The State of Facilities Management – 2026, From MRI Software and CoreNet Global

Why It Matters

The findings signal that facilities organizations must accelerate technology adoption and talent development to meet budget pressures and sustainability goals, reshaping the competitive landscape of real‑estate operations.

Key Takeaways

• Modernization essential but hampered by limited resources
• FM leaders lack real-time data visibility
• Energy management identified as top ROI source
• Automation adoption is widespread across facilities teams
• Aging workforce intensifies skills gap challenge

Pulse Analysis

The 2026 State of Facilities Management report, produced by MRI Software and CoreNet Global, offers the most comprehensive pulse check of the FM sector to date. Surveying leaders from diverse industries, the study reveals that aging building portfolios, tighter capital budgets, and heightened expectations for sustainability are converging into a critical inflection point. While executives unanimously cite modernization as a top priority, the data shows a stark mismatch between ambition and available resources, forcing many teams to operate in a perpetual state of catch‑up. This gap underscores why technology adoption is no longer optional.

A recurring theme across the findings is the quest for actionable, real‑time data. Respondents report that offline processes still dominate daily operations, limiting visibility into energy consumption, space utilization, and maintenance cycles. Yet energy management emerges as the single greatest driver of return on investment, prompting organizations to invest in smart meters, IoT sensors, and analytics platforms. Parallel to this, automation enjoys near‑universal endorsement, with facilities managers deploying robotic process automation and AI‑driven work orders to streamline repetitive tasks and free staff for strategic initiatives.

Compounding the technology challenge is a demographic shift: the FM workforce is aging while the pipeline of skilled talent narrows. The report highlights an expanding skills gap, especially in data analytics, cybersecurity, and sustainable design. Companies that proactively reskill employees and forge partnerships with educational institutions are better positioned to sustain operational resilience. As the industry moves toward integrated, data‑centric facilities ecosystems, leaders must balance investment in tools with a clear talent strategy, ensuring that modernization translates into measurable performance gains.