Siddharth Taparia, Global Chief Marketing Officer at JLL, a Fortune 200 commercial real estate company, has shared compelling insights into how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing business operations at his organization. In a recent interview, Taparia detailed how AI has dramatically accelerated workflows that previously took months down to mere hours.
JLL’s AI journey began in November 2022 when ChatGPT first launched, prompting the company to experiment with various AI tools available in the marketplace. Within just 10 months, by August 2023, JLL launched JLL GPT—the first large language model specifically purpose-built for commercial real estate. This proprietary tool ensures that sensitive company information remains secure within the organization’s infrastructure, eliminating data security concerns that often accompany public AI platforms.
The impact has been transformative. JLL now has over 400 marketing professionals who identify as “artificial intelligence innovators”—champions who actively integrate AI tools into their daily workflows. The marketing department utilizes more than half a dozen AI tools to enhance both speed and effectiveness of their operations.
Taparia provided a striking real-world example of AI’s efficiency gains. Two weeks prior to his interview, JLL needed to draft a partnership memorandum of understanding with another company. Traditionally, this process involved multiple stakeholders: legal teams would draft initial versions, various parties would revise over days or weeks, culminating in a four to six week timeline from start to finish. Using JLL GPT, Taparia generated the initial draft within minutes. After spending an hour refining it himself and allowing the legal team 30 minutes for review, the entire process was completed in less than five hours—a reduction from potentially two months to a single workday.
Beyond document creation, JLL is experimenting with AI-powered chatbots on their website to handle initial client conversations. Previously limited by human availability to eight-hour workdays, AI enables 24/7 client engagement, trained on the company’s communication standards. This expansion of availability represents a fundamental shift in customer service capabilities, allowing JLL to be more responsive to client needs across different time zones and schedules.
Key Quotes
In August of 2023, so within 10 months, we launched JLL GPT, which was the first large language model in the market specifically purpose built for commercial real estate.
Siddharth Taparia, JLL’s Global CMO, explained how quickly the company moved from initial AI experimentation to deploying a proprietary solution. This rapid development timeline demonstrates JLL’s commitment to AI innovation and their recognition of the technology’s strategic importance.
The entire process, it’s so far taken us less than five hours, whereas in the past it would’ve taken us anywhere from a month to two months to finish a process like that.
Taparia described the dramatic efficiency gains achieved when drafting a partnership memorandum of understanding using JLL GPT. This specific example quantifies AI’s impact on legal and business processes, showing a reduction from 4-8 weeks to under 5 hours.
Now we have over 400 people within marketing that call themselves artificial intelligence innovators that are champions that have raised their hand and are really leaning into using artificial intelligence tools every single day.
This quote highlights JLL’s approach to AI adoption—creating a culture of innovation where employees voluntarily embrace AI tools. The scale of engagement (400+ marketing professionals) demonstrates successful change management and widespread acceptance of AI technology within the organization.
That allows us to create opportunities to be more available to our clients instead of being available eight hours a day, we could be available 24 hours a day.
Taparia explained how AI-powered chatbots are transforming customer service capabilities at JLL. This shift from human-limited availability to round-the-clock AI assistance represents a fundamental improvement in client engagement and service delivery.
Our Take
JLL’s AI transformation story is particularly instructive because it addresses the critical question every executive asks: “What’s the actual business value?” The two-month-to-five-hours metric isn’t just impressive—it’s the kind of concrete ROI that justifies AI investment and drives organizational buy-in. What’s especially noteworthy is JLL’s decision to build a proprietary LLM rather than relying solely on public tools. This reflects growing enterprise awareness that data security and industry-specific customization are worth the additional investment. The “AI innovators” program is equally significant, representing a bottom-up adoption strategy that contrasts with failed top-down technology mandates we’ve seen in the past. By empowering employees as champions rather than subjects of digital transformation, JLL has created sustainable cultural change. As we move into 2024 and beyond, expect more Fortune 500 companies to follow this playbook: rapid experimentation, custom AI solutions, and grassroots innovation programs that turn employees into advocates rather than resistors of technological change.
Why This Matters
This case study from JLL represents a crucial validation point for enterprise AI adoption, demonstrating tangible ROI that extends beyond theoretical benefits. The 98% time reduction in completing legal documentation—from two months to five hours—provides concrete evidence that large language models can deliver transformative efficiency gains in professional services.
The story is particularly significant because it showcases AI implementation in commercial real estate, a traditionally conservative industry not typically associated with cutting-edge technology adoption. JLL’s success with a proprietary, industry-specific LLM suggests a broader trend: companies are moving beyond generic AI tools toward customized solutions that address sector-specific needs while maintaining data security.
The cultivation of 400 AI innovators within a single department illustrates how successful AI transformation requires cultural change, not just technology deployment. This grassroots approach to AI adoption—empowering employees as champions rather than imposing top-down mandates—offers a replicable model for other enterprises. As businesses across sectors grapple with AI integration, JLL’s journey from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment in under two years provides a practical roadmap for digital transformation in the AI era.
Recommended Reading
For those interested in learning more about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and effective AI communication, here are some excellent resources: