My quest for 'AI-proof' real estate
The real estate sector is not immune from the fast-moving disruptive effect of artificial intelligence, says Fidelity’s Steve Buller.
- While AI’s potential to automate processes and enhance decision-making is well-known, it also has raised concerns about its impact on certain segments of the real estate sector, according to Fidelity Portfolio Manager Steve Buller, who is carefully navigating fast-evolving changes in seeking to avoid vulnerable categories, capitalize on pockets of AI-driven strength, and support long-term investment resilience.
- “The ripple effect of AI’s disruptive potential on real estate is increasingly evident,” says Buller, who manages Fidelity Advisor® Real Estate Fund. “As this transformative technology rewrites the rules of the game, understanding how AI intersects with real estate, for better or worse, is essential.”
- The fund holds securities of companies that own and, in most cases, operate commercial real estate properties. As manager, Buller employs a bottom-up (or stock-by-stock) approach, selecting what he believes are reasonably valued, high-quality real estate investment trusts.
- He explains that some pockets of real estate are more exposed to the power of AI than others, leading him to tilt the portfolio toward areas he believes are less vulnerable.
- Buller says data centers have emerged as a bright spot, with Equinix and Digital Realty Trust – sizable fund positions as of March 31 – leading the charge amid the explosion of AI-driven demand for data storage and processing power. He also believes health care and retail strip-center properties are less exposed to the technology.
- By contrast, he notes that commercial real estate brokerage stocks – including portfolio holdings CBRE Group and Jones Lang LaSalle – face a legitimate threat and were under significant pressure in early 2026, despite having since rallied strongly with the broader market.
- In addition to providing property management services, companies in this industry often serve as agents for buyers and sellers, supporting leasing efforts and sharing information on potential transactions, according to Buller.
- “My concern is that AI’s ability to automate leasing and transaction intelligence could chip away at these business models,” he says.
- Offices are another area of the REIT market that has been under pressure for years, and Buller believes AI could add to the strain. To that end, he has avoided office REITs for several years now.
- “Despite a slight nationwide pickup in office leasing – and even with certain historically strong geographic markets, such as Manhattan, showing strength – I worry that the lack of hiring among new university graduates could be a harbinger of reduced employment and, thus, lower demand for office space down the road,” Buller says.
- Other segments he believes could face challenges include real-estate-adjacent businesses, such as software companies and information providers that serve the real estate sector. “I’m watching to see whether AI proves capable of delivering the same offerings to clients faster and cheaper,” he concludes.
Fidelity Advisor Real Estate Fund (FRVHX)
Seeks above-average income and long-term capital growth, consistent with reasonable investment risk. The fund seeks to provide a yield that exceeds the composite yield of the S&P 500 Index.
Related insights
View all
For specific fund information such as standard performance and holdings, please go to the "Funds Managed" link on this page.
Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s own goals, time horizon, and tolerance for risk. Nothing in this content should be considered to be legal or tax advice, and you are encouraged to consult your own lawyer, accountant, or other advisor before making any financial decision. These materials are provided for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as a recommendation of any security, sector, or investment strategy.
Fidelity does not provide legal or tax advice and the information provided herein is general in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Consult with an attorney or a tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation.
Past performance and dividend rates are historical and do not guarantee future results.
Investing involves risk, including risk of loss.
Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss.
Sector funds can be more volatile because of their narrow concentration in a specific industry. Growth stocks can perform differently from other types of stocks and the market as a whole and can be more volatile than other types of stocks. Value stocks can perform differently than other types of stocks and can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time. • Stock markets, especially foreign markets, are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. • Foreign securities are subject to interest rate, currency exchange rate, economic, and political risks, all of which are magnified in emerging markets. • In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation, credit, and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. • Lower-quality bonds can be more volatile and have greater risk of default than higher-quality bonds. • Floating-rate loans may not be fully collateralized and therefore may decline significantly in value. • The municipal market is volatile and can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, or political changes, and the financial condition of the issuers of municipal securities. • The securities of smaller, less well-known companies can be more volatile than those of larger companies. • The funds can invest in securities that may have a leveraging effect (such as derivatives and forward-settling securities) that may increase market exposure, magnify investment risks, and cause losses to be realized more quickly. • Leverage can magnify the impact of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments on a company. In the event of bankruptcy, a company’s creditors take precedence over the company’s stockholders. Although the companies that the fund invests in may be highly leveraged, the fund itself does not use leverage as an investment strategy. Changes in real estate values or economic downturns can have a significant negative effect on issuers in the real estate industry. In the event of bankruptcy, a company’s creditors take precedence over the company’s stockholders. Third-party marks are the property of their respective owners; all other marks are the property of FMR LLC.