Most industries today are powered by data – and commercial real estate is no exception. Property managers need to consider what data they’re focusing on to track success, what they’re doing to most effectively capture that data, and how they’re keeping it accessible and accurate. A data-powered approach to property management can be the difference between driving a strong real estate portfolio and struggling to attract tenants.
Why is commercial real estate data so critical?
Property managers are using data every day to make effective choices with their commercial real estate portfolios. In fact, “The state of commercial property management technology, 2025” report found that 89% of CRE professionals are actively tracking various metrics to make more informed decisions. That still leaves 11% not tracking any metrics at all – clearly underscoring the need to understand why data is so important.
Here is why data is so critical in commercial real estate:
- Informed decision-making: Data provides objective insights that can guide strategic choices on leasing, renovations, and operational improvements.
- Performance optimization: Metrics on occupancy, NOI, and expenses help identify areas for efficiency gains and cost reduction.
- Market positioning: Comparative data allows managers to benchmark their properties against competitors and adjust strategies accordingly.
- Tenant satisfaction: Tracking satisfaction scores and analyzing feedback helps improve services and increase retention rates.
- Value enhancement: Data-driven improvements and operational efficiencies can directly contribute to increasing a property’s overall value.
Which data is industry-standard in commercial real estate?
There is a lot of data that can make property management more effective and efficient. Being able to track your tenants’ satisfaction, your property’s maintenance status, and your portfolio’s financial health are keys to a strong to property management approach.
Here is just some of the critical data used to track property management success.
Top-line data: this is the most important commercial real estate data. It creates the metrics that show overall performance of your building or your portfolio. For the quickest understanding of your portfolio’s success, start here. These include metrics such as:
- Occupancy rate
- Net operating income (NOI)
- Return on investment (ROI)
- Tenant retention rate, or lease renewal rate
Tenant satisfaction data: this data is focused on ensuring the satisfaction of your tenants and that your property is meeting their needs. These metrics, along with lease renewal rate, include:
- Tenant satisfaction score
- Tenant mix
Maintenance-focused data: a key part of the property manager’s role is maintenance – keeping a property safe and in good shape. This can come through CapEx projects as well as ongoing maintenance work. These metrics paint a good picture of maintenance in a property manager’s portfolio:
- Maintenance response time
- Building system uptime
- Maintenance cost per square foot
What additional data is most valuable for retail properties?
Along with the above metrics, property managers working in retail commercial real estate are also focused on additional data surrounding their portfolios. This data is relevant for ensuring that you are serving your retail tenants:
- Tenant sales per square foot
- Foot traffic
- Sales conversion rate
- Customer satisfaction score
What additional data is most valuable for industrial properties?
Property managers for industrial commercial real estate also have a subset of data that is specific to their work and their properties. This includes additional concerns about safety, maintenance, and energy efficiency:
- Safety incident rate
- Energy use per square foot
- Loading capacity utilization
How can I capture commercial real estate data effectively?
Effective data management is crucial for optimizing property performance. Here are some key strategies to capture the right information:
- Implement a comprehensive property management software to centralize data on rent rolls, lease terms, maintenance, and financials
- Prioritize tracking occupancy rates, utility usage, and tenant satisfaction through regular surveys
- Conduct systematic property inspections, documenting findings with photos and detailed notes
- Leverage IoT devices for real-time monitoring of building systems and energy consumption
The importance of well-managed data in commercial real estate
Keeping all of this data in one place can make a huge difference in how you manage your portfolio. The key to this is a strong building operations tool with robust integrations, allowing you to pull in data from across your technology stack and your portfolio.
By analyzing your commercial real estate data effectively to focus on the right metrics, you can:
- Make informed decisions on rental strategies and property improvements
- Proactively address maintenance issues before they escalate
- Optimize operational efficiency and reduce costs
- Enhance tenant satisfaction by responding quickly to their needs
- Justify investments in property upgrades based on concrete data
Ultimately, this data-driven approach leads to improved property management, increased tenant retention, and enhanced property value.
FAQs about commercial real estate data
1. What software can I use to best manage my commercial real estate data?
Building operations software platforms, like Prism by Building Engines, can provide a simple, streamlined way to manage all of your critical commercial real estate data. Prism allows property managers to go deeper on their own specific CRE needs, be it tenant satisfaction tools, asset performance, maintenance concerns, or project management. It also allows for data to integrate from different systems to give you one unified view of all your building operation’s needs.
2. What is Building Engines?
Building Engines, a JLL company, improves operations and performance across the world’s most successful commercial real estate (CRE) portfolios. Our customers increase building efficiency, deliver the best tenant experience, and tap into transformative insights with Prism – the industry’s most innovative and powerful property management technology platform.
