But it is changing how we prepare for one. 

Over the past few weeks I’ve had a few interesting conversations with landlords. 

The question keeps coming up: “How are you using AI in your brokerage business?” 

Usually it comes up while discussing marketing strategy — specifically how we identify potential tenants/investors within the market and build better target lists for buildings we represent. 

It’s a fair question, and the honest answer is that we’re starting to integrate it thoughtfully into our process. 

There are new tools that can analyze ownership patterns, surface companies expanding in a region, and help build more refined outreach lists than we could have assembled manually a few years ago. 

But the more we experiment with these tools, the clearer something becomes. 

None of them replace the broker conversations. 

They don’t replace knowing which company quietly toured space last month. They don’t replace hearing from another broker that a tenant just raised capital, or that a founder is considering relocating before anything shows up in the market. 

Using AI alone is a bit like throwing a fly into the ocean and hoping something bites. 

Using AI alongside real broker intelligence is more like stepping into a river during a hatch — when the fish are rising and you know exactly where to cast. 

Technology helps aim. Relationships tell you where to stand. 

What the Industry Is Actually Saying 

There has been a lot of discussion lately about whether artificial intelligence will disrupt brokerage. 

The reality is more measured. 

Executives across the major national firms have consistently described AI as a tool that enhances brokerage rather than replaces it. 

Barry Gosin, CEO of Newmark Group, Inc., recently described artificial intelligence as a “business accelerant” that helps firms operate more efficiently but does not eliminate the need for advisors. 

Leadership at CBRE Group, Inc. and JLL have echoed similar views, noting that AI is most valuable when it removes routine work and allows brokers to focus on strategy, relationships, and negotiation — the parts of the business where human judgment still matters most. 

In other words, the technology is improving preparation. But it isn’t replacing persuasion. Deals still move on nuance. 

Where We’re Beginning to Use It 

For landlord clients, the biggest opportunity is smarter targeting. 

Instead of broad outreach and hoping the right tenant sees a listing, new tools allow us to identify companies already operating within a regional radius whose growth patterns, hiring signals, or operational footprint suggest they may be evaluating space. 

For tenant representation clients, it improves preparation. Comparing multiple properties, analyzing lease structures, and testing different scenarios can happen more quickly, allowing us to focus more time on negotiation and strategy rather than manual analysis. 

For investor clients, the implications may be even more meaningful. 

AI can help sift through ownership data, lease rollover exposure, refinancing cycles, and sublease patterns faster than traditional research methods. It allows us to pressure‑test underwriting assumptions and identify potential risks earlier in the process. 

That doesn’t replace experience. But it sharpens it. Preparation improves. Judgment still decides. 

Data vs. Signal 

As we begin integrating these tools, we’re also very aware of the limitations. 

If everyone uses the same technology, everyone eventually sees similar data. 

The differentiation then becomes interpretation. 

Data gives you volume. Conversations give you signal. 

In a market like Boulder, nuance matters. Knowing which founder is serious about expansion, which ownership group is quietly fatigued, or which invester is tightening or lossening underwriting standards rarely appears in a dataset. 

That information comes from relationships. 

Technology can surface opportunities. But local insight still determines which ones matter. 

Market Insight 

Data gives you volume. Conversations give you signal. 

AI can identify tenants, buyers, and investors faster than ever. 

But the real edge still comes from knowing which opportunities are real and which are just noise. 

Technology surfaces possibilities. Relationships reveal intent. 

Why We’re Sharing This 

First, because our clients should know we are proactively evolving how we approach the market. 

Second, because this improves the advisory work we do for tenant and investor clients, not just landlord marketing. 

And third, because brokerage works best when the industry improves together. 

The Bottom Line 

Artificial intelligence can help build the list, accelerate research, and improve preparation. 

But it cannot build trust, negotiate nuance, or create conviction. 

Technology helps us cast with more precision. Relationships tell us where the fish are feeding. 

Like any good river guide knows — the right fly matters, but knowing where the current is moving matters even more. 

We’re still early in integrating these tools into our workflow — intentionally and carefully — because the goal isn’t to look innovative. 

The goal is to advise smarter. 

Scott Crabtree  – Senior Broker, Colorado Group 

CrabtreeTeam 

Commercial Real Estate 

Boulder, Colorado