. Western Realco will immediately begin demolition and construction to develop a new, 256,046-square-foot Class A industrial building. Construction is expected to be completed late 2027. JLL's Zach Niles, Louis Tomaselli and Steve Wagner represented the seller, Rexford Industrial, and buyer Western Realco, in the transaction. JLL has also been retained to market the new development for lease or sale which can accommodate a broad range of uses including logistics, manufacturing, assembly, food processing and temperature-controlled storage, among others. "We see an opportunity to deliver a new, Class A building to the market in a space where's there's currently very limited inventory and growing demand across multiple sectors", said Jeremy Mape, Principal at Western Realco. "The building's location, size and versatility, paired with the City of Anaheim's business friendly environment and public power utility, is an opportunity we just couldn't pass up." Western Realco's new industrial building will feature 36-foot clear height, 39 dock-high doors, an ESFR sprinkler system, 4,000 amps of power, and a fully enclosed truck court. Located in Anaheim's stadium area, the building will offer immediate freeway access and ideal reach to SoCal's 23+ million residents. "The project's delivery timing will prove to be ideal", said Zach Niles, JLL Senior Managing Director. "Real-time we are seeing a significant increase in activity across several industries, particularly in aerospace, defense tech, advanced and specialized manufacturing, food and beverage, and players supporting the AI, energy and data center sectors." About Western Realco Western Realco is a Newport Beach-based real estate development and investment firm established in 1972. For over five decades, the company has specialized in the ground-up development, acquisition, and management of institutional-quality industrial properties throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. With a best-in-class track record developing and acquiring over 25 million square feet across more than 100 buildings and 1,350 acres, Western Realco combines deep market expertise, hands-on management, and institutional discipline to deliver high-quality projects and strong returns for its partners and investors. For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500(R) company with annual revenue of $23.4 billion and operations in over 80 countries around the world, our more than 113,000 employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.