HOUSTON—Growing adoption of driverless cars, trucks and warehouse equipment could have a significant economic, operational and cultural effect, impacting every sector of the commercial real estate industry. This is according to a report, The New Industry Driver: How the Rise of Autonomous Vehicles Could Impact Future Real Estate Strategy by Transwestern.

“While there are valid concerns about safety, security, government regulation and the potential resistance to give up private cars, the billions of dollars invested by domestic and foreign automakers, countless engineering and design firms, and giant technology conglomerates have made autonomous vehicles a reality,” said Jamie Mahoney, Transwestern research analyst, and one of the report's authors. “While timing of adoption is debatable, a disruptor of this magnitude likely will have implications for office, industrial, retail and healthcare properties, and create opportunities to unlock value from real estate.”

One assumption frequently made in relation to autonomous vehicle technology is that car ownership will decrease as autonomous vehicles through ride-sharing services increases. If this trend comes to fruition, the report predicts some notable changes to the urban landscape: