How is AI-assisted site selection changing the way companies evaluate commercial real estate?
In this episode, Tim Vi Tran, SIOR, CCIM, Founder and President of The Ivy Group, shares his perspective on how artificial intelligence is being used to improve research, analysis, and decision-making throughout the commercial real estate site selection process.
Tim recently contributed to the SIOR Report Summer 2026 article, “AI-Enhanced Site Selection,” published by the Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS® (SIOR). The article explores how commercial real estate professionals are incorporating artificial intelligence into site selection while continuing to rely on reliable data, local market knowledge, and experienced human judgment.
At The Ivy Group, AI-enabled tools are used alongside CoStar, proprietary data, transaction experience, and market expertise to help clients evaluate potential locations more efficiently and with greater context.
– To watch this intro as a 3-min Youtube video
– To read this intro as a blog post
For office users, AI-assisted site selection can involve much more than comparing rents or available square footage.
AI can help evaluate workforce distribution, employee commute patterns, transportation access, available talent, market conditions, occupancy costs, and proximity to major freeways and infrastructure.
For corporate clients, the analysis can become even more complex. Companies may need to compare multiple markets, assess operating environments, determine the appropriate real estate footprint, and evaluate how each location supports broader corporate strategy and long-term growth.
By organizing and analyzing large amounts of information more quickly, AI can help commercial real estate professionals narrow the field and focus attention on locations that better align with a client’s operational and financial objectives.
Artificial intelligence can process significant amounts of information quickly, but its usefulness depends on the quality and accuracy of the data behind it.
Tim discusses an important limitation of AI: hallucinations can produce inaccurate, incomplete, or unsupported information. In commercial real estate, where AI-assisted site selection may influence substantial capital commitments and long-term operating decisions, information must be verified and interpreted carefully.
That is why experienced commercial real estate advisors remain essential.
AI can accelerate research, identify patterns, organize data, and compare scenarios. It cannot replace trust, accountability, empathy, negotiation experience, local market knowledge, or the professional judgment required to understand what the data means for a specific client.
The Ivy Group is also exploring a private large language model trained on the firm’s proprietary knowledge, including case studies, closed transactions, articles, videos, podcasts, and other internal resources.
The objective is to use technology to produce faster, more relevant, and more customized insights while preserving the human expertise behind each recommendation.
Technology has been part of Tim’s approach for many years. More than a decade ago, he personally developed a software data management tool to monitor transactions in real time, prepare pro forma reports, and manage pipelines, projects, contacts, and client relationships.
Today, artificial intelligence is also being used to help refine Offering Memoranda, prepare market summaries and listing descriptions, develop property video scripts and timelines, and create more targeted property presentations and marketing materials.
AI is becoming an increasingly useful research and productivity partner for commercial real estate professionals.
For AI-assisted site selection, the opportunity goes beyond speed. The greater value comes from combining technology with accurate data, local market intelligence, transaction experience, and professional judgment.
That combination can help companies and investors evaluate locations more efficiently, compare alternatives more effectively, and make more informed real estate decisions.
The technology will continue to evolve.
The importance of sound judgment, reliable information, accountability, and trusted relationships will remain.
The Ivy Group: Commercial properties, above and beyond.
Read the full SIOR Report Summer 2026 article, “AI-Enhanced Site Selection”:
https://flipbooks.bigredm.com/SIOR-2026-Summer/32/
👉 To learn more, you can access, for a small fee, case studies: https://theivygroup.com/courses
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📩 Contact The Ivy Group: https://theivygroup.com/contact-us/
The Ivy Group specializes in commercial sales, leasing, and investment advisory across Fremont, Silicon Valley, and the Greater Bay Area. With over 100 years of combined experience and designations including SIOR and CCIM, The Ivy Group provides strategic guidance for complex transactions in commercial real estate.
When you need to sell, buy, or lease, The Ivy Group is ready to help you reach your goals with more than 100 years of combined experience and expertise. Contact us with your next real estate needs.
All information shared here in this article, and in all blogs, case studies, podcasts, videos, and courses offered by The Ivy Group, is for general education only and is not tax, legal, accounting, or investment advice. Please seek professional advice from tax, accounting, legal, and other qualified professionals.
Copyright © 2026 by Tim Vi Tran, SIOR, CCIM. All rights reserved.
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