Week 2: Why CRE Portfolios Fall Behind Without Digital Ownership

Introduction

Welcome back to the second week of our 52-week series on digital transformation in commercial real estate. I’m Bill Douglas, CEO of OpticWise, where we help CRE owners transform their buildings into smart, revenue-generating platforms by reclaiming control of their data and digital infrastructures. (Bill Douglas CEO of OpticWise pictured below).

These insights are grounded in my book, Peak Property Performance: Game-Changing AI and Digital Strategies for Commercial Real Estate (Fast Company Press, June 2025), which offers a practical, jargon-free roadmap that empowers readers to reclaim digital ownership, maximize NOI, leverage AI, and future-proof their assets in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Let’s explore one of the most overlooked threats to CRE portfolios today: the growing technology gap between what tenants expect and what buildings deliver.

The Problem: Lost Control, Lost Value

Too many property owners have delegated digital decisions to third parties—ISPs, integrators, or outsourced tech vendors. While initially convenient, this comes at a cost:

– Loss of control over building data
– Fragmented systems that can’t interoperate
– Missed monetization opportunities for digital services
– Delays in resolving system and network issues effecting employees and tenants

As a result, CRE portfolios become digitally stagnant while tenant expectations race ahead.

The Modern Tenant Profile

Today’s tenants—whether remote teams, high-tech startups, or hybrid firms—expect their spaces to:

– Deliver fast, secure, private internet with no IT headaches
– Support both private and shared networks controlled by tenant firms
– Integrate with apps and IoT-enabled services
– Reduce surprise costs and service delays

• Increased service offerings and reduce expenses

When buildings fall short, tenants seek alternatives. The gap between demand and delivery becomes a lease risk.

Digital Infrastructure as a KPI

This is no longer “just an IT issue”—it’s a boardroom issue. Real estate owners must treat data and digital infrastructures like they would plumbing, electricity, or HVAC: essential. This shift starts with ownership:

– Own your networks, don’t lease or give them away.
– Standardize platforms across assets.
– Govern data like the asset it is.

Without this foundation, even the best amenities can’t mask poor digital performance.

Remember: Data and digital infrastructures are not expenses – they are assets and should be expected to drive NOI.

Peak Property Performance Framework: Control Begins with Connection

In Peak Property Performance, we walk through the 5C™ Framework: Clarify, Connect, Collect, Coordinate, Control.

In this Week 2 installment, we focus on the “Connect” layer. Connecting to your physical systems (e.g., HVAC, lighting, access control) and digital systems (apps, networks, analytics) is key to unlocking data flows, tenant satisfaction, and operational agility.

Real-World Example

A multifamily portfolio in the Southeastern US implemented a managed digital infrastructure solution with direct ownership and control of networks and data. In under six months, they:

– Generated $18,000/month in new recurring revenue
– Reduced help desk tickets by 35%

• Reduced utilities and insurance by nearly 10%
• Improved tenant retention by 14%

By connecting and owning their digital layer and aggregating their networks and data repositories, they shifted from reactive to proactive experience management.

Call to Action

Curious where your portfolio stands? Please book a BoT® Digital Infrastructure Audit with OpticWise and discover how digital ownership can turn tech pain points into performance gains. Let’s close the tech gap—before it widens.

 

Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR

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