Ep. 46 Turning AI Hype Into Real Time Savings in Commercial Real Estate

In this episode of Peak Property Performance, Bill Douglas speaks with Greg Achenbach, VP of Product at PredictAP, about moving beyond AI hype and applying technology to real business problems in commercial real estate. They discuss identifying operational bottlenecks, creating measurable ROI, protecting sensitive data, and choosing the right technology for the job.AI in commercial real estateCRE accounting automationAccounts payable efficiencyOperational bottlenecksAI adoption and ROIData security and privacyPurpose-built vs. general-purpose AIBuild vs. buy decisionsTechnology vendor evaluationBill: What makes commercial real estate accounting a practical place for automation?Greg: CRE produces enormous volumes of financial activity. Accounts payable involves purchases, repairs, services, and invoices across properties and portfolios, making repetitive processes a strong opportunity for automation.Bill: How should owners approach AI instead of buying something because it has AI on the label?Greg: Start with the job that needs to be done. Find where employees spend too much time on lower-value work and identify the bottlenecks keeping them from more important tasks. Technology should help achieve an outcome rather than become the objective itself.Greg: Begin with a specific problem where you can measure the impact. Determine what's causing the most pain, apply the appropriate technology, and track whether it actually improves performance. AI can become expensive, so measurable value matters more than simply checking an AI box.Greg: Real estate companies already sit on mountains of data. Technology can help answer questions that would otherwise require extensive manual review, from identifying invoices with late fees to uncovering patterns across financial records.Bill: What does safe AI adoption look like for CRE teams handling sensitive information?Greg: Evaluate AI tools with the same seriousness as core property management systems. Understand where your data goes, how it's protected, and how vendors may use your interactions and business knowledge.Greg: The right solution depends on the problem. General-purpose tools can work for low-risk tasks, while critical processes may require purpose-built technology with stronger security and scalability. Building internally can work too, but teams must be prepared to maintain security and keep pace with rapidly changing technology.Greg: Focus on the people, the problem, and whether a vendor is transparent about what its technology can and cannot do. Strong technology partners should prioritize solving the right problem rather than selling a promise.Bill: Best career or life advice?Greg: Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Difficult situations create opportunities to learn.Bill: Habit that makes you more effective?Greg: Exercise first thing in the morning. It gives me greater clarity, energy, and focus.Bill: Early bird or night owl?Greg: Once I'm up, mornings are when I'm most productive.Greg Achenbach VP of Product, PredictAP LinkedIn is Greg's preferred way to connect.About Peak Property PerformanceThe Peak Property Performance Podcast is hosted by Bill Douglas and Drew Hall of OpticWise. The show explores how commercial real estate owners and operators improve performance through digital infrastructure, operational intelligence, AI, and better decision-making.Learn more:https://www.peakpropertyperformance.com https://www.opticwise.comWatch this episode on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@PeakPropertyPerformance