In late 2024, Bill, one of our in-house maintenance technicians who has been with Prologis for 15 years, was driving past one of our buildings. Bill noticed people peering through the windows of the recently vacated space. Instead of carrying on, he stopped to investigate. As it turned out, the couple owned a cabinetry business and were looking to expand. They were interested in our space, so Bill didn’t hesitate — he gave them a quick tour, told them all we had to offer and connected them with our leasing team. Thanks to Bill’s quick action and commitment to customer centricity, we have a new customer.

Customer service in commercial real estate has traditionally been transactional. Landlords provided space, tenants signed leases, and once the ink was dry, day-to-day interactions were often minimal, limited to lease terms, rent collection, or repair requests. Because industrial real estate leases can span a decade or more, some landlords grew complacent, assuming once a tenant was locked in, there was little need to “wow” them. Meanwhile, other industries—tech, hospitality, retail—were evolving rapidly to meet rising customer expectations.

Over time, however, even the industrial sector began feeling the seismic shift in how businesses evaluate and interact with their landlords. Modern companies expect the same high-quality experiences from business-to-business partners that they receive from consumer-facing giants like Apple, Uber and Disney. Simply providing space is no longer enough; industrial tenants want a true partner who understands their challenges, anticipates their needs, and delivers solutions that enhance their operations. A logistics manager or supply chain executive wants the same level of speed, transparency, and intuitive interaction they get from their favorite retail app.

Prologis, the world’s largest logistics real estate company, recognized that industrial real estate’s traditional model—where landlords kept customers at arm’s length—was overdue for an overhaul.

No Industry Is Immune to Change

Unlike a consumer who may replace a phone, a car, or a TV every few years, an industrial real estate tenant can occupy the same facility for 10 years or longer. This is arguably one of the longest customer relationships in any industry. Over such a lengthy partnership, countless things can happen: expansions, contractions, changes in a tenant’s distribution model, economic ups and downs, technology shifts, workforce changes—the list goes on.

Increasingly, we hear from our on-the-ground teams that tenants’ top priorities are being driven by the expansion of e-commerce, technology, and sustainability.

To address these evolving needs, Prologis launched Prologis Essentials—a one-stop platform with a consultative approach to meet industrial customers operational needs for everything from forklifts, racking systems and LED lighting to rooftop solar, battery storage and electrical vehicle charging. We’ve also expanded our innovation pipeline through Prologis Ventures, investing $250 million in 48 companies that advance automation, artificial intelligence, and data analytics for supply chain efficiency.

Integrating these emerging technologies as resources for our customers lets us scale promising solutions for all our properties, ensuring tenants can stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment. Ultimately, we’re prepared to support the evolving demands of every customer—whether that means a faster e-commerce rollout, smarter warehouse automation, or greener operations.

Elevating Customer Service Outcomes

To achieve transformation, Prologis made three key decisions:

• Making Customer Experience Everyone’s Job
• Building a customer experience (CX) Team that Looks Beyond Real Estate
• Embracing a Data-Driven Approach to Customer Feedback

Making Customer Experience Everyone’s Job

Historically, commercial real estate companies often had minimal in-house property management, preferring to outsource maintenance and operations to third-party vendors. Prologis took the opposite approach, embracing in-house property management, maintenance, project management, leasing and more to maintain close oversight of customer relationships. Because these local teams are Prologis employees, not subcontractors, they embody the company’s CX mindset in everything they do.

Renaming Property Managers to “Real Estate & Customer Experience Managers”

One of the first visible changes was the shift in job titles. Rather than having “property managers,” Prologis uses the title Real Estate & Customer Experience Manager. This is more than cosmetic—it signals that customer experience is core to the role. These managers work directly with customers—previously referred to simply as “tenants” in the industry.

By calling them customers, Prologis moves beyond the transactional notion of leasing space; it underscores the idea that these are business partners receiving an ongoing service, not just a temporary occupant. Managers learn the nuances of each business and proactively problem-solve, doing everything from reconfiguring space to accommodate sudden growth spurts, to advising on sustainability upgrades that reduce operating costs. They serve as the day-to-day contact for any issues but also act as consultants, offering ideas and connections that go beyond a typical landlord-customer interaction.

