Research, analysis, and perspectives on the built world.
Most AI implementations in CRE development fail not because the technology does not work but because teams start in the wrong place. This guide covers how to sequence deployment, what data readiness looks like, and what to measure in the first year.
April 14, 2026 ·5 min read
The CRE services market is being restructured by AI-native delivery. This piece explains how the model works, which service lines are changing fastest, and what institutional developers should expect from a firm built on AI rather than headcount.
April 14, 2026 ·5 min read
Data center permitting spans multiple simultaneous approval tracks — special use permits, environmental reviews, noise ordinances, and utility coordination — each with its own timeline and interdependencies. AI monitoring systems track permit status across jurisdictions, parse regulatory changes, and generate probability-weighted schedule models for portfolio visibility. This post explains where delays actually come from and what AI can and cannot do about them.
April 12, 2026 ·5 min read
Wholesale and colocation data center facilities look similar from the outside but represent fundamentally different development businesses. This post breaks down how lease structure, tenant credit, power density, capex, and exit pricing differ between the two product types, and provides a decision framework for developers evaluating which to build at a given site.
April 12, 2026 ·5 min read
Multimodal AI — models that process images, maps, and documents alongside text — extends AI capabilities into the visual layer of real estate development: site plans, surveys, construction photos, and zoning maps. This post covers the highest-value use cases in development workflows today, accuracy considerations for production deployment, and the implementation pattern that works.
April 12, 2026 ·5 min read
Full due diligence on a data center site spans ten domains, from power availability and grid study risk to title, environmental, and water feasibility. This checklist covers the go/no-go criteria for each, what AI automates, and what still requires experienced human judgment. Designed for institutional developers evaluating multiple sites simultaneously.
April 11, 2026 ·5 min read
Data center site screening covers 30 or more variables across power, land, zoning, fiber, and water before a site earns a full diligence budget. This guide breaks down the go/no-go thresholds for each domain and explains how AI-assisted screening lets development teams evaluate 10x more candidates in the same timeframe. The developer who screens more sites wins more deals.
April 11, 2026 ·5 min read
GPU rack densities from AI compute workloads have outpaced air cooling's limits, forcing data center developers to choose between direct liquid cooling, immersion, and evaporative systems before a building is designed. This post covers the capabilities and site constraints of each approach, explains the water availability issue reshaping market selection, and shows where AI-assisted feasibility modeling changes the economics of the decision.
April 11, 2026 ·5 min read
An analysis of data center supply and demand dynamics across primary and secondary U.S. markets in 2026, covering vacancy rates, hyperscale absorption, power-constrained market dynamics, construction costs, and the tier-2 markets attracting the most institutional capital.
April 10, 2026 ·4 min read