HomeAt EXPO REAL 2026, one message was clear: capital is ready to move, but yield compression will no longer rescue asset returns. With the ‘wait and see’ era over, Net Operating Income (NOI) has taken center stage.
Straight off the back of the show, our CEO and Co-founder, Vincent Bryant, recorded his three biggest takeaways. Watch the video below, or if you can’t watch right now, read the key points underneath.
Three takeaways from EXPO REAL 2026
1. Capital is back, but net operating income is now the metric that matters
The hurdles have not gone away, but optimism has returned and investors are ready to deploy. What has changed is how value gets made. Yield compression can no longer be relied on to do the heavy lifting, so returns have to come from the asset itself.
That puts net operating income at the centre of almost every investment conversation. Strategies that actively reduce operating costs and secure long-term tenant demand are the ones attracting capital. Those that don’t are already falling behind.
2. Building upgrades have moved from compliance to financial modelling
Reporting for the sake of reporting is no longer the conversation. The focus has shifted firmly to CapEx strategy: which assets to invest in, which ones risk becoming stranded, and what each intervention is worth.
Electrification is emerging as a major driver of value creation. Investors want to see exactly how upgrading or fully electrifying a building translates into NOI uplift. They also want to protect their position at exit, so the next buyer’s analysis can’t be used to chip away at the price.
3. Poor data is slowing deals down
Data friction came up again and again. Poor data quality is holding up due diligence and getting in the way of using AI effectively. The market is tired of fragmented in-house tools and manual data collection.
What everyone is looking for is a single source of truth. The leaders are moving quickly to consolidate their platforms, so the data on how their buildings perform feeds directly into the investment decisions they make.
A new cycle has started
The shift from static reporting to profitable performance improvement is happening now. The owners and investors who move first will be the ones who can show, asset by asset, where the value is.
That is what Deepki is built for. Our technology and our experienced teams work together to help you understand every asset in your portfolio, plan the CapEx that improves NOI, and go into due diligence with data you can stand behind.
Want to see where your exposure sits? Try our Stranded Asset Calculator, or get in touch with our team to talk through your portfolio.
Were you at EXPO REAL this year? We’d love to hear your biggest takeaway.
