Singapore commercial real estate transformation slowed by organisational silos

Nearly four in ten Singapore firms say this is their top constraint.

Organisational silos have emerged as the biggest obstacle to real estate transformation among Singapore corporate real estate leaders, according to JLL's 2026 Future of Work Survey.

JLL said 37% of Singapore organisations identify organisational silos as their top constraint, 12 percentage points above the Asia Pacific average of 25%. AI and technology skills gaps and budget constraints each ranked at 32%.

The findings are based on responses from more than 2,200 C-suite executives and commercial real estate leaders across 21 countries, including 100 respondents in Singapore.

JLL said the Singapore results point to an execution problem rather than a lack of strategic awareness. While 80% of organisations recognise the need for portfolio action as AI transforms work, only 11% have reached the stage of actively optimising AI in their CRE operations, compared with 15% across Asia Pacific.

Overall, 34% of Singapore organisations are either optimising or scaling AI deployment, versus 41% regionally. Singapore's largest cohort, at 27%, remains at the sourcing stage, where companies are selecting tools and partners but have yet to deploy them. The comparable Asia Pacific figure is 16%.

The gap widens as organisations move from analysis towards implementation. JLL found that 52% of Singapore respondents monitor AI trends and 42% analyse their implications for CRE, but only 36% model portfolio implications with dedicated budgets. Just 35% have change management programmes under way, 31% are considering new locations for AI talent and 28% are redesigning workplaces for human-AI collaboration.

"What's notable is that the companies pulling ahead aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets; they're the ones building adaptive capability and treating AI as a growth enabler, not just a cost lever," said Susheel Koul, JLL's CEO of Real Estate Management Services, APAC.

Koul said the gap between organisations advancing into AI optimisation and those still monitoring developments could compound rapidly unless skills and capability gaps are addressed.

JLL said Singapore's challenge calls for cross-functional governance, stronger alignment between C-suite and CRE leaders, and integrated data platforms that allow portfolio-wide decisions.

The report also found that Singapore faces a technology-related risk dilemma. Cybersecurity and data privacy was identified as a top portfolio risk by 53% of respondents, while 46% cited technology and AI disruption. Geopolitical instability followed at 40%, with 37% concerned about uncertainty over AI's impact on space requirements.