The DePaul Real Estate Alumni Alliance and the Real Estate Center at DePaul University in Chicago are holding a conference to help real estate professionals, regardless of the size of their firms, take the use of Artificial Intelligence to the next level.
On Thursday, July 23, The Intelligent Edge: AI Strategies for Commercial Real Estate will bring together real estate practitioners who desire to elevate their use of AI beyond primarily administrative and scheduling functions. The event is being held at 110 N. Wacker Drive starting with registration at 8:00 am.
According to Deloitte’s Commercial Real Estate Outlook, 76% of CRE firms are still researching, piloting, or in early implementation of AI. Few consider themselves mature AI users. In its 2025 Global Technology Survey, JLL reported that 88% of investors and landlords are now piloting AI and that 87% are increasing technology budgets because of AI. Those statistics demonstrate that AI isn’t going away but is still in its infancy.
Following an opening presentation, AI in Real Estate: A Capital Markets Perspective, by Charlie Fisher, Altus Group, Adam Foret of CBRE and Aaron Tucker of Tucker Development will take part in Putting AI to Work: Practical Applications Developed by CRE Practitioners. The discussion, moderated by Michael Gold, Podium Retail Partners, will provide real world examples and demonstrations on how they are tapping into AI.
The core of their message, according to Foret, is that AI is not a scary thing. “Anyone can become proficient at it. It’s a matter of going beyond the surface to understand it and build it out to accomplish what you want to achieve.”
Foret and Tucker are embracing the potential of what AI can be and what it can do for their own functions within commercial real estate brokerage, development, investment and management. With the investment of time to dig deeper and build their own applications, they are leveraging AI to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Speaking to one of the misconceptions about AI, Tucker cautions real estate professional and says, “AI isn’t coming after your jobs, people who leverage AI to their benefit are coming after your jobs.”
He also said real estate professionals, whether they are early in their careers or are seasoned veterans, shouldn’t be intimidated by what they don’t know. Tucker noted that he and Foret have come a long way in how they understand and execute AI since the beginning of the year.
The DREAA and DePaul Real Estate Center program will conclude with a panel discussion, AI Strategies, Opportunities, and Real-World Implications, featuring James Moore, DePaul AI Institute; Jonathan Ofori-Amoah, Simon; and Kelly Soljacich, Moderne Ventures. Discussion topics include AI trends and emerging technologies shaping commercial real estate and opportunities for small and mid-sized firms to adopt, build, or leverage AI-powered solutions, among others.
“This program will deliver fresh ideas to leverage technology and boost your execution in real estate,” said Danny Rigoni, President, DREAA. “Whether you’re in brokerage, investments, financing or management, you’ll discover smart tactics and innovative approaches to stay ahead in this competitive market.”
Registration for the event is $69 per person and can be completed here.
