Week 34: Who should “own” tech in a CRE Org? (And why it’s not IT)

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.

Who’s in charge of technology within your portfolio properties? If your answer is “IT”—you might be falling behind.

While traditional IT departments play a critical role in managing corporate systems and ensuring cybersecurity, they are not typically tasked with delivering asset-level performance, NOI growth, or tenant satisfaction. Yet in most CRE firms, the assumption persists: tech = IT.

This outdated mindset is a major barrier to realizing the value of Data & Digital Infrastructure (DDI).

Why Your IT Alone Isn’t Enough

In the modern building environment, technology is no longer confined to back-office functions. It shapes tenant experience, enables smart energy management, supports ESG goals, secures buildings, and feeds investor-grade reporting. These functions demand strategic alignment with operations, asset management, and digital control & ownership—not just IT support.

Most IT teams:

• Aren’t incentivized by property performance
• Lack context in leasing, ESG, or engineering
• Focus on tools, not tenant outcomes
• Operate on reactive helpdesk models
• Lag when dealing with data deluge and dynamic property-specific sytems/database automations

Elevating Digital Infrastructure to a Strategic Layer

CRE leaders must shift their mindset: digital infrastructure is now a layer of the business, not just a department. It’s core to asset value, competitive differentiation, and future-ready operations.

Ownership of DDI should sit with a cross-functional role or team that:

• Understands NOI drivers
• Speaks both technology and operations
• Can champion long-term platform design
• Bridges vendors, internal teams, and execs

In Peak Property Performance, we refer to this as the emergence of a Digital Performance Officer mindset—whether it’s embedded in ops, asset management, or strategy. The goal: centralize control of the digital foundation without siloing it inside IT.

Signs You Need a New Tech Owner

Ask yourself:

• Is your digital roadmap tied to building performance goals?
• Are tech decisions driven by NOI or the status quo?
• Who decides what property systems stay or go?
• Does your ESG team rely on IT for performance data?
• Is tenant feedback integrated into platform design?

If these questions cause tension across departments, it’s time to realign ownership.

What the New-Minded CRE Owner Should Focus On

This isn’t about turf wars—it’s about future-proofing assets. The right person or team should:

• Own the Data & Digital Infrastructure (DDI) Review process as well as the DDI Roadmap
• Manage the integration of sensor, system, and platform layers
• Ensure that connectivity, controls, and analytics are built to scale
• Translate business objectives into tech requirements
• Interface with vendors using owner-centric KPIs

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

When no one truly owns tech, you get:

• Fragmented point solutions
• Redundant systems
• Frustrated tenants
• Missed NOI opportunities
• Incomplete ESG reporting
• Invisible risk exposure
• Minimal visibility
• Lost asset value

When ownership is clear and tied to performance outcomes, DDI becomes a competitive advantage—not a recurring headache.

 

Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR

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