by Rob Murchison, CEO

Leadership in today’s era of technology, as well as AI, is often misunderstood.

It is not about having all the answers, selecting the perfect platform, or executing a flawless transformation plan. For most asset managers, facility leaders, and IT teams, the real challenge is knowing where to begin when the landscape feels complex and the stakes feel high.

Across commercial real estate (CRE), leaders understand that technology is no longer optional. Yet many hesitate to act—not out of resistance, but out of a desire to avoid making the wrong decision.

The sheer volume of data, analytics, AI capabilities, smart building tools, and aging infrastructure—without the right mindset—can quickly become technology debt. That accumulation often creates a fear that none of it will ever pay back at scale.

In practice, the opposite is true: Embracing complexity through discipline liberates us to achieve outcomes more rapidly.

Progress Takes Time

Progress in building technology is not a sprint. It’s a marathon defined by small, deliberate steps taken over time—each one worth acknowledging. The leaders who succeed are not those who wait for perfect clarity, but those who lower the bar for starting, commit to learning as they go, and embrace the complexity of the three-legged stool: people, process, and technology.

Facility managers often start by implementing automated fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) in a single building. The objective is not sophisticated dashboards, but practical outcomes: reduced downtime, fewer emergency repairs, and more predictable maintenance. This step is most effective when paired with a solid computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) or integrated workplace management system (IWMS), ensuring insights translate into action.

Asset managers may begin by applying AI-driven occupancy and utilization analysis across a small segment of the portfolio. This is an area where AI has shifted the paradigm. A common misconception is that these insights require deploying new sensors throughout a building. The field of human mobility analytics has matured, and per-occupant metrics are now viable at scale. These tools can reveal patterns that improve tenant satisfaction and retention, often without installing a single sensor. In many cases, occupants already carry powerful data sources with them every day through their mobile devices.

Still, data alone does not create outcomes. Teams must clearly define the problem to be solved and establish the right processes around it. One of the most common missteps is relying solely on per-square-foot energy metrics. An energy-efficient, low-occupancy building on a Friday afternoon may look successful on paper while quietly eroding net operating income (NOI).

IT leaders often begin by applying familiar informational technology (IT) principles to operational technology (OT) environments. Yet it is still surprising how often organizations do not know what technology exists within the four walls of their buildings. Here again, AI has changed what is practical. It is now possible to continuously inventory technology assets from network switches and wireless access points to variable air volume (VAV) boxes and chillers. Knowing what is connected, and who or what is connecting, allows IT leaders to treat OT with the same rigor as IT, reducing risk and improving control. Talk about making the asset manager happy!

Starting with a single building enables these discoveries to occur in a controlled, scalable way. It also opens new conversations between IT leaders and asset managers, particularly around risk reduction, and—in some cases—opportunities to lower insurance costs.

The common thread in each of these examples is restraint and discipline, grounding smart building initiatives on a solid footing rather than chasing complexity for its own sake.

Wherever the journey begins, it should begin small. But it should not be framed as a technology pilot. (That is my least favorite word of all smart buildings!) A pilot implies uncertainty and impermanence. Instead, these initiatives should be treated as proof of value—deliberate investments in learning, capability, and confidence. Without engaging people and establishing discipline through process, even the most advanced technology can quietly (and quickly) become debt.

Perfection Is Not The Goal, Progress Is

Embracing technology as a strategic asset does not require expertise on day one. It requires commitment to continuous improvement. Each step forward, no matter how modest, creates clarity that waiting never will.

The CRE leaders who will define the next decade are not those who waited until they felt ready. They are the ones who moved forward, learned in motion, and brought their organizations with them.

You do not need to be amazing to start, yet you can start to become amazing.