Commercial real estate owners are leaving substantial income on the table because they lack visibility into operational data that already exists within their properties, according to Bill Douglas, CEO of OpticWise, a firm specializing in CRE digital infrastructure. In a recent analysis, Douglas argues that asset managers routinely make decisions on net operating income (NOI), insurance renewals, utility spend, and occupancy trends using incomplete, delayed, or vendor-controlled data.
The core problem, Douglas says, is structural. Property management systems track leasing and rent rolls but ignore data from building systems like lighting controls, HVAC, and access control logs. “The operational data that drives outcomes sits locked inside building systems, siloed within vendor platforms, and inaccessible to the people responsible for portfolio performance,” he explains. This gap leads to reactive management on three key levers: utilities, insurance, and occupancy.
On utilities, many owners lack understanding of their demand curves or rate structures, making reduction efforts guesswork. For insurance, properties cannot provide documented standard operating procedures—like water leak detection logs—that underwriters reward with better terms. Occupancy data, such as gym usage or parking demand, remains invisible, missing opportunities for revenue optimization.
Douglas notes that when owners recognize the gap, they often assign the problem to IT managers, property managers, or asset managers—none of whom are suited for the task. “The wrong people are being asked to do the right tasks,” he says. “IT managers focus on information technology, not operational technology. Property managers are hired to lease space, not manage network architecture. Asset managers are financial analysts; running analysis across a data lake is not their skill set.”
The solution, Douglas advocates, begins with a data and digital infrastructure audit—an honest inventory of what data exists, where it lives, and who has access. He recommends a sequential approach targeting high-value systems first. A concrete example: one client had a lighting control system installed but never activated. After OpticWise turned it on, the property saved $70,000 in 12 months on electricity alone, with no new hardware.
The financial impact of inaction is substantial. A 400-unit apartment portfolio generating an additional $500 per door annually in NOI would pass on $200,000 per year. An office building with 250,000 rentable square feet recovering 50 cents per square foot would forgo $125,000 annually. “The money exists—it is flowing somewhere else,” Douglas says.
With commercial real estate owners facing only 1 percent rent growth in 2026, optimization is critical. “Owners who address the data gap now are better positioned to act on cost recovery, renegotiate insurance terms, and improve NOI without waiting on market conditions,” Douglas concludes. “Those who do not are choosing to leave income on the table year after year.”
