Client Story:
Using AI as a Competitive Advantage in Real Estate Development

Model Group engaged Ideal State to pilot Microsoft 365 Copilot within its development team, laying the groundwork for a company-wide rollout to harness AI for enhanced productivity in real estate development and community transformation.

This initiative focused on assessing M365 AI readiness, identifying high-value use cases tailored to urban revitalization and property management, onboarding and training the pilot group, implementing a Copilot Success Hub, and developing a full rollout plan with licensing recommendations.

By optimizing data governance, security, and user adoption, the project aimed to streamline content creation, process improvements, and collaboration, positioning Model Group to leverage AI for solving complex challenges and dramatically boost organizational efficiency.

The Challenge

As a leader in integrated property development, construction, and management, Model Group manages over $1.5 billion in real estate projects focused on urban revitalization and mixed-use communities. However, inconsistent Microsoft 365 (M365) usage and configuration, content sprawl across multiple systems, and gaps in governance and security limited the potential of AI tools like Copilot. These issues risked inaccurate AI outputs, compliance vulnerabilities, and low adoption, impeding efficiency in advisory services, grant proposals, and stakeholder collaborations essential to transforming communities.

Our Approach

Ideal State partnered with Model Group to deliver an AI-readiness program emphasizing M365 Copilot as a catalyst for innovation and enhanced productivity. We adopted a phased, collaborative strategy as follows:

• Assessing AI Readiness: Performed a rapid review of M365 tenant health, including data stores, licensing, governance (e.g., DLP, content lifecycle), and security (e.g., sensitivity labels, Purview tools). Based on reports and IT consultations, we delivered a prioritized findings and recommendations report to optimize for Copilot's accuracy and data protection.
• Identifying High-Value Use Cases: Conducted a 90-minute stakeholder session to map pain points in content discovery, process improvement, and personas to Copilot solutions. We highlighted capabilities, risks, and Model-specific scenarios, such as AI-assisted project planning and report generation, for use in training.
• Prepared the Way for Migration to M365: With the majority of the company's content residing in third-party systems, Ideal State worked with project leaders to determine the feasibility and value of a wholesale migration of content into M365. With a solid business case and leadership support, we were able to prepare the organization for a reimagining of the role of M365 as the primary content storage and collaboration hub, with Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and of course, Copilot, at the center. A pilot is underway to iron out the details and staff and leadership are already expressing excitement about the new, more streamlined digital workplace coming soon.

The pilot is slated to be completed in mid-2025, with a full transition to M365 and Copilot before the end of the year. Key expected outcomes include:

• Boosted Productivity: Based on similar client scenarios, we expect up to a 40% time savings on tasks like document drafting and data analysis, accelerating project development and community impact initiatives.
• Strengthened Governance and Security: Implemented recommendations will reduce data risks, ensuring compliant AI usage in sensitive real estate dealings.
• High Adoption and Engagement: 100% pilot participation with strong feedback, supported by an active Success Hub's community and AI champions, will lead to a highly successful full rollout.
• Strategic AI Positioning: The rollout proposal includes optimized licensing for scalability, enabling Model Group to innovate through AI-enhanced creativity and efficiency.

"Ideal State's structured approach is turning AI from a concept into a practical tool for our team, enhancing how we build thriving communities"