Organisational silos have emerged as the primary barrier to transformation in Singapore’s commercial real estate sector, according to JLL’s 2026 Future of Work Survey. The survey, which included responses from 100 Singaporean executives, found that 37% of organisations identified silos as their top constraint, significantly higher than the Asia Pacific (APAC) average of 25%.
The survey highlights that whilst 80% of Singaporean organisations recognise the need for AI-driven portfolio action, only 11% have reached the optimisation stage. This is lower than the APAC average of 15%, indicating a gap between strategic awareness and execution. Susheel Koul, CEO of Real Estate Management Services at JLL, noted, “The companies pulling ahead aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets; they’re the ones building adaptive capability.”
Singapore’s unique challenge lies in its coordination barriers, with 32% of organisations citing AI skills gaps as a constraint, compared to 42% across APAC. This suggests that the issue is not a lack of capability but the difficulty in mobilising it across business units. The survey also found that 42% of Singaporean organisations face rental cost pressures, 14 percentage points above the regional average.
To address these challenges, organisations need to implement cross-functional governance frameworks and leadership alignment. As Kamya Miglani, Head of Research at JLL, stated, “Technology and workspace experience should not be competing priorities; together, they form the foundation for sustained cognitive performance.” The findings underscore the need for Singaporean organisations to focus on coordination and governance to fully capitalise on their technical capabilities.
