Weekly Briefing

Realcomm IBcon 2026 Digie Award Winners Announced

The 2026 Realcomm IBcon Digie Award winners were announced on June 3 at the San Diego Convention Center, recognizing the companies, projects, technologies, and individuals raising the bar across the commercial and corporate real estate industry for 28 years. Following are the 2026 Digie award winners leading the Tech REset.

REALCOMM

Best Use of Automation

Commercial Real Estate: BGO

• Advanced a portfolio-wide automation strategy through the deployment of integrated data, operations, ESG, and AI platforms, creating a more connected and intelligent real estate operating environment.
• Harnessed automation and AI to improve efficiency, accelerate analysis, strengthen decision making, and enhance building performance and tenant experience.
• Recognized for its forward-thinking approach to automation, continuously evaluating and deploying emerging technologies that position the organization at the forefront of digital transformation in CRE.

Commercial Real Estate: Brookfield

• Cultivates a culture of innovation through the deployment of enterprise AI, advanced data platforms, and proprietary technologies that enhance operational performance and business intelligence.
• Demonstrates an exceptional approach to data management by establishing connected, trusted data foundations that enable automation at scale, improve information accessibility, and support more consistent, data-driven decision-making across the organization.
• Recognized for establishing a data-first foundation that enables scalable AI adoption, operational intelligence, and enterprise-wide automation.

Retail Real Estate: Phillips Edison & Company

• Advanced a comprehensive enterprise automation strategy that combines AI agents, machine learning, and workforce enablement to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and drive innovation.
• Leveraged AI-powered solutions to automate critical business processes, accelerate lease review and setup, improve financial analysis, enhance leasing engagement, and support predictive risk management through data-driven insights.
• Demonstrates a commitment to scaling automation through associate education, enterprise AI adoption, and modern software development practices, establishing a model for how retail real estate organizations can operationalize AI at scale.

Retail Real Estate: Primaris REIT

• Developed a first-of-its-kind executive operating model that leverages agentic AI, custom automation frameworks, and enterprise data to support governance, strategy, communications, financial analysis, and technology leadership.
• Leverages advanced automation, custom-built tools, and connected enterprise data to improve operational efficiency, strengthen strategic planning, accelerate analysis, and support informed decision-making across critical business initiatives.
• Demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to automation by creating a repeatable and scalable operating model that enables greater organizational agility, accountability, and digital transformation throughout the enterprise.

Corporate Real Estate: Standard Bank Group

• Revolutionized utility management operations by transforming a fragmented, manual invoice process into an automated, end-to-end workflow that supports utility oversight .
• Harnesses advanced automation technologies to extract, standardize, analyze, and visualize utility data, enabling faster processing, improved accuracy, proactive anomaly detection, and enhanced operational decision-making.
• Recognized for its innovative approach to automation, creating a scalable platform that improves efficiency, strengthens financial and operational controls, and establishes a foundation for smarter, more sustainable portfolio management.

Investment Management: J.P. Morgan Asset Management

• Pioneered its acquisitions and underwriting platform through the deployment of AI-powered market intelligence, automated diligence workflows, predictive analytics, and decision-support tools that span the entire investment lifecycle.
• Harnesses automation to dramatically reduce manual effort, accelerate opportunity screening, enhance underwriting rigor, and transform institutional knowledge into a strategic asset that informs investment decisions at scale.
• Demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to investment management by combining proprietary data, AI-enabled workflows, and operational transformation to evaluate more opportunities, uncover deeper insights, and drive competitive advantage.

Multifamily | Residential: Avenue Living

• Elevated asset inspection and data collection by replacing traditional manual audits with an AI-powered video inspection solution capable of generating accurate, structured equipment records across a large multifamily portfolio.
• Harnesses computer vision, automated data extraction, and intelligent workflows to improve data quality, reduce operational costs, accelerate portfolio analysis, and enable more informed decisions around energy, maintenance, and capital planning.
• Demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to automation by making engineer-grade asset intelligence accessible at scale, establishing a new model for how multifamily organizations can manage building performance and sustainability initiatives.

