Week 33: The Fastest Route to NOI? 

In this weekly series, we explore how the commercial real estate industry is being transformed by data and digital infrastructure. Guided by the principles in Peak Property Performance, we unpack a new idea every week to help owners unlock value, reduce risk, and future-proof their portfolios. Learn more about OpticWise and Bill Douglas, the authors of this series.

Tech bloat is eating your NOI  

CRE owners today have more proptech than ever before—but many are struggling to translate that into higher returns. Why?

Most tech stacks weren’t designed to work together. They evolved in silos, bolted on as point solutions for specific problems. Over time, this patchwork approach creates tech bloat: redundant systems, conflicting data, escalating costs, and a lack of operational clarity.

The result? Instead of enabling better performance, your tech is quietly draining your NOI.

Fragmentation Is the Hidden Killer, as most owners today are running fragmented systems across:

● Access control, cameras, and visitor management

● HVAC, lighting, and energy controls

● Work order systems and tenant engagement platforms

● ESG tracking tools and IAQ monitors

● Network infrastructure and internet services

Each system might perform well in isolation—but together, they create data silos, user confusion, and operational drag.

More importantly, they prevent you from realizing compound value. A smart thermostat isn’t that smart if it can’t talk to occupancy sensors. Access logs are less useful if they aren’t integrated into tenant portals. And ESG dashboards can’t show real impact without real-time building data.

From fragmented to flowing

Fixing this fragmentation doesn’t mean starting from scratch. It means creating a unifying layer—a data & digital infrastructure (DDI) backbone that connects, normalizes, and activates your building systems.

By owning and integrating this infrastructure, you unlock:

● Operational visibility across all systems in one place

● Automation opportunities that reduce headcount or errors

● Improved tenant experiences through integrated portals

● Data accuracy and availability for ESG and compliance

● Reduced software waste by consolidating overlapping tools

The Fastest Route to NOI? Remove the Friction

When your building systems are unified, information flows. And when information flows, so does value:

● Lower costs through automation and reduced vendor sprawl

● Higher tenant retention with smoother experiences

● Better decision-making with connected data

● New revenue streams enabled by digital service delivery

This is how smart owners shift technology from cost center to value driver.

Solving the problem 

If you do not know where to start and are not sure how fragmented your tech stack is? Start with our PPP Digital Infrastructure Review. You can do it yourself, too. It evaluates six key domains of DDI maturity and reveals where integration gaps are holding back your performance. Remember, the fastest path to NOI growth isn’t more tech—it’s smarter, unified tech.

 

Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR

Become a PROPTECH-X reader today, its free.

Your Email *

Your Name *

Subscribe