Why Quants Haven't Conquered CRE Like They Did Wall Street

Propmodo Technology

Greetings,

The news this week has been dominated by discussions of the escalating trade war. The Trump administration has laid out a new tariff regime, and other countries are beginning to retaliate with tariffs on American goods. One of the most significant consequences for the tech industry is the potential impact on the price of semiconductors. These chips are essential components in nearly all computing devices and electronics. About 70 percent of the world’s semiconductors are produced in just three countries: China, South Korea, and Taiwan.

As of now, the U.S. has imposed a 104 percent tariff on goods from China, a 30 percent tariff on those from South Korea, and a 25 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan. Interestingly, the tariffs on Taiwan—the source of most of the semiconductors used by American companies—do not yet apply to these high-tech components. The tech world is watching closely to see whether that will change. If semiconductors are eventually included, nearly all hardware could become more expensive, at least until domestic semiconductor manufacturing ramps up—a process that could take years, if not decades.

This week, with support from LightBox, we’re looking at how technology is advancing the real estate due diligence process. Unlike equity markets—where algorithmic trading now drives nearly 60% of all activity—commercial real estate has remained a hands-on, traditional field. But that’s beginning to shift. Forward-thinking investment firms are starting to use AI and big data to make smarter, faster decisions, signaling a future where real estate investing becomes more data-driven and efficient.

Let’s go!

Presented by LightBox

Unlock Property Owner Transparency & Gain a Competitive Edge

In commercial real estate, finding the right property is only half the battle—connecting with the right owner is what gets the deal done. Without actionable ownership data, deals stall, opportunities slip away, and inefficiencies pile up.

LightBox True Owner℠ changes that. The LightBox solution delivers ownership details and direct contact information, eliminating guesswork and delays so you can act with confidence.

Bytes

🤐 Trade secret battle over
The trade secret lawsuit between Move.com and Costar has been settled now that both companies have settled out of court and the employee in question is no longer employed by Costar.

🤺 Zillow’s new rival
The recent large acquisitions of both Mr. Cooper and Redfin by the mortgage company Rocket has some worried about how Zillow will be able to compete with their new, larger competitors.

🌈 Color me productive
One of the biggest new trends when it comes to office design is the use of “color coded workspaces” to help provide the right environment for workers depending on their mood or task at hand.

Due Diligence

Due Diligence

Overheard

Webinar

More Propmodo Technology

Propmodo Technology is edited by Franco Faraudo with contributions from readers like you and the Propmodo team.

📧 Forward it to a friend and suggest they check it out.

🔗 Share a link to this post on social media.

🗣 Have ideas for future topics (or just want to say hello)? Share your feedback and tips at [email protected] or connect with us on X through @propmodo.

✅ Not subscribed yet? Sign up for this newsletter here.

📣 Want to share your marketing message with over 60,000 commercial real estate professionals? Email [email protected] to learn how to sponsor this newsletter.

📫️ Please add our newsletter email, [email protected], to your contacts to make sure you don’t miss any updates.