Industrial Real Estate: Cabot

• Revolutionized its global operating model through the implementation of a modern enterprise platform that standardized financial and operational processes.
• Harnesses automation and integrated business workflows to eliminate manual processes, improve data integrity, streamline multicurrency operations, and provide real-time visibility across a single global database environment.
• Recognized for leveraging technology to create a scalable and efficient platform that supports international growth, strengthens governance, and positions the organization for long-term operational excellence.

Best Tech Innovation

Commercial | Corporate Real Estate: MRI Agora

• Developed an innovative data and intelligence platform that connects structured and unstructured information across the real estate enterprise, creating a unified foundation for automation, analytics, and AI-driven decision-making.
• Transforms how organizations access and utilize information by providing real-time context, trusted insights, and intelligent automation that eliminate data silos and accelerate operational and strategic workflows.
• Demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to technology innovation by establishing the data infrastructure required for scalable, trustworthy AI across commercial real estate portfolios and operations.

Commercial | Corporate Real Estate: Yardi Virtuoso

• Introduced an innovative AI platform that enables real estate organizations to create, deploy, and manage intelligent agents capable of automating business processes.
• Harnesses real-time operational data, connected intelligence, and low-code agent development tools to deliver contextual insights, streamline workflows, and reduce manual effort throughout the real estate lifecycle.
• Demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to technology innovation by establishing a secure and scalable foundation for AI-powered digital workforces that enhance productivity, improve decision-making, and accelerate operational transformation.

Digital Innovator

Goutham Vulpala

• Plays a pivotal role in advancing the practical application of AI within the real estate industry, transforming emerging technologies into operational solutions that deliver measurable business value.
• Consistently contributes to the advancement of the broader industry through active participation in collaborative forums, openly sharing implementation successes, challenges, failures, and lessons learned.
• Recognized as an emerging leader in real estate technology whose hands-on approach to innovation and commitment to knowledge sharing are helping organizations move from AI experimentation to real-world results.

Marlena Badway

• Has become a leading voice in the modernization of real estate investment management, helping organizations navigate the intersection of technology, operating models, data strategy, and business transformation.
• Widely respected for her expertise and willingness to share insights with industry peers, fostering meaningful dialogue around technology modernization, data governance, organizational change, and investment management best practices.
• Recognized for helping shape the future of technology-enabled investment management through thought leadership, industry engagement, and a commitment to advancing innovation across the sector.

Julie Devine Digital Impact

Gary Bailey

• Has played a transformative role in advancing the adoption of artificial intelligence across the commercial real estate industry, helping organizations move from experimentation to practical, scalable business applications.
• Through thought leadership, industry collaboration, and the open exchange of real-world experiences, has influenced how owners, operators, and technology leaders approach AI strategy, governance, and operational deployment.
• Recognized for his lasting contributions to digital innovation and his role in helping establish the frameworks, practices, and leadership approaches that continue to shape AI adoption across the industry.

John Fitzpatrick

• Has played a defining role in advancing technology leadership within the real estate industry, helping organizations better understand the intersection of business strategy, innovation, and digital transformation.
• Respected throughout the industry for his thoughtful insights, willingness to share knowledge and ability to challenge conventional thinking, elevating the quality of dialogue across the RE tech community.
• Recognized as one of the industry's most trusted advisors and thought leaders, whose influence continues to shape the strategic direction of RE tech and innovation.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Ed Merwin

• Honored for a distinguished career dedicated to advancing intelligent buildings and connected technologies, making enduring contributions that have helped shape the evolution of the modern built environment.
• Widely respected as an industry pioneer, thought leader, and collaborator whose work has accelerated the adoption of open, interoperable building systems and fostered innovation across the global real estate technology community.
• Recognized for a lifetime of service, leadership, and knowledge sharing, leaving an indelible mark on the industry and helping create the foundation upon which today's intelligent buildings continue to evolve.

