Ep. 17 | Sam Altman’s Code Red, What JLL’s 2025 Tech Survey Reveals & Premium Malls Are Back

Powered by HqO - Learn more and join the Quantum City Initiative here: https://www.hqo.com/the-future-of-cities-begins-now/ Sam Altman has reportedly called a “code red” as the AI race accelerates—and that momentum is beginning to show up in commercial real estate. In EP17, we look at Boston’s potential budget pressure as commercial values are projected to decline, then dive into JLL’s 2025 Global Tech Survey to understand what 1,500+ CRE leaders are doing with AI.   Adoption is high—many firms are running AI pilots—but results are still limited, with only a small share reporting that they’ve achieved their AI goals. We discuss why the performance gap between tech leaders and laggards is widening, and what that could mean for NOI, operating costs, vacancy, and tenant retention.   We also explore the “Quantum City” idea: buildings as connected nodes in a living city network, followed by quick hits on Crexi’s record listings, signs of leasing improvement in San Francisco tied to AI-driven growth, and a final discussion on private equity’s growing role in youth sports and the rising cost of streaming access.   In this episode we also cover: 🏙️ Boston’s CRE hit and city budget impact 📊 JLL 2025 Tech Survey: adoption, priorities, barriers 🧪 AI pilots vs real results (the 5% problem) 📉 Tech leaders vs laggards (ROI gap) 🌐 Quantum City + buildings as network nodes ⚡ Quick hits: Crexi, SF leasing, and more 🏒 One more bit: PE in youth sports + the $300/month shock Stay Connected: Subscribe to the newsletter for insights & event invites Share your feedback — we love hearing from you! Follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/hqo/  Twitter https://x.com/hqoapp Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hqoapp TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hqo_official    TIMESTAMPS 02:30 “Code Red” (AI Race) 03:20 Boston CRE + City Budget 05:00 JLL Tech Survey Deep Dive 07:10 AI Pilots vs 5% Goals 16:10 Tech Leaders vs Laggards 18:40 Quantum City + Building Nodes 31:00 Quick Hits (Crexi + SF) 34:30 Boston Return-to-Office 39:30 Premium Malls Comeback 41:30 One More Bit (Youth Sports + PE)