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HOME AFFORDABILITY GETS TOUGHER DURING SECOND QUARTER ACROSS U.S. AS PRICES SHOOT BACK UP

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Major Home-Ownership Expenses Now Consume 35 Percent of Average Wage Nationwide; Portion Hits High Point in Over a Decade as Median Home Price Soars to Another Record

IRVINE, Calif., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property and real estate data, today released its second-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Report showing that median-priced single-family homes and condos remained less affordable in the second quarter of 2024 compared to historical averages in 99 percent of counties around the nation with enough data to analyze. The latest trend continued a pattern, dating back to early 2022, of home ownership requiring historically large portions of wages around the country amid ongoing high residential mortgage rates and elevated home prices.

The report also shows that major expenses on median-priced homes consumed 35.1 percent of the average national wage in the second quarter – marking the high point since 2007 and standing well above the common 28 percent lending guideline.

Both the historic and current measures represented quarterly and annual setbacks following a brief period of improvement from late 2023 into early 2024. The shifts came as the national median home price spiked to a new high of $360,000 during the Spring buying season and mortgage rates remained around 7 percent, leading to increases in the cost of owning a home that outpaced recent increases in wages.

As a result, the portion of average wages nationwide required for typical mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance grew about three percentage points from both the first quarter of this year and the second quarter of last year.

“The latest affordability data presents a clear challenge for home buyers. While home prices are increasing and mortgage rates remain relatively high, these factors are making homes less affordable,” said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM. “It’s common for these trends to intensify during the Spring buying season when buyer demand increases. However, the trends this year are particularly challenging for house hunters, more so than at any point since the housing market boom began in 2012. As the 2024 buying season progresses into the Summer, we will continue to monitor the data closely.”

The patterns during the months running from April through June came as the national median home price rose 7.3 percent quarterly and 4.7 percent annually. Further hampering buyers during the second quarter were average 30-year home-mortgage rates that ended the quarter at about 6.9 percent, or more than double where they stood in 2021.

Those factors helped boost home ownership expenses by about 10 percent in the second quarter of 2024 after declining slightly in the prior two quarters.

The report determined affordability for average wage earners by calculating the amount of income needed to meet major monthly home ownership expenses — including mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance — on a median-priced single-family home, assuming a 20 percent down payment and a 28 percent maximum “front-end” debt-to-income ratio. That required income was then compared to annualized average weekly wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (see full methodology below).

Compared to historical levels, median home ownership costs in 582 of the 589 counties analyzed in the second quarter of 2024 were less affordable than in the past. That number was up just slightly from 579 of the same counties in the first quarter of this year and from 577 in the second quarter of last year. But it was more than 15 times the figure from early 2021.

Meanwhile, the portion of average local wages consumed by major home-ownership expenses on typical homes was considered unaffordable during the second quarter of 2024 in about 80 percent of the 589 counties in the report, based on the 28 percent guideline. Counties with the largest populations that were unaffordable in the second quarter were Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County (Chicago), IL; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles).

The most populous of the 115 counties with affordable levels of major expenses on median-priced homes during the second quarter of 2024 were Harris County (Houston), TX; Wayne County (Detroit), MI; Philadelphia County, PA; Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH, and Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA.

View Q2 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Heat Map 

National median home price jumps quarterly and annually in most markets
The national median price for single-family homes and condos shot up to $360,000 in the second quarter of 2024 – $15,000 more than the previous high of $345,000 hit in the Spring of 2022. The latest figure was up from $335,500 in the first quarter of 2024 and from $344,000 in the second quarter of last year.

At the county level, median home prices rose from the first quarter to the second quarter of this year in 514, or 87.3 percent, of the 589 counties included in the report. Annually, they followed a similar pattern, up in 441, or 74.9 percent of those markets.

Data was analyzed for counties with a population of at least 100,000 and at least 50 single-family home and condo sales in the second quarter of 2024.

Among the 47 counties in the report with a population of at least 1 million, the biggest year-over-year increases in median prices during the second quarter of 2024 were in Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (up 16.2 percent); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (up 12 percent); King County (Seattle), WA (up 11.3 percent); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA (up 9.8 percent) and Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (up 8.9 percent).

