⚡ Investor Intelligence · Q1 2026

What smart investors are choosing in 2026.

Top finishes ranked by lease-up speed and durability. Cost ranges per scope. Regional snapshots. Curated quarterly from operator surveys + ScopeIQ pilot data. The public page shows trends. The full cost calculator and contextual recommendations live inside the Pro and Operator workstations.

TOP COLOR
ALABASTER
SW 7008
PAINT $/SQFT
$2.10–2.65
Charlotte 2026
MEDIAN TURN
6d
$1,850
LEASE-UP
27d
national avg
REFRESHED 2026-04-01 · CHARLOTTE · RALEIGH · CHARLESTON · COLUMBIA
Get full access — Pro $349/moSee the data
The Problem · Every Turn

Five questions, every single repaint.

Which color leases fastest?
Operators guess based on what they used last time. The color you pick can move lease-up by 6+ days.
What durability tier is worth it?
Premium pigments cost 12% more upfront — but stretch repaint cycles by 6+ months. Whether it pays back depends on the property.
Am I overpaying $/sqft?
Without market benchmarks, vendors quote whatever the last operator paid. Mid-tier paint should land $2.10–2.65/sqft in Charlotte 2026.
Which finishes hurt re-leasing?
Bold accent colors photograph well but can add 5+ days to lease-up. Most investors don't track which colors triggered tenant repaint requests.
Are my scopes regionally appropriate?
Coastal markets reward bright/airy palettes. Inland markets penalize them. Same finish, different result by 250 miles.

Every one of these costs operators rent days, repaint cycles, and trust with owners. Investor Intelligence replaces the guesswork with curated 2026 data — what investors are actually choosing, what's actually performing.

Top Finishes · 2026

The colors investors are picking — ranked.

Composite of popularity (operator survey picks) + durability (rental wear data) + lease-up advantage (days on market vs portfolio baseline of 28). Higher = better fit for typical rental.

01
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7008
Alabaster
Fastest lease-up — neutral but warm enough to feel modern, not sterile.
LEASE-UP
22d
REPAINT
28mo
DURABILITY
● ● ● ● ○
02
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7029
Agreeable Gray
Safest neutral — lowest re-paint complaint rate across 2024–2026.
LEASE-UP
25d
REPAINT
30mo
DURABILITY
● ● ● ● ○
03
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7005
Pure White
Modern bright — lowest sqft cost but shortest repaint cycle.
LEASE-UP
24d
REPAINT
22mo
DURABILITY
● ● ● ○ ○
04
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7015
Repose Gray
Cool-toned classic — matches 2020-era LVP installs perfectly.
LEASE-UP
27d
REPAINT
30mo
DURABILITY
● ● ● ● ○
05
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7036
Accessible Beige
Highest durability score — best ROI for long-hold rentals.
LEASE-UP
28d
REPAINT
34mo
DURABILITY
● ● ● ● ●
06
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7004
Snowbound
Cool white — modern photography, slightly higher repaint rate.
LEASE-UP
25d
REPAINT
24mo
DURABILITY
● ● ● ○ ○
Pro + Operator subscribers see all 12 finishes ranked by property type (single-family, multifamily 1BR/2BR, mixed portfolio, co-living) — plus contextual recommendations on every Request Turn form.
Cost Benchmarks · Charlotte 2026

Stop quoting blind.

When a vendor quotes $4.20/sqft for interior paint and the market median is $2.40 — you should know that immediately. Pro and Operator subscribers see scope-by-scope ranges; the public preview shows just the headline:

INTERIOR PAINT
$2.10–2.65
per sqft, walls only
MEDIAN TURN
$1,850
6-day median turn
LEASE-UP
24d
post-turn median
INSIDE THE WORKSTATION
Pro + Operator subscribers also see ranges for full interior paint (walls + ceilings + trim), LVP install, carpet replacement, cabinet refresh, bathroom turn, and whole-room turn — plus all four regional markets.
Unlock all benchmarks →
Regional Snapshots

Same property type. Different markets. Different choices.

PRIMARY MARKET
Charlotte, NC
TURN $
$1,850
TURN d
6
LEASE d
24
Operators converting carpet to LVP at second-tenant turn — 78% conversion rate in 2026 Q1.
TRACKED MARKET
Raleigh, NC
TURN $
$2,100
TURN d
7
LEASE d
22
Tighter rental supply driving sub-25-day lease-up; warmer neutrals (Alabaster, Worldly Gray) dominate.
TRACKED MARKET
Charleston, SC
TURN $
$2,240
TURN d
8
LEASE d
26
Coastal palette (Sea Salt, Pure White, Snowbound) outperforms — tenant search includes "bright" + "airy" 2.4× national average.
TRACKED MARKET
Columbia, SC
TURN $
$1,680
TURN d
5
LEASE d
28
Lower-cost market — builder-grade tier dominant. Mid-durability LVP gaining share in 1BR units.
TRACKED MARKET
National average
TURN $
$1,980
TURN d
7
LEASE d
27
Across markets, Alabaster and Agreeable Gray together account for 41% of all 2026 rental repaints.
Inside the Workstation

The full picture lives inside ScopeIQ.

Pro and Operator subscribers get per-property-type rankings, scope-by-scope cost benchmarks, all four regional markets, and contextual finish suggestions whenever they request a turn.

✓All 12 finishes ranked by property type
✓Scope-by-scope cost ranges
✓All 4 regional markets
✓Contextual hints on Request Turn
✓Composite scoring engine
✓Quarterly refreshes — 2026 only
Get Pro · $349/mo →See all plans

INCLUDED ON PRO + OPERATOR · NOT AVAILABLE ON STARTER

Methodology

Where these numbers come from.

  • Sherwin-Williams 2026 most-purchased SKUs (rental + multifamily channel)
  • National Apartment Association 2026 turn-cost benchmarks
  • Multifamily.coach + Bigger Pockets 2026 operator surveys (n > 1,400 portfolios)
  • ScopeIQ pilot data from 2024–2026 across Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, Columbia

Excluded by design: vendor-specific pricing, sourcing methods, and ScopeIQ margin structure. The data shows what investors are choosing — not how we deliver it.

REFRESHED 2026-04-01 · NEXT REFRESH Q3 2026