August 10, 2026 — Thousands of vacant office buildings in cities across the country have gotten new life as multifamily housing, and this trend is only accelerating. Recent research has shown 90,300 new apartment units were under construction at the start of 2026 in office-to-residential conversion projects, a 28% increase year over year.
For facilities teams, one of the biggest risks isn’t highly visible: it’s whether the building’s network infrastructure is suitable for residential demands.
While adaptive reuse helps address both office vacancy and housing shortages, these projects are far more complex than a standard renovation. A common pitfall for developers and project managers is underestimating the network infrastructure required to support modern residential connectivity.
Why connectivity is foundational in multifamily conversions
Reliable internet connectivity is the invisible foundation of a successful multifamily property, keeping residents happy in their homes, helping facility managers manage day-to-day operations, and reducing operations costs for owners.
Today’s residents expect seamless WiFi across units, shared spaces, and the ability to connect dozens of devices. Strong connectivity also enables building owners to create “smart” buildings – those communities with access control, cameras, smart thermostats, and water meters – and automation solutions that cut energy use, streamline operations, and reduce maintenance costs.
Plan connectivity early, or pay for it later
Addressing these needs requires early, intentional network planning. While there is no one-size-fits-all model, the best approach balances resident expectations, physical infrastructure, and long-term operational goals.
For real estate teams considering an office-to-apartment conversion, the following checklist can help guide connectivity decisions from day one.
1. Define resident demand first
Start by defining who your target residents are, what their device usage may be, and what WiFi experience they will expect from the property. Consider resident nuances, such as rental vs. ownership models. Condo owners in high-end residential buildings, for example, will expect flawless connectivity to power their personalized at-home experience – including smart technology, building amenities, and seamless day-to-day connection.
Shared spaces like work lounges, rooftop decks, and even parking garages require planned high-density coverage to support both residents and building systems, including security cameras and access systems.
Why it matters: Misaligned expectations can quickly lead to connectivity gaps, eroding resident satisfaction and eventually leading to churn.
2. Assess existing infrastructure before you design
Office buildings were engineered for different occupancy patterns and technology requirements than multifamily buildings.
A notable challenge to WiFi performance in conversion projects is building geometry. Office towers often feature dense floor construction that can create coverage dead zones. Other common issues include outdated wiring, limited power sources, and physical barriers – such as thick, concrete floors and walls – that can significantly weaken or block WiFi and cellular signals.
Start assessing your property’s infrastructure with a site survey and predictive WiFi analysis to determine how connectivity enters the building (the Main Distribution Frame). Then evaluate the physical pathways and riser capacities to know where you can accommodate wiring without having to drill through thick floors vertically.
Why it matters: Understanding the physical infrastructure is critical to designing the digital nervous system of the renovated building. Incomplete assessments are a recipe for code violations and poor layouts that create WiFi and cellular dead zones.
3. Plan wiring and network architecture early
The single most important technical consideration for a property’s connectivity is the wiring, both to the building and inside. Even though residents expect a wireless lifestyle, a seamless WiFi experience relies on a dense, underlying wired backbone.
Bandwidth requirements depend on building size and tenant demands, but planning should account for future needs, not just today’s usage.
Once the internet enters the building, developers must use modern structured cabling to distribute high-speed data without internal bottlenecks. Without proper and early planning, inside wiring often becomes an afterthought, competing with plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and fire protection systems for limited space in vertical pathways and communication rooms. Communication rooms must also be planned to match the connectivity solution being deployed, a detail that is often missed. A managed WiFi solution, for example, requires dedicated rooms that are both secure and properly cooled. Without adequate cooling and physical security, network equipment is prone to overheating and failure, taking down connectivity building-wide and creating avoidable service calls.
Property teams need to decide early on whether the building’s wireless networks will be centralized or left entirely up to individual residents to supply their own routers. If you want a fully connected, smart building experience, a unified property network is needed.
One of the most high-performing WiFi options for multifamily buildings is a community-wide managed WiFi solution that involves mounting dozens of commercial-grade Access Points (APs) strategically throughout the property. Thoughtful planning of new low-voltage wiring is critical to ensure this level of connectivity, so residents can simply connect their devices to a single building-wide network.
Relying exclusively on wireless connectivity can be risky in multifamily housing. Dense living spaces and physical interference from building materials, furniture, and other electronics can severely disrupt WiFi signals; therefore providing physical data outlets in bedrooms or home offices ensures stability. Depending on the design of the residential units, wall-mounted APs can be an elegant way to provide both wired and wireless connections in individual units.
Because office buildings are notorious for poor cellular reception, developers must also integrate cellular infrastructure, such as a distributed antenna system, or use hybrid solutions that tie cellular calling directly into the building’s WiFi network to keep residents and guests connected.
Why it matters: Without proper planning for wiring and network infrastructure, real estate teams could face costly rework and project delays. Early coordination also supports future smart building integration alongside evolving resident and operational technology needs.
4. Align connectivity strategy with budget and goals
Infrastructure decisions should align with both budget and long-term goals.
For example, fiber-to-the-unit delivers high-speed connectivity with massive bandwidth, symmetrical speeds, and immunity to interference. However, the investment needed for 100% fiber may not match the budget or needs of a building. The best solution may be a combination of technologies to provide the most efficient approach to meet the property’s connectivity needs.
One area to prioritize with investment is wiring placement. The physical location of the wires can help ensure consistent WiFi coverage throughout the property, and locking in optimal wiring placement from the jump can help alleviate costly issues down the road.
Similarly, selecting the right WiFi model should reflect budget, as well as the building’s constraints and resident expectations. Managed WiFi, for example, is a premium, property-wide connectivity solution, but in some cases, a more standard solution such as bulk internet may be more appropriate. For older buildings, retrofit-friendly solutions like Connected Building offer the benefits of managed WiFi without the cost, complexity, or resident disruption.
Why it matters: Selecting the right WiFi solution and network infrastructure can greatly influence costs, resident experience, and overall efficiency. Over- or under-engineering connectivity solutions can create long-term operational and resident experience challenges.
Why digital infrastructure defines long-term success
Office-to-apartment conversions are breathing new life into cities, but they are also exposing the limitations of legacy building infrastructure. These projects are not simple renovations; and for facility teams, the biggest blind spot is often invisible: the network infrastructure required to support residential density, smart systems, and always-on connectivity.
Facilities teams that plan for digital infrastructure early won’t just avoid problems; they’ll create buildings that operate smarter, run more efficiently, and retain residents longer.