Counties with a population of at least 1 million where median prices remained down the most from the second quarter of 2023 to the same period this year were Honolulu County, HI (down 3.8 percent); Tarrant County (Forth Worth), TX (down 1.5 percent); Oakland County, MI (outside Detroit) (down 1.4 percent); Hennepin County (Minneapolis), MN (down 1.1 percent) and Fulton County (Atlanta), GA (down 1 percent).

Prices growing faster than wages in half the U.S.
With home values mostly up annually throughout the U.S., year-over-year price changes outpaced changes in weekly annualized wages during the second quarter of 2024 in 293, or 49.7 percent, of the 589 counties analyzed in the report. (Affordability worsened because of that pattern as well as high interest rates and rising property taxes).

The latest group of counties where prices increased more than wages annually included Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County, (Chicago), IL; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles).

On the flip side, year-over-year changes in average annualized wages bested price movements during the second quarter of 2024 in 296 of the counties analyzed (50.3 percent). The latest group where wages increased more than prices included Harris County (Houston), TX; Dallas County, TX; Queens County, NY; Tarrant County (Fort Worth), TX, and Bexar County (San Antonio), TX.

Portion of wages needed for home ownership jumps quarterly and annually in most of nation
As home prices soared and interest rates stayed relatively high, the portion of average local wages consumed by major expenses on median-priced, single-family homes and condos went up from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024 in 547, or 92.9 percent, of the 589 counties analyzed. It topped the level from a year earlier in 92.4 percent of those markets.

The typical $2,114 cost of mortgage payments, homeowner insurance, mortgage insurance and property taxes nationwide marked a new high, consuming 35.1 percent of the average annual national wage of $72,358 last quarter. That was up from 31.9 percent in the first quarter of 2024 and from 32.1 percent in the second quarter of last year – far above the recent low point of 21.3 percent hit in the first quarter of 2021.

The latest figure exceeded the 28 percent lending guideline in 474, or 80.5 percent, of the counties analyzed, assuming a 20 percent down payment. That was up from 73.2 percent of the same group of counties in the first quarter of 2024 and 73.5 percent a year ago. It was roughly twice the level recorded in early 2021.

In more than a third of the markets analyzed, major expenses consumed at least 43 percent of average local wages, a benchmark considered seriously unaffordable.

The worst affordability declines generally hit upscale markets concentrated in the West and Northeast with second-quarter median prices of at least $450,000. Those counties already were among the most unaffordable in the U.S.

Among counties with a population of at least 1 million, the largest annual increases in the typical portion of average local wages needed for major ownership expenses were in Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (up from 85.3 percent in the second quarter of 2023 to 103.4 percent in the second quarter of 2024); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (up from 73.3 percent to 86.7 percent); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (up from 101.3 percent to 111.8 percent); Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (up from 66.6 percent to 75.7 percent) and Los Angeles County, CA (up from 67.4 percent to 76 percent).

Affordability still toughest along northeast and west coasts
All but one of the top 20 counties where major ownership costs required the largest percentage of average local wages during the second quarter of 2024 were on the northeast or west coasts. The leaders were Santa Cruz County, CA (113.8 percent of annualized local wages needed to buy); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (111.8 percent); Marin County, CA (outside San Francisco) (109.2 percent); Maui County, HI (105.9 percent) and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (103.4 percent).

Aside from Kings and Orange counties, those with a population of at least 1 million where major ownership expenses typically consumed more than 28 percent of average local wages in the second quarter of 2024 included Alameda County (Oakland), CA (86.7 percent required); Queens County, NY (78.5 percent) and San Diego County, CA (77.2 percent).

Counties where the smallest portion of average local wages were required to afford the median-priced home during the second quarter of this year were Cambria County, PA (east of Pittsburgh) (12 percent of annualized weekly wages needed to buy a home); Macon County (Decatur), IL (13.3 percent); Peoria County, IL (14.6 percent); Schuylkill County, PA (outside Allentown) (14.6 percent) and Mercer County, PA (north of Pittsburgh) (15.2 percent).

Wage needed to afford typical home 25 percent more than U.S. average
Major home ownership expenses on typical homes sold in the second quarter of 2024 required an annual income of $90,598 to be affordable, which was 25.2 percent more than the latest average national wage of $72,358.

