Season One Recap

A Conversation with Sam Chandan, PhD from NYU

In this episode, Sandeep Ahuja sits down with Dr. Sam Chandan, professor at NYU Stern and founder of Chandan Economics, to explore how AI is reshaping real estate, the labor market, and the way we prepare the next generation of leaders. Sam shares his honest read on where commercial real estate stands on AI adoption today, why a willingness to experiment marks a real shift for the industry, and what separates the firms making progress from those still on the sidelines. They also dig into how AI is already showing up in white collar labor data, why bipedal robotics could be the next major disruption to the built environment, and where Sam sees both the biggest opportunities and the most significant risks ahead. Whether you're leading strategy or rethinking workforce planning, this conversation offers a grounded perspective from one of the most respected voices at the intersection of real estate, economics, and AI.

A Conversation with Arpit Gupta (NYU Stern) and James Scott (MIT)

In this episode, Sandeep Ahuja is joined by two guests who live at the crossroads of research and real estate: Arpit Gupta, Associate Professor of Finance at NYU Stern, and James Robert Scott, Director of the Real Estate Transformation Lab at MIT. Arpit shares how he built AI tools to structure messy zoning codes into usable data at national scale. James explores where AI is creating real value on the ground, including tools that analyze public meeting sentiment to help developers navigate approvals. Together, they rate where the industry stands on AI adoption, why real estate faces unique challenges, and what practical steps leaders can take right now. Whether you're a real estate professional figuring out where to start with AI or a researcher exploring what's possible, this episode connects the dots between academic insight and industry reality.

A Conversation with Will O'Donnell from Prologis

In this episode, Sandeep Ahuja sits down with Will O'Donnell, Managing Director and Head of Global Corporate Development and Growth at Prologis, and founder of Prologis Ventures, to explore how the world's largest logistics real estate company is evolving from four walls and a roof into an intelligent infrastructure platform. Will shares what he's learned from 22 years inside Prologis and backing 53 startups through the venture arm, from why clean data became a company-wide mandate to how nearly the entire organization now uses AI on a daily basis. He breaks down what it actually takes to move from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption — and why digitizing a bad process just gives you a digital bad process. They dig into the strategic logic behind Prologis's $25 billion commitment to data centers, including a new partnership with Nvidia to explore micro data centers for distributed AI. The conversation also covers what's changing on the warehouse floor, where automation and computer vision are reshaping operations, and why change management remains the hardest part of any technology rollout. Whether you're navigating AI strategy inside a large organization or investing in what's next for the built environment, this episode offers a grounded, practical perspective from someone with a front-row seat to the transformation.

A Conversation with Alex Wolkomir from McKinsey & Company

In this episode, Sandeep Ahuja sits down with Alex Wolkomir, Partner at McKinsey & Company, to talk about what AI adoption looks like from the inside, through the lens of someone advising the largest real estate firms in the world. Alex co-authored McKinsey's landmark report on generative AI in real estate and shares why the numbers have only gotten bigger since. He makes the case for why use cases are actually the wrong way to think about AI adoption, and why redesigning workflows end to end is where the real opportunity lies. They explore the areas gaining the most traction today, from leasing automation to maintenance triage, and what leaders need to get right to actually capture that value. The conversation also gets into the tension between automation and human judgment — and why protecting the moments that matter is just as important as automating the ones that don't. Whether you're leading innovation or just figuring out where to start, this episode is for you. Read McKinsey’s latest article on how agentic AI is reshaping real estate’s operating model at www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights [http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights]

A Conversation with Danny Klein from JLL Spark

In the Season 2 premiere of Real Estate Meets AI, Sandeep Ahuja sits down with Danny Klein, Partner at JLL Spark, the venture arm of JLL, to unpack where AI is truly gaining traction across real estate — and where it’s still early. Danny shares what he’s seeing after evaluating hundreds of AI startups, from tools accelerating leasing conversations to enterprise platforms layering real estate context onto large language models. They explore how firms are moving beyond experimentation and what it takes to translate AI from insight into action. The conversation also looks ahead to emerging opportunities in robotics and physical AI, and why getting your data house in order may be the most important move leaders can make right now. Whether you're investing in innovation or navigating change inside a large organization, this episode offers a grounded perspective on what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s next.