Deloitte’s 2026 commercial real estate outlook survey found that 27% of respondents reported experiencing challenges with AI implementation, not only due to technical issues but also because of resistance to change. 

MarketMaker CRE founder and CEO Jeff Smith said he understands why some CRE professionals, particularly brokers, may be concerned about the rise of AI. 

“I had a conversation with a CEO of a major brokerage house investing in AI who said that brokerage, as we know it, will be gone in five years,” he said. “That was when I decided to do something to empower brokers to use technology to their advantage.” 

Smith established I-CRE Pro, a platform that gives select brokers and owners access to MarketMaker CRE's confidential acquisition and disposition strategies. These represent more than half a trillion dollars in current and planned institutional activity across REITs, funds and family offices.

“Artificial intelligence is amazing, but actual intelligence is better,” Smith said. “I-CRE Pro enables brokers to maximize portfolio potential and execute key acquisition and development strategies optimally in moments instead of months, all while serving as an important profit center that saves their institutional clients significant time and excess vetting costs.” 

As a former CRE broker himself, Smith understands that brokerage has traditionally been hard: Repeat business is rare, and the financial and emotional highs and lows are tough, he said. Today, brokers face different challenges. Namely, CRE has never been more data-rich, yet many brokers have never felt more disadvantaged, he said. 

Public listing platforms provide the same information to everyone. AI can summarize reports, generate marketing materials and automate research in seconds, Smith said. As technology becomes increasingly accessible, the competitive advantage once created by simply having information continues to shrink.

“At the same time, institutional investors expect brokers to deliver more than listings,” he said. “They expect strategic intelligence, proprietary opportunities, qualified counterparties and solutions that create measurable value.” 

I-CRE Pro aims to give brokers that competitive advantage through its unique data and inclusivity. Access to I-CRE Pro and I-CRE Pro Certification is given to five to 10 members per month. Smith said the ideal member is an accomplished CRE professional who has demonstrated significant institutional experience through recognized industry designations such as CCIM, SIOR or comparable credentials, or extensive institutional transaction experience developed over many years in the business.

The objective isn't to recruit the most aggressive brokers, he said. The goal is to build a national network of trusted professionals who leverage proprietary intelligence, share opportunities and create value together. Each certified professional receives extensive training, ongoing support, institutional networking opportunities and proprietary technology designed to help them develop long-term relationships with institutional investors rather than continually starting from scratch.

“Unlike the traditional brokerage model, where every new assignment often requires rebuilding a pipeline, I-CRE Pro members are positioned to proactively serve institutional clients quarter after quarter with actionable acquisition and disposition intelligence,” Smith said. “That creates stronger client relationships, more predictable business development and the opportunity to build recurring revenue alongside traditional brokerage commissions.” 

In addition to an exclusive relationship with MarketMaker CRE, I-CRE Pro has a special program with AssetAlign.com that enables private property owners to confidentially see which institutional buyers are actively pursuing assets similar to theirs. They can request a private indication of interest directly from qualified decision-makers.

Del Creviston, a senior adviser at SVN Second Story Atlanta and an early earner of the I-CRE Pro Certification, said that when he first heard about the platform, he was skeptical, but that has since changed. 

“That was several months ago, and over 100 REITs and funds have since signed up with me,” Creviston said. “I have more substantial deal flow than I have ever had, but more importantly, I have never enjoyed doing business as much as this. I manage billions in demand, and as I bring well-aligned supply to my well-defined demand, underwriting seems to immediately follow.”

He said that in the past, he was never particularly successful in the capital markets and struggled to even get a call back, let alone repeat business.

“I now get my calls returned promptly and have formed relationships I value that I never could have had without I-CRE Pro,” he said.

Certification is available to qualified institutional CRE professionals on a first-come, first-served basis, Smith said. There is no cost to apply, and a limited number of certification opportunities remain at ICREPRO.com. 

“Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly continue transforming commercial real estate,” Smith said. “But institutional clients will continue seeking advisers who can interpret markets, cultivate trusted relationships and identify opportunities technology alone cannot.

The brokers who thrive won't be the ones with the best AI prompts. They'll be the ones with the best intelligence and access to opportunities unavailable anywhere else, he explained. 

“This is what we are working to build through these platforms,” Smith said. 

This article was produced in collaboration between I-CRE Pro and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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