Annual wages of more than $75,000 were needed to pay for major costs on median-priced homes purchased during the second quarter of 2024 in 343, or 58.2 percent, of the 589 markets in the report. That posed major obstacles as average wages exceed that amount in just 11.9 percent of the counties reviewed.

The 20 largest annual wages required to afford typical homes remained on the east or west coasts, led by San Mateo County, CA ($418,928); New York County (Manhattan), NY ($407,393); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA ($394,999); Marin County, CA (outside San Francisco) ($354,264) and San Francisco County, CA ($339,981).

The lowest annual wages required to afford a median-priced home in the second quarter of 2024 were in Cambria County, PA (east of Pittsburgh) ($20,668); Schuylkill County, PA (outside Allentown) ($27,277); Mercer Count, PA (north of Pittsburgh) ($28,130); Bibb County (Macon), GA ($31,681) and Macon County (Decatur), IL ($31,826).

Virtually every local market around U.S. remains historically less affordable
Among the 589 counties analyzed, 582, or 98.8 percent, were less affordable in the second quarter of 2024 than their historic affordability averages. That was only slightly worse than the 98.3 percent level in the first quarter of 2024 and the 98 percent portion in the second quarter of last year, but 17 times the 5.8 percent figure from the first quarter of 2021. Historical indexes worsened compared to the second quarter of last year in 92.9 percent of those counties, leaving the nationwide index at its lowest point in 17 years.

Counties with a population of at least 1 million that were less affordable than their historic averages (indexes of less than 100 are considered historically less affordable) included Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), NC (index of 59); Fulton County (Atlanta), GA (60); Wake County (Raleigh), NC (62); Franklin County (Columbus), OH (62) and Wayne County (Detroit), MI (63).

Among counties with a population of at least 1 million, those where the affordability indexes worsened most from the second quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024 were Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (index down 17.5 percent); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (15.5 percent); Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), FL (down 12.5 percent); King County (Seattle), WA (down 12.4 percent) and Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (down 12.1 percent).

Just 1 percent of counties are more affordable than historic averages
Only seven of the 589 counties in the report (1.2 percent) were more affordable than their historic averages in the second quarter of 2024. That was slightly less than the 2 percent level from a year earlier and far worse than the 94.2 percent portion that were historically more affordable in the first quarter of 2021.

Counties that were more affordable in the second quarter of this year compared to historical averages included Macon County (Decatur), IL (index of 117); San Francisco County, CA (105); Ontario County, NY (outside Rochester) (104); Mercer County, PA (north of Pittsburgh) (102) and New York County (Manhattan), NY (102).

Report Methodology
The ATTOM U.S. Home Affordability Index analyzed median home prices derived from publicly recorded sales deed data collected by ATTOM and average wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 589 U.S. counties with a combined population of 260.7 million during the second quarter of 2024. The affordability index is based on the percentage of average wages needed to pay for major expenses on a median-priced home with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and a 20 percent down payment. Those expenses include property taxes, home insurance, mortgage payments and mortgage insurance. Average 30-year fixed interest rates from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey were used to calculate monthly house payments.

The report determined affordability for average wage earners by calculating the amount of income needed for major home-ownership expenses on median-priced homes, assuming a loan of 80 percent of the purchase price and a 28 percent maximum “front-end” debt-to-income ratio. For example, affording the nationwide median home price of $360,000 in the second quarter of 2024 required an annual wage of $90,598. That was based on a $72,000 down payment, a $288,000 loan and monthly expenses not exceeding the 28 percent barrier — meaning wage earners would not be spending more than 28 percent of their pay on mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance. That required income was more than the $72,358 average wage nationwide, based on the most recent average weekly wage data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, making a median-priced home nationwide unaffordable for average workers.

About ATTOM
ATTOM provides premium property data to power products that improve transparency, innovation, efficiency, and disruption in a data-driven economy. ATTOM multi-sources property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation’s population. A rigorous data management process involving more than 20 steps validates, standardizes, and enhances the real estate data collected by ATTOM, assigning each property record with a persistent, unique ID — the ATTOM ID. The 30TB ATTOM Data Warehouse fuels innovation in many industries including mortgage, real estate, insurance, marketing, government and more through flexible data delivery solutions that include ATTOM Cloud, bulk file licenses, property data APIs, real estate market trends, property navigator and more. Also, introducing our newest innovative solution, making property data more readily accessible and optimized for AI applications– AI-Ready Solutions. 

