Most property teams are using AI without written rules
In September 2026, the Institute of Real Estate Management and AppFolio published AI Insights 2026, based on a survey of 3,662 U.S. property management and real estate professionals fielded from May to June 2026. They found that 58 percent of respondents use AI in their role, up from 21 percent in 2023.
The policies have not kept up. Only 8 percent said their company has a formal written AI policy, 74 percent have received no formal AI training, and 54 percent said their company neither encourages nor discourages AI use. The report describes the result as employees moving well ahead of any direction from their organizations.
Where property management companies stand on a written AI policy
The gap is not limited to real estate. In a survey commissioned by Okta and fielded in March 2026 across seven countries, 52 percent of knowledge workers said they use AI tools without approval, often through personal accounts, and 16 percent said they had shared login credentials and passwords with AI tools. In the same study, 90 percent of executives said they were confident in their organization's visibility into AI tools, according to Okta's published findings.
Why a written policy matters more in real estate
A property company handles rental applications, bank and payment details, background and credit reports, owner financials, and a steady flow of messages to residents. Much of that is exactly the information an employee might paste into a chatbot to save time. The firm also stays responsible for what goes out under its name. As David Barrow of WatchPoint Commercial Real Estate told Florida Realtors, "Liability is still there for property managers, whether AI does the calculations or a human."
A written policy gives staff a clear answer before they form habits, and it gives leadership something to train against and enforce. With our clients, the policy is usually the first deliverable of an AI rollout because every later decision about tools and training depends on it.
“Most companies we meet already have AI tools in place at their organizations. The payoff depends on what happens after the tools are purchased, and the common mistake is in the change management and rollout. The companies with the highest gains, operationally and financially, are the ones with a plan before they even begin.
Leadership needs to discuss and decide how AI fits in the business, how security is scoped and which policies are required, how teams will be trained, and, ultimately, what the desired outcome is. We work through each of these with our clients so they get the best possible implementation of AI in their organization.”
The template: eight sections
This is the structure we start from with real estate clients. Each section should fit on a page or less. Adjust it to your portfolio, your systems, and the states you operate in, and have your counsel review the final version before it goes out. The full policy is available below as an editable Word file.
Purpose and scope
State why the policy exists and who it covers: employees, contractors, and anyone working under the company's name, on company devices or personal ones. Name the kinds of tools it covers, including chat assistants, AI features inside existing software, and AI agents that take actions on their own.
Approved tools and accounts
Keep a short list of approved tools, each used through a company account with the vendor's business data terms in place. Personal accounts are not allowed for company work. Name one person who approves new tools and keeps the list current, and give staff a simple way to request one.
Data rules
Sort information into three levels. Public information, such as published listings, can go into any approved tool. Internal information, such as procedures and general reports, can go into approved tools only. Restricted information, including Social Security numbers, bank and payment details, background and credit reports, and owner financials, stays out of AI tools unless a specific tool has been approved for that data.
Human review and decisions
A person reviews anything AI drafts before it goes to a resident, applicant, owner, lender, or vendor. Decisions on applications, lease terms, payments, and anything with fair housing implications are made by a person, and that person is accountable for the outcome.
Fair housing and advertising
Listings, ads, and resident messages written with AI get the same fair housing review as anything written by hand. The policy should say plainly that the company is responsible for the content whether a person or a tool produced it.
Credentials and AI agents
Staff never give an AI tool their own passwords or login credentials. Any agent that acts on the company's behalf gets its own access, approved in writing, limited to the systems and actions it needs, with the same controls the company applies to a new employee.
Training and acknowledgement
Every employee is trained on the policy before using AI for company work and signs an acknowledgement. Training is built around each role's real tasks, so leasing, maintenance, accounting, and asset management each see examples from their own work.
Ownership, incidents, and review
Name the policy owner. Tell staff how to report a mistake, such as restricted data entered into the wrong tool, and make it clear that reporting quickly is expected. Review the policy at least twice a year, since tools and vendor terms change quickly.
How we put this in place with our clients
We have worked through this process with clients in regulated settings. For one Inc. 5000 company, we worked with its contracted counsel on an AI governance policy that addressed HIPAA requirements. The same approach carries over to real estate. Leadership decides where AI fits first, then the policy sets the data rules and review steps, then training puts the policy into each team's daily work.
For the bigger picture on what separates the companies seeing a return on AI, see why AI spending is not paying off yet.
See our AI consulting, training, and governance services
Common questions
Does a property management company need an AI policy?
A property management company needs one as soon as any of its staff use AI for work. IREM and AppFolio found in 2026 that 58 percent of property management professionals use AI in their role, while only 8 percent say their company has a formal written AI policy. Without one, each employee decides on their own what data is safe to share and what needs review. As James Williamson, Managing Principal at Blue Brick Partners, puts it: "The payoff depends on what happens after the tools are purchased. The companies with the highest gains, operationally and financially, are the ones with a plan before they even begin."
What should an AI acceptable-use policy include for a real estate firm?
Eight sections cover most firms: purpose and scope, approved tools and accounts, data rules, human review and decisions, fair housing and advertising, credentials and AI agents, training and acknowledgement, and ownership with an incident and review process. Counsel should review the final version.
Can property managers put resident information into AI chatbots?
Resident information should go only into tools the company has approved for that kind of data. Restricted information such as Social Security numbers, bank and payment details, and background or credit reports should stay out of AI tools unless a specific tool has been approved for it under the company's business data terms. Personal AI accounts should never be used for resident information.
Sources
- IREM in partnership with AppFolio: AI Insights 2026, How artificial intelligence is reshaping real estate management (September 2026)
- Florida Realtors: AI use outpaces office policies and training (September 28, 2026)
- Okta: AI Agents at Work 2026 (May 27, 2026)
This article reflects the personal views of James Williamson and the views of Blue Brick Partners. It does not represent the views of any other company.