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Why REITs Need End-to-End Close Automation—Now

by Kris Subramanian | Posted on Thursday June 19, 2025

In real estate, time is money—and accuracy is everything. 

For Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) finance teams, the month-end close isn’t just a routine deadline. It’s a high-stakes process involving truthful reporting across complex journal voucher (JV) structures, strict compliance demands, audit preparedness, and delivering actionable insights for the leadership to make capital allocation decisions. 

But when systems are fragmented, processes are manual, and close cycles unpredictable, even the most skilled finance teams face burnout and risk errors that can ripple across the business. 

This is why end-to-end (E2E) close automation, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), is no longer optional—it’s critical. It not only accelerates the close but delivers measurable financial, operational, strategic, and human benefits. Here’s how: 

1. Financial Benefits 

AI-powered E2E close automation directly bolsters the financial health of REITs. 

Cost Reduction 

According to APQC, organizations with best-in-class close processes spend 66% less per $1,000 of revenue on financial reporting than their peers. AI-driven automation eliminates spreadsheet chaos, reduces costly manual rework, and intelligently identifies recurring tasks and anomalies, minimizing human error. 

Improved Forecasting Accuracy 

Deloitte’s REIT research highlights that incomplete or delayed data is a top cause of forecasting errors. AI platforms enable real-time data validation and predictive analytics, providing sharper insights into working capital and lease-level forecasting. 

Reduced Audit Penalties and Restatements 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sanctioned REITs for weak documentation and internal controls. AI embeds compliance into workflows—enforcing threshold-based approvals, comprehensive audit trails, and role-based segregation of duties (SOD)—significantly reducing audit risks. 

“With automation, we’ve cut audit prep time by 50% and significantly reduced late adjustments.” 

— VP, Finance, Mid-Market REIT 

2. Efficiency Benefits 

AI-powered E2E close automation helps streamline complex operations, shorten turnaround times, and scale smarter. 

Accelerated Close Timelines 

Ventana Research finds only 38% of companies close books within six days. REITs, due to transaction volumes and JV complexity, often take 10–12 days or more. AI-powered E2E automation can reduce close times by 30–50%, delivering faster financial visibility. 

No-Code, REIT-Ready AI Platform—No IT Dependency 

Unlike custom-built systems requiring IT involvement, AI-driven platforms like JIFFY.ai offer pre-configured REIT logic and no-code configurability. Finance teams can independently create and adjust rules, workflows, and exception handling—no tickets, no IT delays, full control. 

Unified Data Across Disconnected Systems 

Many REITs juggle multiple ERPs, lease management tools, and spreadsheets. AI-powered E2E platforms create a single source of truth, drastically reducing reconciliation time and errors. 

“We used to manually reconcile 8 bank accounts. Now it’s touchless, saving us 20 hours monthly.” 

— Director of Accounting, Commercial REIT 

3. Strategic Impact 

Beyond process improvement, AI-powered E2E close automation unlocks strategic value. 

Scalability Without IT Bottlenecks 

AI platforms dynamically adapt to portfolio growth and JV complexities, handling complex ownership splits and diverse data without ongoing IT projects. 

Faster, More Accurate Board & JV Reporting 

AI automates data extraction, consolidation, and validation for key metrics like NOI, CAM recoveries, and capital expenditures—delivering investor-ready reports quickly and accurately. 

Better Capital Decisions, Sooner 

Real-time AI-driven analytics empower finance leaders with immediate insights, enabling proactive decisions on leasing, asset disposition, and capital allocation. 

4. Human Impact

The ultimate benefit of AI-powered E2E close automation? Restoring time and sanity to finance teams. 

Work-Life Balance & Burnout Prevention 

Manual closes mean late nights and weekend crunches. AI-driven automation brings predictability and sanity back to month-end cycles. 

Shift from Admin to Analysis 

By automating 30–40% of routine tasks, AI frees finance professionals to focus on strategic insights rather than transactional inputs. 

“Month-end used to be a nightmare. Now we wrap early and finally breathe.” 

— Controller, Healthcare REIT 

What E2E Close Automation Delivers for REITs 

Category Benefit Industry Benchmark / Insight 
Financial Cost reduction, audit confidence 66% lower cost with top quartile processes (APQC) 
Efficiency Faster close, no IT dependency, touchless reconciliations 30–50% timeline reduction possible 
Strategic Impact Scalable reporting with zero-code effort Seamless adoption across complex JV/REIT structures 
Human Impact Work-life balance, less burnout Predictable close cycles = higher retention & morale 

Closing Thought 

Some tasks don’t need automation. The month-end close does. 

For REITs navigating growing complexity, compliance demands, and expanding portfolios, an AI-powered end-to-end close automation platform isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. 

With a REIT-ready solution, finance teams eliminate IT bottlenecks and start closing better, faster, and smarter. 

Reclaim your time. Refocus your energy. And finally—reclaim your weekends.