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
megan.hunt@attomdata.com 

Data and Report Licensing:
datareports@attomdata.com

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REWARD ACQUIRES UK’S LEADING HOSPITALITY DATA INSIGHTS COMPANY (HDI) TO ENHANCE COMMERCE MEDIA OFFERING, DELIVERING DEEPER CONSUMER INSIGHTS FOR THE RETAIL SECTOR

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November 14, 2024

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Reward completes acquisition of Hospitality Data Insights (HDI), a UK market-leading data insights company and longtime partnerThe acquisition will strengthen Reward’s Commerce Media proposition, enhancing consumer insights capabilities that unlock growth opportunities for global retail partnersThis acquisition follows a period of strong growth for Reward, further bolstered by recent strategic investment from Experian PLC, A FTSE 25 company, solidifying Reward’s position as a leader in Customer Engagement and Commerce Media

LONDON, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Reward, a global leader in Customer Engagement and Commerce Media, today announces the acquisition of Hospitality Data Insights (HDI), a prominent UK-based data insights company and trusted partner. This acquisition is set to further elevate Reward’s Commerce Media capabilities, driving enriched consumer insights for retail and bank partners worldwide.

HDI is known for delivering high-quality, independent data solutions to over 100 global and national brands in the hospitality and convenience sectors, including industry leaders McDonald’s, Pizza Express, and Deliveroo. With a focus on high-spend, high-frequency sectors representing over 20% of household spending, HDI strengthens Reward’s capability to deliver significant consumer value, supporting Reward’s commitment to deliver over £2 billion in rewards by 2025.

By combining HDI’s SKU-level data, product range, pricing insights, and consumer sentiment analysis with Reward’s transactional and behavioural insights, the acquisition enhances Reward’s suite of products for retail marketing, performance optimisation, and operational insights. HDI’s extensive sector expertise and talented team of data analysts add further depth to Reward’s offerings, positioning the company for growth as it establishes itself as the preferred marketing and insights partner. This strategic focus aims to help banks and retailers better understand customers while securing a larger share of marketing budgets.

The all cash acquisition reflects Reward’s period of significant growth. The recent strategic investment from Experian PLC has further enhanced Reward’s consumer insights capabilities, integrating new assets like its Mosaic product. Reward has also expanded its international footprint, with new investment directed at scaling operations in key regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Effective immediately, Darroch Bagshaw, Managing Director of HDI, will join Reward’s Leadership Team, reporting to CEO Jamie Samaha. While HDI has been primarily servicing its global brands in the UK, Reward and HDI are well-positioned to scale their enhanced capabilities internationally. The combined efforts will start in the hospitality and convenience sectors and move into other high priority spend categories including convenience and grocery.

Jamie Samaha, CEO of Reward, commented: “In today’s fast-evolving Commerce Media landscape, expanding consumer insights capabilities is more critical than ever. This acquisition of HDI marks a transformative step in our journey to deepen our understanding of consumer behaviour and amplify the value we deliver to our customers, banking partners, and retailers. HDI’s diverse portfolio of leading hospitality brands and innovative insight products opens significant opportunities for us to strengthen our retailer relationships in this key sector, all while driving toward our goal of delivering $2 billion in rewards by 2025.”

Darroch Bagshaw, Managing Director of HDI, added: “HDI’s mission has always been to provide market-leading insights to businesses across the hospitality sector using accurate and actionable data. Reward’s endorsement of our services is testament to our aligned commitment to high quality data analytics that drive investment decisions for the world’s largest retailers. We look forward to combining insights capabilities to provide enriched products and services to retailers and greater value to customers.”

ABOUT REWARD

Reward is a global leader in Customer Engagement and Commerce Media, operating in more than 15 markets across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of banking and retail, Reward’s platform combines technology, data insights and digital marketing to deliver personalised products and services that help brands deepen connections with customers.

As businesses strive to better understand and influence customer behaviour, Reward is poised to lead in the fast-growing commerce media space, offering consumer insights that enhance omnichannel experiences, boost sales and build customer loyalty.

