At the top of the summer we had the pleasure of attending Realcomm and sponsoring the CIO Roundtable. At the roundtable, we engaged in thoughtful conversations about the current state — and future — of technology in the commercial real estate industry. While many topics surfaced, one theme consistently rose to the top: being AI-ready, with a clear focus on implementing and rolling out Microsoft Copilot.
For those unfamiliar, Copilot is Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that can help your teams browse the web, and navigate tools across M365 like Teams, PowerPoint, Word — and crucially, SharePoint.
There’s broad consensus that AI and Copilot are central to how work will operate moving forward, especially in commercial real estate tech. We fully agree.
Yet, in listening to other industry leaders at Realcomm, it became clear that while the intent to adopt Copilot is strong, many organizations have recognized they need to lay the groundwork required and ensure a strong governance plan to ensure a smooth and secure rollout.
So why are AI and Microsoft Copilot important to REALTY|share?
This technology shift is a strategic opportunity for forward-thinking organizations to modernize back-office document management. Copilot can streamline how your teams analyze complex lease documents, automate critical workflows, and surface valuable insights buried deep in files — such as forecasting rent amortization or expense recoveries. By leveraging Copilot, executives can unlock greater efficiency, reduce manual work, and make faster, data-driven decisions that directly impact portfolio performance.
To help bridge that gap, here are four practical focus areas any real estate firm — or any enterprise — should tackle before deploying Copilot at scale:
- Define and Enforce a Document Naming Convention
Establish clear, standardized file naming policies across the organization. Clean, consistent file names enable AI tools like Copilot to locate, retrieve, and surface information accurately — a critical factor for reliable results.
- Apply Meaningful Metadata
Implement robust metadata standards for your documents — for example, include fields like Document Type, Tenant Name, Vendor Name, Month, or Year. Rich metadata gives Copilot the context it needs to process data intelligently and deliver relevant, actionable insights.
- Prioritize Document Clean-Up and Governance
Information is an asset — but outdated or redundant content introduces risk, compliance exposure, and digital noise. Invest the time to review your document libraries and enforce retention policies. A well-governed, decluttered SharePoint environment ensures Copilot works with the most current, trusted information.
- Identify and Empower Technology Champions
Successful AI adoption is as much about people as it is about technology. While end users may be eager to leverage Copilot, real value comes when IT leaders and power users champion a structured rollout, provide governance guardrails, and guide adoption under clear policies. This helps balance innovation with compliance and risk management.
Final Thoughts for IT Leaders
Before you bring Copilot to your entire organization, invest the time to prepare your data, refine your governance, and align your teams. Doing the upfront work now will not only maximize Copilot’s effectiveness but also position your organization to fully embrace AI responsibly and strategically in the years ahead.
Written by: Anthony B. Magee Jr.