The $3 trillion global facilities management (FM) industry supports employee and occupant experience, business continuity, enterprise resilience, and more. The field is also constantly evolving and adapting to economic shifts, digital transformation, and other factors. According to the recent JLL Global State of Facilities Management Report, three key trends for industry stakeholders to stay on top of in 2026 include:
- Strong focus on cost efficiency;
- Adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology solutions; and
- A challenging talent and labor market.
JLL surveyed corporate real estate (CRE) and FM leaders at 248 organizations with headquarters in more than 20 countries to understand the key challenges and opportunities the field is currently facing, as well as the implications for CRE decision-makers and FM professionals.
Top FM Priorities: Cost Efficiency, Resilience, and Occupant Well-Being
Economic volatility has impacted businesses of all shapes and sizes in recent months, and facilities management is no exception. Eighty-four percent of leaders surveyed have identified escalating operating costs and budget constraints as their top concern. As a result, many are embracing outsourcing and supply chain optimization as cost-reduction measures. Consolidating contracts and suppliers can enable FMs to leverage volume purchasing power and streamline vendor relationships.
Resilience and business continuity are also among the top FM priorities. More than half (60%) of FM stakeholders cited business continuity preparedness for mission-critical environments such as data centers, labs, hospitals, and public infrastructure as their top risk-management priority.
To be successful, FM leaders must balance addressing immediate operational needs with building longer-term resilience. This means establishing proactive risk strategies that align with the organization’s core challenges and long-term objectives, as well as establishing business continuity frameworks that address workforce contingency planning, cybersecurity protections for smart building systems and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, energy supply reliability, climate event adaptability and preparedness, and more.
FM leaders also recognize the importance of enhancing the safety and well-being of those occupying the properties they manage. JLL’s research indicates room for improvement in this area: While 70% of organizations believe their FM safety to be strong, 30% report low-to-moderate confidence. In addition, JLL’s 2025 Workforce Preference Barometer shows a strong correlation (84%) between positive experience with workplace environments and favorable views on office attendance policies, making FM an important contributor to core business value. Accordingly, FM teams should incorporate occupant satisfaction and engagement measures in success metrics, as well as invest in comprehensive training and technology enablement that supports a safety-first culture.
AI and Automation Represent Opportunities Across FM Function
Digital transformation is evolving organizations’ approach to facilities management. Nearly one-third of those surveyed (32%) plan to increase their FM software investment in the coming year; however, this represents a decrease from prior years (39% in 2024 and 42% in 2023). Uncertainty in tech capital planning amid broad economic headwinds is prompting many organizations to take a more cautious approach. Among those planning to invest in FM software, work order management tops the priority list at 57%, as FM leaders seek to streamline processes, improve response times, and better track service delivery across their portfolios.
FM leaders are also embracing AI. As of fall 2025, 28% of organizations have actively embedded AI solutions in their FM operations. According to JLL’s research, many have advanced from initial pilots to scaling up across multiple function areas and facilities. FM use cases for AI tools include asset procurement and lifecycle, automated FM record keeping, operational safety monitoring, and predictive maintenance.
Finally, FM leaders are turning to technology to automate high-volume administrative processes, freeing up managers and technicians to interact with stakeholders and solve more complex problems. In addition to improving service delivery, embracing automation can increase FM teams’ job satisfaction by allowing them to focus on higher-impact, more innovative work.
Talent Shortages Remain a Pervasive Challenge
The average age of the FM workforce is 49 years old, and as many as 40% of facilities managers in high-income countries will retire by next year, according to JLL’s research. At the same time, the FM industry is projected to expand by more than $800 billion globally by 2030. These factors, combined with limited talent pipelines and escalating hiring costs, are contributing to a significant labor shortage across the FM industry—particularly in rural, remote, and high-cost-of-living areas.
Navigating this challenge demands that FM leaders both invest in cultivating a skilled workforce and adopting technology that can help bridge the gap. Technical trainings and leadership development opportunities can help drive industry innovation and value accretion. Meanwhile, comprehensive succession planning and cross-training initiatives are crucial to transferring and retaining institutional knowledge. Finally, AI and other technology solutions can augment human capabilities as well as attract younger digital natives seeking technology-oriented career opportunities to the FM profession.
As a valued senior leader and expert in real estate and integrated facilities management, Mike Thompson leads Workplace Management for JLL in the Americas region.