Beyond unifying consumer insight and commerce, Reward is on a mission to make everyday spending more rewarding and every interaction count, delivering billions in rewards to customers.

For more information, please visit www.rewardinsight.com.

ABOUT HDI

Hospitality Data Insights (HDI) is a leading UK insights business, providing independent data insight to global and national brands operating in the UK hospitality sector since 2017, supporting over 100 different clients spanning Pubs & Bars, Restaurants & Casual Dining, QSR, Coffee Shops, Delivery, Convenience, Drinks Suppliers & Manufacturers, Investors and Consulting Firms.

HDI turns vast amounts of high-quality data into meaningful products and services that help operators improve their investment decisions, offer development and customer marketing; and help manufacturers sell and support their brands more effectively

Since late 2022, HDI have extended their capabilities into the UK grocery sector, tracking online pricing for 10 national grocers and monitoring customer spending patterns within over 40,000 individual convenience & grocery stores.

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From Pollution to Restoration: The Art of Living’s Powerful Partnerships to Heal Karnataka

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November 14, 2024

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BENGALURU, India, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On November 11, 2024, The Art of Living Social Projects signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangalore University, the Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), and the Department of Forest Ecology and Environment, Government of Karnataka. This marks a powerful new chapter in advancing environmental sustainability and climate action through rigorous research, community-driven initiatives, and participatory governance. Rooted in Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s vision, The Art of Living Social Projects’ methodology is holistic, nature-centred and emphasises hands-on community involvement to create tangible and lasting change.

The organisation brings extensive expertise in programme management and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) engagement to the partnership, which aims to address some of Karnataka’s most pressing environmental challenges. At the top of the agenda is an ambitious plan to clean and restore the heavily polluted Vrishabhavathi River, which flows through Bangalore University’s campus. 

Reviving the Vrishabhavathi River Through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)

Traditional approaches to river restoration often fall short when faced with severe pollution, requiring more innovative strategies. This is precisely where the Art of Living Social Projects’ Nature-Based Solutions come into play. Leveraging natural elements like microorganisms, plants, and algae; NBS techniques use bioremediation and phytoremediation to detoxify the water. Microbial communities work to break down pollutants, while specially chosen plants absorb harmful substances. 

In addition to these natural detoxifiers, aeration plays a crucial role by oxygenating the water, which helps revitalise aquatic habitats and promotes the overall health of the ecosystem. These initiatives demonstrate the organisation’s dedication to lasting environmental interventions and will be utilised in the restoration of the Vrishabhavathi River.

Tackling Broader Environmental Challenges in Karnataka

The MoU extends far beyond river restoration to addressing other urgent environmental issues such as deforestation, air and water pollution, waste management, and ecosystem conservation. The alliance plans to drive change through joint research projects, workshops, and seminars, offering hands-on training and creating educational opportunities that empower the next generation of environmental leaders.

Bridging Academic Research and Practical Implementation

The MoU draws on the unique strengths of each partner. Bangalore University brings academic depth, while EMPRI contributes expertise in policy research. The Art of Living Social Projects’ extensive experience with large-scale projects  and community engagement rounds out this powerful team. The synergy facilitates the implementation of evidence-based plans that are not only effective but also engage the community in enduring practices.

Empowering Communities for Lasting Change

The MoU also reflects a commitment to participatory governance, a principle close to The Art of Living’s ethos. Shared Sri Prasana Prabhu, Chairman of The Art of Living Social Projects, “We believe that sustainability must be rooted in the participatory governance framework. This MoU allows us to deepen our engagement and leverage our resources to empower academia and civil society organisations towards sustainable practices.”

A Model for Environmental Protection

A new standard in environmental governance and action will be set by this collaboration. By bridging academic research with practical, community-driven game plans, it presents a model that could inspire similar initiatives in other regions. As this collaborative effort unfolds, The Art of Living Social Projects, Bangalore University, EMPRI, and the Department of Forest, Ecology, and Environment are poised to make significant strides in tackling Karnataka’s environmental challenges, from cleaner rivers to thriving ecosystems.

Through this landmark MoU, The Art of Living Social Projects, under the inspiration of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, reaffirms its commitment to nature-driven solutions, working towards a future of cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, and stronger communities.

