Navigating the Intersection of Technology and Real Estate: Insights from Jason Goddard - CBRE

The real estate and facilities management industry is undergoing a period of profound transformation. Technology promises greater efficiency, improved visibility, and smarter decision-making. Yet it’s true impact depends on how effectively it is applied. We recently chatted to Jason Goddard, Global Leader at CBRE, for our Digital Wisdom podcast. He shared a grounded, experience-led perspective on what’s working, what isn’t, and what leaders should be thinking about next. 

We began with a little background on Jason himself. Having initially wanted to be a mechanic, he found himself working as a security guard, which led to a swift rise in the facilities management sector. "By the age of 21, I was a branch manager for Rentakill Security Services," he recalls. His trajectory took him through various roles, ultimately leading him to his current position at CBRE, where he oversees operations across 51 countries. 

Technology is central to modern corporate real estate, supporting everything from leasing and construction to day-to-day service delivery. However, Jason offered a nuanced view, that while digital tools have advanced significantly, their presence alone does not guarantee meaningful improvement at an operational level. Too often, technology is implemented as a top-down solution without sufficient consideration for how it integrates into day-to-day workflows. When systems are complex, poorly adopted, or disconnected from frontline realities, they risk adding friction rather than removing it. True operational value emerges only when technology is aligned with processes and supported by the right behaviours. A view we at Digital Wisdom wholeheartedly agree with. 

Jason sees this particularly in facilities management services like cleaning and maintenance and that in some cases technology is therefore failing the real estate industry. This disconnect highlights a critical issue: technology must be designed and implemented with the end user in mind, not adopted for its own sake. With this in mind, Jason discussed how leading teams across different countries has shown him that success also depends on balancing standardisation with local context. Technology can enable consistency, but people remain essential to interpretation, delivery, and relationship management. 

There’s no disputing that smart technology and data-led decision-making are essential to the future of facilities management. But Jason believes that the real estate business needs to be able to forecast a little bit more what the general competition is doing and when trends are starting to change. Jason went on to explain that the best talent are having their pick of companies in the same way that companies are picking the best talent for the role. We’re choosing who we want to work for because the location is better or the in-house restaurant is nicer or the building is more appealing. 

We finished up our discussion by agreeing that intelligent buildings, integrated systems, and predictive maintenance all present significant opportunities. However, Jason was clear that technology alone will not deliver transformation. Real progress comes from aligning systems, processes, and people – something that we strongly believe here at Digital Wisdom. His perspective reinforces a critical truth: technology is an enabler, not a solution in itself. In his own words, "It's not just about having technology; it's about using it effectively." 

To learn more and hear me chatting to Jason, tune in to our latest episode of Digital Wisdom available wherever you get your podcasts.