Before Tom Weitzel became a Managing Director at JLL — one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the world — he was a kid from Cleveland with a 2.1 GPA who joined the Army at 19 just to see more of the world.

That decision eventually led to a deployment in Iraq in 2005, a transition to civilian life, and a move to Philadelphia in 2007 with no professional network and no real plan beyond a willingness to show up early and learn. On this episode of Believe In Your Office, Tom walks through that entire arc — and then pivots into one of the most clear-eyed conversations about AI and the future of the office that the show has produced.

From a 2.1 GPA to the Army to Commercial Real Estate

Tom is refreshingly candid about not being an obviously gifted student. He talks about joining the Army at 19 primarily out of curiosity about the world rather than any grand career plan, and how the discipline and mentorship he found in the military ended up shaping his entire professional trajectory — including the eventual decision to leave for civilian life after his 2005 deployment to Iraq.

Building a Career in Philadelphia With No Network

When Tom landed in Philadelphia in 2007, he had no industry connections and no existing relationships to lean on. He explains how showing up at 6am to learn from a mentor who genuinely cared became the foundation for what’s now a nearly twenty-year career at the top of the tenant representation business — and why, in hindsight, Philadelphia turned out to be exactly the right city for that climb.

What Tenant Representation Actually Means

Tom takes time to clarify something most people outside commercial real estate misunderstand: what tenant representation actually involves. He connects this directly to JLL’s acquisition of Staubach in 2008, a deal that changed the trajectory of his own career and gave him access to far more sophisticated tools and resources than he’d had before.

JLL’s Billion-Dollar Bet on AI

One of the most substantive parts of this conversation covers JLL’s enormous investment — over a billion dollars — in technology and AI tools for commercial real estate. Tom explains concretely what that investment translates to for clients today, moving the conversation well beyond buzzwords into actual capability.

The Washing Machine vs. The Computer

Tom offers what might be the single best analogy on the entire podcast: AI isn’t like the washing machine — a convenience that saves time on an otherwise unchanged task. It’s like the computer — a fundamental shift that will make “why aren’t you using this” as nonsensical a question as asking why someone doesn’t use a computer at all.

The Real Return-to-Office Picture

Tom also shares a clear-eyed, data-informed view of where return-to-office trends actually stand: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are solidly back in most markets, with Monday trending in that direction. He argues that letting employees choose which days to come in doesn’t actually work — and explains what does.

Tom closes the conversation referencing Eric Church’s viral commencement speech and the Ready Player One warning about virtual reality replacing real life. At 46 minutes, this is one of the longest episodes of Believe In Your Office — and one of the most substantive.

Believe In Your Office is produced by Boomerang Office Furniture and Common Sense Office Furniture — bringing nearly 30 years of experience furnishing offices across Philadelphia, South Jersey, Delaware, and Central Florida. Visit boomerangofficefurniture.com or commonsenseof.com to learn more.