Empowering Local Teams, Inspired by the Ritz-Carlton

Prologis leaders recognized that empowerment is a crucial component of great customer experience. They drew inspiration from the Ritz-Carlton’s famous practice, which gives frontline employees authority (and budget) to resolve guest concerns on the spot. Prologis adapted this principle by granting local teams the financial flexibility to do the right thing for customers without navigating layers of approval.

Whether it’s securing emergency repairs after hours, adding a customized amenity to help a customer’s workflow, or organizing a “just because” appreciation event, employees can act quickly to address customer needs. This autonomy streamlines response times and instills a sense of ownership in Prologis employees, who know they’re trusted to make decisions that benefit the customer.

A recent Wall Street Journal piece underscored just how important that sense of freedom is. The article highlights two areas where the company truly stands out: “I have the authority I need to do my job” and “I’m empowered to make decisions to best serve my customers.” In both cases, 85% to 90% of Prologis employees respond favorably—significantly above global benchmarks. This data reflects the success of a culture where empowerment isn’t a buzzword but a day-to-day reality for frontline teams.

Meeting Customers Where They Are

Another aspect of making CX everyone’s job is personalized engagement. Prologis trains its teams to actively listen and follow up on signals—like a customer mentioning a potential expansion or hinting at operational headaches. Instead of waiting for official requests, Real Estate & CX Managers are encouraged to reach out proactively, offering potential solutions or even connecting customers with Prologis’ broader network for logistics, staffing, and technology insights. Over time, this fosters a deep understanding of each customer’s business, enabling Prologis to deliver truly customized experiences and support.

By blending local empowerment with strategic programs like Essentials and Ventures, Prologis underscores that “meeting customers where they are” means offering both hands-on support and future-ready options all under one roof.

Building a CX Team That Looks Beyond Real Estate

While making CX everyone’s job sets a foundation, Prologis also formed a dedicated Customer Experience team. However, rather than staffing this team solely with real estate veterans, they hired individuals from consumer packaged goods, tech, market research, and other industries known for world-class customer service.

These CX professionals know how to map customer journeys, measure satisfaction at key touchpoints, and create processes that delight users. By combining their external expertise with the deep real estate knowledge within Prologis, the company ensures it’s not bound by industrial real estate norms—it can break new ground.

The CX team’s background in technology and research enables them to mine insights from data, conduct thoughtful surveys and interviews, and then drive continuous improvement across Prologis’ global portfolio.

Embracing a Data-Driven Approach to Customer Feedback

A major shift in Prologis’ evolution is the move from periodic Net Promoter Score (NPS)checks to “always on” feedback loops. Historically, many industrial landlords would measure customer satisfaction at lease renewal or once a year—if they measured it at all. Prologis recognized that waiting 12 months to learn how customers feel is too slow and often misses critical touchpoints.

Measuring at Key Moments

Now, Prologis collects data at meaningful points in the customer lifecycle. This might include right after a major construction project, mid-lease when a customer expands into an adjacent space or following an operational crisis that requires rapid response. Each of these “moments of truth” can significantly shape how a customer perceives their landlord. By capturing feedback in real time, Prologis can quickly address concerns and identify best practices to replicate elsewhere.

Turning Data into Action

Collecting data alone doesn’t improve customer experience—the key is turning insights into action. Prologis’ CX team works closely with local Real Estate & CX Managers to interpret the feedback and implement changes. This might mean refining how maintenance requests are triaged, adjusting lease terms to accommodate a customer’s seasonal fluctuations, or adding new amenities based on common customer requests.

Prologis’ Impact on the Industrial Real Estate Landscape

By transforming customer service from a transactional model to a deeply relational and data-driven approach, Prologis has elevated customer experience in industrial real estate. The company’s emphasis on making CX everyone’s job, recruiting a diverse CX team from outside the industry, and using real-time data to drive continuous improvement are all strategies that set it apart in a traditionally conservative sector.

Ultimately, Prologis’ story offers a blueprint for what’s possible when an industrial landlord embraces a customer-centric mindset. The industry may have once been defined by decade-long leases and sporadic interactions, but in the new era, those touchpoints are prime opportunities to build lasting relationships. By knowing a lot about our customers and acting on that knowledge, Prologis aims to show that industrial real estate can be just as dynamic, responsive, and customer-focused as any consumer-facing industry.

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