Why CRE Buyers Are Walking Into Acquisitions Without Auditing the Digital Infrastructure

Written by:

Heather Hook

Date:

10 Jul 2026

KeyCrew Studio

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When a commercial real estate investor acquires a property, they review the financials, inspect the physical structure, and work through environmental assessments. What almost no one does is audit the digital infrastructure. According to Bill Douglas, CEO of OpticWise, that oversight is leaving buyers with surprise costs, inherited vendor lock-in, and operating systems nobody fully understands.

“More than 95 percent of the time, the operational technology is not evaluated in an acquisition,” Douglas says. “And then the group that takes it over into the portfolio is left with an inaccurate budget, or no budget, and they’re left trying to integrate platforms they don’t understand.”

What a Digital Infrastructure Review Actually Covers

Douglas draws a clear distinction between what is in a building and what an owner actually owns. These are not always the same thing.

A digital infrastructure review examines three categories: the physical infrastructure (networks, wiring, closets), the systems and sensors (HVAC controls, access controls, lighting controls, parking), and the data those systems produce, including where it lives and who controls it.

“Who owns the systems? Who owns the networks they’re on? And where is the data? Who owns the data?” Douglas says. “And more importantly, who controls it? I might legally own it, but it’s spread out among four systems, and I can’t really get it.”

OpticWise calls this a Data and Digital Infrastructure Audit, or DDIA. The full framework is laid out in the Peak Property Performance book and is available for teams to use internally, with or without outside help.

The Most Common Surprise at a New Acquisition

Douglas says the same discovery repeats itself at property after property. There is no network map. The digital systems were installed piecemeal by different vendors over years, with no overarching architecture. Nobody on the current team knows what is in the network closets.

“I guarantee you, we’re going to open the closet and I’m going to say, what’s that? And they’re going to say, I have no idea,” Douglas says, describing a property visit planned for the following week. “They bought it as-is and kept running it. They bought a license for whatever software is needed to run these systems, and they don’t even have access to the data.”

One scenario that comes up frequently involves ISP-provided networks. A building is told it has a centralized network, which is technically true. But when ownership tries to use it, they discover the network belongs to the ISP, not to them. They cannot modify it, cannot expand it, and cannot build on top of it.

“If it’s free, you’re the product,” Douglas says.

The Seller’s Case for Getting Ahead of It

The digital infrastructure gap creates risk for buyers. But Douglas argues it also creates opportunity for sellers who address it before going to market.

“Just like when you go to sell a business, if your books are in order and your deal vault is organized, you get a premium,” he says. “If you don’t know what’s in your building digitally, a buyer’s diligence team is going to find it and turn it into a price lever.”

A buyer who discovers aging systems, unowned networks, and siloed data in the course of diligence has every reason to discount their offer. A seller who can document clean digital infrastructure, clear data ownership, and a functioning operational technology stack is in a fundamentally different position.

What to Ask Before Closing

Douglas recommends that acquisition teams start asking four basic questions during diligence: What systems and sensors are on the property, and who owns them? What networks exist, and who controls them? Where does the operating data live, and can ownership access it? What would it cost to address anything that is missing or outdated? The Peak Property Performance book and podcast go deeper on each of these.

“It’s not that much money to do a digital review,” Douglas says. “A few thousand dollars. Know what you’re getting into.”

For a deal that might run into eight figures, a few thousand dollars to avoid a six-figure integration surprise is not a hard argument to make.

About OpticWise: OpticWise is a digital infrastructure and data strategy firm focused on commercial real estate. The company helps owners, operators, and acquisition teams understand what digital assets a property holds, who controls them, and how to build a foundation for autonomous operations. Learn more at opticwise.com.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. The views and opinions expressed herein reflect those of the individuals quoted and do not represent an endorsement of any company, product, or service mentioned. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals before making any investment decisions.

Disclosure: Individuals or companies mentioned may have a commercial relationship with KeyCrew.