CBRE, Cushman, JLL Face AI Cost Overruns as Only 5% Hit Implementation Goals
Commercial real estate brokerages increased AI spending sharply — CBRE's tech budget rose $300M to $1.7B — yet only 5% of firms report achieving most program goals, with 99% of executives reporting financial losses from inadequate controls.
Commercial real estate brokerages have rapidly scaled AI deployments but face mounting costs and disappointing returns, with only 5% of firms achieving most of their program goals despite pilot adoption jumping from 5% to 92% over three years [1]. reported spending nearly $1.7B on computer hardware and software in 2025, up $300M year-over-year, though CEO Robert Sulentic projected AI integration will drive a 25% reduction in research costs [1]. Cushman & Wakefield's first-quarter operating and administrative expenses rose $30.9M, or 10%, attributed to higher salaries and technology costs [1].
The implementation challenges center on security lapses and token cost overruns. Virtually all — 99% — of 975 C-suite executives surveyed by EY reported financial losses from inadequate AI controls, with companies losing a conservative average of $4.4M and nearly two-thirds suffering losses exceeding $1M [1]. Only 60% of companies provide formal organizationwide policies despite two-thirds allowing employees to independently deploy AI agents, creating widespread "shadow AI" use of unauthorized platforms like Claude [1].
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