CRE at an Inflection Point

Apr 27, 2026

From our Location Strategy Thought Leader Partner, Colliers.

 

Based on insights from the Colliers-sponsored poll at the 2025–2026 CoreNet Global Summit events across EMEA, North America, and APAC, four key themes were identified that are shaping the corporate real estate (CRE) industry.

From economic uncertainty and technological disruption to evolving workplace expectations, CRE leaders are navigating a period of significant transformation. To capture real-time industry sentiment, Colliers conducted live polling at each summit, gathering regional insights that inform this global analysis of the trends shaping the CRE landscape.

Across the three regional summits held between September 2025 and March 2026, we crowdsourced responses from more than 1,000 industry professionals, including 154 respondents from EMEA, 677 from North America, and 171 from APAC. This diverse sample, spanning portfolio managers, facilities directors, real estate strategists and technology leaders, provides a well-rounded perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing CRE today.

Forces driving change: AI takes the lead

Across all three regions, AI and automation emerged as the most significant driver of change, selected by 51% of respondents globally, reinforced by regional results.

Digital transformation is moving from experimentation to implementation as organizations increasingly integrate data intelligence, automation and smart building technologies into portfolio planning, operations and workplace management.

The second most cited driver globally was shifting demographics and workforce trends, reflecting evolving employee expectations, talent strategies and hybrid work models.

The third driver varied by region, highlighting local economic dynamics. Respondents in EMEA and APAC pointed to geopolitical shifts, while those in North America identified energy and power infrastructure (6%) as an emerging influence on location strategy and real estate planning.

Where innovation will have the greatest impact: Portfolio, data and workplace strategy converge

Each region similarly identified key areas of opportunity, including:

 

These priorities are increasingly interconnected. As organizations adapt to evolving workforce expectations and hybrid work models, data and predictive analytics are helping CRE teams better understand how space is used, enabling more informed portfolio decisions and more responsive workplace strategies.

At the same time, workplaces are being reimagined as drivers of collaboration, culture and performance. Together, portfolio strategy, workplace experience and data intelligence are evolving into a more integrated, strategic approach to corporate real estate.

Ready, set, innovate: Where ambition meets execution

Organizations across all regions show a moderate level of readiness to innovate, with 51% of respondents in EMEA, 48% in North America and 49% in APAC reporting that they feel somewhat ready to innovate. However, while many organizations recognize the importance of innovation, translating ambition into consistent execution remains a work in progress.

Across the regions, financial and budgetary constraints emerged as the most significant barrier to innovation, followed closely by limited time and capacity to focus on innovative solutions, and organizational resistance to change.

Just under half of respondents globally (47%) report having only a partially defined framework for implementing innovation, with only 21% saying they have a well-defined process. This indicates that while the intent to innovate is strong, the next step for many CRE teams will be building repeatable structures that allow innovation to move beyond individual initiatives and scale across the organization.

Who will lead innovation? Technology sectors and global hubs set the pace

Technology emerged as the clear frontrunner, selected by 80% of respondents globally. Advances in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and data-driven operations are continuing to reshape how organizations design, manage and optimize their real estate portfolios.

Momentum is also building across several adjacent sectors. Life sciences and healthcare ranked second in EMEA and North America, reflecting continued growth in research, advanced manufacturing and specialized workplace environments.

In APAC, financial services emerged as the second most influential sector, highlighting the region’s strength in fintech and financial innovation.

 

 

These sector trends are closely linked to the markets best positioned to lead innovation. Respondents consistently pointed to global technology and financial hubs, including the United Kingdom, the San Francisco Bay Area, Singapore and India, as markets where talent, investment and experimentation converge.

 

What This Means for Corporate Real Estate

Regional results point to a clear message: corporate real estate is moving toward a more integrated, technology-driven future. Organizations that successfully combine AI, data intelligence, and workplace strategy will unlock greater value from their portfolios and set the pace for the next phase of industry transformation.

For a deeper dive into the regional perspectives, explore our regional summit analyses:


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