Preferred Technology Partner — RangeWater Real Estate
Technology capital planning

Turn this year's tech line item into next year's NOI.

Every budget season, property teams weigh the same question: what's this technology actually worth once it's installed? This tool puts a number on it — CapEx, OpEx, and the NOI impact, specific to your property.

This year's budget conversation
Smart locks & access controlCapEx / OpEx
Smart building & automationCapEx / OpEx
Leak detection & managementCapEx / OpEx
EV chargingCapEx / OpEx
Parcel servicesCapEx / OpEx
Net impact on property NOI↓ scroll to calculate

Why this budget line is different from the others

Technology spend used to be justified on resident convenience alone. Increasingly, it shows up directly on the operating statement.

3–5%
Rise in property valuation reported for multifamily properties that adopt smart home and building technology, alongside an average ROI near 30%.
Multi-Housing News / SmartRent, 2025
115M
Buildings expected to be running smart IoT systems globally by the end of 2026 — more than double the 45 million in 2022.
Programa, via MarketScale, 2026
3.5x
Higher rate of package theft experienced by apartment residents compared to homeowners — a direct, quantifiable resident pain point.
Security.org 2025 Package Theft Report
<1 yr
Typical payback period for smart HVAC and climate automation, which is often the single fastest-paying-back building upgrade available.
Verdant / Copeland, 2026

See the CapEx, the OpEx, and the NOI shift — before you commit budget

Enter your property's unit count and select the systems you're evaluating. The calculator returns projected capital cost, ongoing operating cost, and the resulting change to net operating income.

CapEx and OpEx aren't a checklist — they're two different deals

The calculator doesn't just size the technology. It shows what happens to your budget under each funding path, so the decision isn't "can we afford this" — it's "which model fits how this property is run."

CapEx — buy it outright

You pay the full cost upfront and own the systems from day one. It's a single capital approval, then the technology is yours — no ongoing service payment tied to it.

  • One upfront investment, no recurring fee
  • Requires capital budget approval this cycle
  • You carry the cost of upgrades and refreshes later
  • Best when capital is available and the systems are expected to run untouched for years

OpEx — spread it over time

No large upfront outlay. The cost is spread into predictable monthly payments through a service agreement with Groove — installation, support, and upgrades included for the term.

  • Frees up capital for other priorities this cycle
  • Predictable monthly cost instead of a lump sum
  • Can be paired with a resident amenity fee that offsets — or exceeds — the monthly payment
  • Best when preserving capital and staying current matters more than ownership

Six systems, one NOI line

Each of these can be modeled independently or combined into a single technology package for your property.

Smart locks & access control
Keyless entry and centralized access management, reducing rekey costs and improving turnover speed.
Smart building
Automated climate, lighting, and energy management across units and common areas.
Leak management
Early leak detection and automatic shutoff, reducing water damage claims and emergency repairs.
EV charging
On-site charging infrastructure, positioned as a resident amenity and a differentiator in leasing.
Access control
Gate, amenity, and perimeter access tied into a single credential and audit trail.
Parcel services
Secure package lockers that cut theft exposure and staff time spent managing deliveries.

The hardware and platforms behind the numbers

Groove designs, installs, and supports these systems as a single managed technology package — one vendor relationship instead of five.

Latch
Salto
LiftMaster
Parcel Pending
Della OS

The research behind the numbers

For property managers who want the full case before the next budget cycle.

01
Whitepaper & blog
OpEx vs. CapEx: A Smarter Way to Fund Multifamily Property Technology
Groove's breakdown of why traditional capital funding struggles to keep pace with fast-changing property technology, and how an OpEx model changes the math.
Read it →
02
Case study
Regius Square — Salt Lake City, UT
A look at how Groove's technology rollout played out on the ground at Regius Square, from planning through resident impact.
Read it →
03
Whitepaper
Parks Associates & Groove: Technology Amenities and Amenity-Fee Funding in Multifamily
Independent research from Parks Associates on how properties are using amenity fees to fund the technology residents expect.
Read it →
04
Announcement
Groove Named Preferred Technology Partner for RangeWater Real Estate
The official partnership announcement — why RangeWater selected Groove as its technology partner across its portfolio.
Read it →