Industry Impact Award

Marc Petock

• Stands among the most influential figures in the history of the intelligent buildings industry, helping transform a once-emerging concept into a global movement that continues to reshape the built environment.
• Has dedicated his career to advancing the understanding, adoption, and value of intelligent building technologies, consistently serving as a trusted voice, educator, advocate and catalyst for industry progress.
• Honored for an unparalleled impact on the industry, inspiring generations of professionals and leaving a legacy that extends far beyond individual projects, organizations or technologies, influencing the future direction of intelligent buildings worldwide.

IBCON

Most Intelligent

Office Building: Bentall 6 – Vancouver

• Redefines the intelligent office building through the seamless integration of digital twin technology, AI, IoT, edge computing, and advanced building systems, creating a living, adaptive environment.
• Harnesses predictive analytics, automated workflows, occupancy intelligence, and real-time operational insights to improve energy efficiency, occupant comfort, maintenance outcomes, and overall building performance.
• Sets a new standard for intelligent buildings by demonstrating how connected technologies, unified data architectures, and human-AI collaboration can transform buildingoperations from reactive management to predictive and adaptive optimization.

Office Portfolio: QuadReal

• Has established one of the industry's most advanced intelligent building portfolios, combining connected technologies, operational excellence, and data-driven innovation to deliver measurable value across a global real estate platform.
• Continually advances building intelligence through the integration of digital infrastructure, analytics, automation, sustainability initiatives, and portfolio-wide performance optimization, creating a highly connected and responsive operating environment.
• Widely recognized as a leader in intelligent buildings, setting the standard for how owners can scale innovation, operationalize building data, and transform portfolio performance through technology.

Corporate Headquarters: Microsoft Campus – Redmond

• Leads one of the industry's most ambitious intelligent building initiatives, advancing a long-term transformation toward autonomous real estate operations through the strategic integration of AI, data, automation, and digital building infrastructure.
• Harnesses connected technologies and operational intelligence to create increasingly adaptive, predictive, and self-optimizing environments that improve performance, sustainability, occupant experience, and operational resilience.
• Sets a new benchmark for intelligent corporate real estate by demonstrating how organizations can evolve beyond smart buildings toward autonomous operations and the future of AI-enabled workplace management.

Digital District: OC Vibe – Anaheim

• Creates a next-generation digital district that brings together entertainment, transportation, hospitality, public spaces, and intelligent infrastructure within a connected, technology-enabled ecosystem.
• Leverages advanced mobility technologies, digital connectivity, operational intelligence, and integrated visitor experiences to create a seamless, responsive, and highly connected destination at district scale.
• Sets a new benchmark for digital district development by demonstrating how technology, data, and integrated design can create a vibrant destination that continuously adapts to evolving user needs and operational demands.

DC-Powered Building: HITT Contracting HQ – Falls Church

• Pioneers a new model for intelligent workplaces by replacing traditional AC-powered workplace infrastructure with a comprehensive DC-powered architecture that delivers power directly to building systems, lighting, devices, and workplace technologies.
• Harnesses advanced DC power distribution and connected building technologies to improve energy efficiency, reduce infrastructure complexity, and create a more flexible, resilient, and technology-enabled operating environment.
• Demonstrates the transformative potential of DC-powered buildings, establishing a blueprint for how next-generation workplaces can support sustainability, operational intelligence, and the future of intelligent building design.

Multifamily | Residential: Signature Music Row – Nashville

• Delivers a highly connected residential experience through the integration of smart apartment technologies, digital infrastructure, and resident-focused services that create a seamless and intelligent living environment.
• Leverages connected building systems, smart access technologies, resident engagement platforms, and operational intelligence to enhance convenience, security, efficiency, and property performance.
• Recognized as a leader in intelligent multifamily housing, demonstrating how technology, connectivity, and data-driven operations can elevate both the resident experience and long-term asset value.

Higher Ed: Stanford

• Demonstrates industry-leading excellence in intelligent campus operations through the deployment of advanced building technologies, data-driven decision-making, and innovative operational strategies that enhance sustainability, efficiency, and occupant experiences.
• Leverages integrated building systems, analytics, automation, and emerging technologies to optimize energy performance, improve operational resilience, and create a highly connected campus environment.
• Recognized as a benchmark for intelligent campus transformation, advancing both Stanford and the broader industry through visionary leadership, a commitment to innovation, and the open sharing of knowledge.

