CRE Leaders Tout AI As More Clients Embrace The Technology
As artificial intelligence picks up steam in the commercial real estate industry, companies that haven’t jumped on board with the technology face the possibility of being left behind.
AI has become an important part of a company’s repertoire, several of Dallas-Fort Worth's most prominent women in architecture, engineering and construction said Thursday at Bisnow's 2025 Dallas Women Leading Real Estate Awards event, held at the Thompson Dallas hotel.
Clients ask about utilizing AI every day and aren’t as likely to work with companies that haven’t yet embraced it, Premier Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Athena Christodoulatos said.
“I couldn't recommend more just learning how to implement it into your life,” Christodoulatos said. “The pandemic proved that life can be very uncertain and … you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.”
As the industry evolves, HKS Senior Vice President and Director of Design Gracie Andraos said AI will have a big impact on design, construction and engineering. She said people coming up in the industry should use AI as a tool, but critical thinking and interpersonal skills will still be important for success.
“Connection is going to continue to be extremely important,” Andraos said. “From a design standpoint, that means creating spaces that help elevate connection, socialization [and] collaboration are going to be even more crucial.”
Property management companies have also turned to AI to make projects successful — using it in areas like rent collection, consumer research and temperature management — while giving them more time to maintain a sense of community with their tenants.
As more firms utilize the technology in different aspects of a project, WSP Lead Consultant Christina Lail said it is vital to make sure creative ideas are brought to the table as early as possible so everyone has a shared stake in the innovation.
That can also help teams grow stronger, as successful projects are built on relationships.
Christodoulatos stressed the importance of knowing the people she is working with, both on her team and across the table. Knowing what makes people tick helps her act as a bridge between the client and her team members in seeing the big picture they’re all working toward.
“It's almost like matchmaking, sometimes,” Christodoulatos said. “You want to find the right formula of people to work together to have the most successful outcome.”
Trust, collaboration and open communication are also important when building relationships, Lail said. Building that foundation helps prevent bottlenecking between people and design systems, she said.
At KDC, Senior Vice President of Design and Construction Debra Velez said the firm puts an office at a project site as early as possible. That helps Velez and her team make sure they are aligned everyday with the general contractor and other people on the jobsite.
“We have our architects and our designers all on-site with us, and that relationship grows as the project trajectory grows,” Velez said. “We're the gatekeepers for our clients in terms of their vision.”
While it is important for leaders to understand the people that work for them, Ridgemont Commercial Construction Director of Business Development Dana Compton said women should also be willing to advocate for themselves.
For women new to the industry, Compton said finding a mentor can be an important asset. But people with years of experience should also be willing to learn from others who are stronger in an aspect of the job than they are.
Compton said all of her mentors have been men, and women should stay open to learning from whomever is the best fit. As CRE is still a male-dominated industry, she said it's most important to find someone who will help a person learn what they need to know.
“We have to really seek out those mentors, and we have to also be willing to mentor when we're asked … and the situation warrants it,” Compton said. “And we can mentor each other.”