About The Art of Living Social Projects 

Inspired by the world-renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; The Art of Living is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to peace, well-being, and humanitarian service. Committed to holistic development, The Art of Living champions various initiatives, including water conservation, sustainable agriculture, afforestation, free education, skill development, women empowerment, integrated village development, renewable energy and waste management. Through these multifaceted efforts, The Art of Living strives to create positive social and environmental impact, fostering a more sustainable and harmonious future for all.

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CIOs Struggle to Define AI Value For Their Business as They Continue to Invest in New Projects

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November 14, 2024

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Tech leaders are divided on whether AI investments should boost productivity, revenue, or worker satisfaction

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — New research from revenue intelligence leader Gong reveals widely varying viewpoints among CIOs and other tech leaders over how to evaluate the success of AI projects. Surveying over 500 CIOs and heads of IT across the UK and US, the findings illustrate the challenge many businesses face when it comes to strategically implementing AI and the uncertainty in measuring whether those AI investments are paying off.

While over half of CIOs (53 percent) prioritize productivity gains, an equal proportion focus on revenue growth as their key success metrics, with worker satisfaction trailing closely behind (46 percent). This divergence underscores a broader challenge: confusion about where AI can deliver the most business value and a well-defined approach for evaluation.

Key insights from the study include:

Revenue Growth vs. Time Savings: 61 percent of global CIOs believe increased revenue alone justifies AI costs, while 60 percent say that time savings alone will justify costs. Yet, only 32 percent actively measure both, suggesting that many companies still don’t have systems in place to measure and assess the impact on the variables they say matter most.A Growing Interest in Predictive AI: While generative AI attracts much of the buzz around the technology, it is not the clear leader among CIOs in terms of driving value. Fifty-four percent of tech leaders prioritize generative AI, 51 percent prioritize automation, and 31 percent prioritize predictive AI. To capitalize on this discord and deliver value across a broad spectrum, AI models must be tuned to support workflow automation and predictive analytics.Adoption of Domain-Specific Solutions: While nearly three-quarters of tech leaders rely on off-the-shelf large language models (LLMs) as part of their AI investments, 58 percent are utilizing domain-specific solutions. These AI tools are trained on industry- and function-specific data to deliver more precise and measurable results.Security is a Key Obstacle…: Security remains a top priority for 68 percent of tech leaders, but 28 percent admit this is where their AI projects most often fall short.…As is Data Integration: Data integration challenges also threaten project success, with 36 percent of CIOs likely to pause initiatives if implementation complexities arise. Without the right underlying data, AI outputs risk delivering little value or, worse, biased or inaccurate results.AI’s Long-Term Value Persists: Despite mixed measurement strategies, only a small fraction (under 20 percent) cited a lack of provable ROI as a reason to abandon AI initiatives, indicating that most companies continue to explore its potential and long-term value.Smaller companies are more eager to prove ROI: Smaller US firms (250-500 employees) are more ROI-focused, with 40 percent willing to halt projects lacking clear ROI, compared to just 19 percent of larger companies. This suggests that while smaller US firms see the value in investing in AI, they need to focus on initiatives that deliver measurable and immediate returns and have less budget for experimentation. In contrast, larger companies might have more capacity to invest in long-term projects without immediate ROI.

“Over the last two years, the AI hype and pace of innovation has created incredible excitement and confusion for CIOs and tech leaders about its potential and where to focus,” said Eilon Reshef, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Gong. “But one thing is clear: leaders are pursuing value and exploring different areas across the business where AI can have a transformative impact.”

To learn more about the survey’s findings, read the blog.

Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide with 573 CIOs/Heads of IT (aged 25+) in medium and large companies who have purchased an off-the-shelf AI application in the last 2 years across the UK and US (250 and 323 respondents respectively) between October 9 -October 16, 2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles. Censuswide are also members of the British Polling Council.

About Gong
Gong transforms revenue organizations by driving business efficiency, revenue growth, and improved decision-making. The Revenue Intelligence Platform uses proprietary artificial intelligence technology to enable teams to capture, understand, and act on all customer interactions in a single, integrated platform. Thousands of companies around the world rely on Gong to support their go-to-market strategies and grow revenue efficiently. For more information, visit www.gong.io.

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