Best Tech Innovation

DC Power: Sinclair Digital – AGILE-CORE

• Pioneers a next-generation DC-powered building architecture that replaces conventional electrical distribution models with an intelligent infrastructure capable of delivering both power and data through a unified, low-voltage platform.
• Harnesses fault-managed power, distributed edge computing, PoE and fiber connectivity to reduce energy consumption, eliminate unnecessary AC-to-DC conversion losses, simplify infrastructure, and support a wide range of intelligent building technologies.
• Sets a new benchmark for DC-powered buildings by demonstrating how digital power infrastructure can transform the economics, sustainability, flexibility, and long-term scalability of connected RE environments.

Intelligent Buildings: KODE Labs – EnerG

• Revolutionizes intelligent building operations by creating a connected energy platform that unifies building systems, data sources, and operational workflows to enable continuous performance optimization.
• Harnesses advanced analytics, automation, and system interoperability to deliver real-time visibility into energy consumption, equipment performance, and operational efficiency, empowering operators to make faster and more impactful decisions.
• Sets a new benchmark for intelligent building technology by transforming energy from a standalone management function into a strategic, data-driven component of building performance and portfolio operations.

Intelligent Buildings: Noda – Noda Command

• Elevates building operations by introducing one of the industry's first agentic AI platforms, transforming intelligent buildings from environments that simply report problems into environments that actively support operational decision-making and execution.
• Leverages AI-driven reasoning, continuous diagnostics, and automated workflow orchestration to help operators identify root causes, prioritize actions, optimize building performance, and extend the effectiveness of engineering teams.
• Sets a new benchmark for intelligent building innovation by demonstrating how agentic AI can bridge the gap between insight and action, creating a future where building operations become increasingly predictive, autonomous, and outcome-driven.

Digital Innovator

Ben Cooper

• Demonstrates exceptional leadership in advancing AI-driven innovation within intelligent buildings, helping bridge the gap between emerging technologies and practical operational outcomes.
• Consistently shares insights, successes, and lessons learned with industry peers, contributing to a broader understanding of how AI can enhance building performance, operational efficiency and occupant experiences.
• Recognized as a trusted voice in intelligent buildings, helping advance the industry's transition toward AI-enabled, predictive and increasingly autonomous building operations.

Ryan Sen

• Plays a pivotal role in advancing intelligent building technologies by helping bridge the gap between innovation and implementation, enabling organizations to realize measurable value from connected building solutions at scale.
• Demonstrates exceptional leadership in building the communities and partnerships that enable intelligent building innovation to scale.
• Recognized as an emerging industry leader whose commitment to education, collaboration, and intelligent building innovation is helping drive meaningful progress across the built environment.

Julie Devine – Digital Impact

Kay Sargent

• Has played a transformative role in redefining the future of workplace design, challenging conventional assumptions and helping organizations create environments that better support the needs, experiences, and performance of their people.
• Through pioneering research, thought leadership, and advocacy, has elevated the industry's understanding of neurodiversity and inclusive design, inspiring a new generation of workplaces that are more adaptable, accessible, and human-centered.
• Recognized for her enduring impact on the built environment and for advancing a vision of workplace innovation that places inclusion, wellbeing and human experience at the center of design and operational decision-making.

Thano Lambrinos

• Has helped advance the industry's understanding of the critical intersection between intelligent buildings, operational technology, and cybersecurity, promoting more resilient, secure, and high-performing connected environments.
• Through his leadership and contributions to the Real Estate Cyber Consortium, has helped elevate the industry's focus on cybersecurity, fostering collaboration and promoting strategies that strengthen the security and resilience of connected real estate environments.
• Recognized for his enduring impact on the industry and his commitment to sharing knowledge, advancing best practices, and helping shape the future of intelligent, secure, and connected buildings.

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