How often has something like this happened to you?
In this video, two individuals arrived at an apartment community in Houston. As they exited their car, they appeared to be intoxicated. One suspect walked to multiple vehicles and pulled on the door handles to gain access. He was successful in at least three and removed several items from each. A Stealth security operator was watching and contacted Houston police. Officers arrived and arrested the couple.
Smart Technology is Here to Stay
So, what does this video have to do with smart technology? You’ll have to read on to find out. First though, a brief explanation about how it can benefit you and your residents.
You are probably familiar with smart home technology. This allows residents to control and monitor many home devices such as thermostats, security systems, lighting and locks from an app on a mobile device. It’s designed to make life easier and more enjoyable.
Now property managers are also realizing its full potential and the positive impact it can have on their bottom line. In a recent survey by Xfinity Communities, 200 property managers, owners and developers were asked how smart home technology is effecting their industry. Here are just a few of the findings:
- 78 percent feel smart home technology helps keeps their current residents happy
- 84 percent believe it can help attract new ones
- 68 percent said they have current and prospective tenants that want smart home technology
- 72 percent believe their competitors don’t offer it, which gives an edge to those that do
- 70 percent agree it makes their daily jobs easier
Here’s an example of how smart technology can be used at your community:
Preventing maintenance issues is crucial to property managers. With smart technology, you can get alerts from connected devices in your common areas, as well as in the units, of leaks or broken HVAC units before they require costly repairs. Your residents will also appreciate the fact you can potentially fix an issue before it beaks so they aren’t inconvenienced.
Utilizing Smart Technology During and After COVID-19
In today’s world, with more people staying at home, property managers are faced with new challenges. This includes an increase in maintenance problems, simply because everyone is at home for longer stretches of time. It also means figuring out ways to keep residents, staff and vendors safe and socially distant while resolving these issues. Again, smart home technology can be integrated to help you comply.
- Smart locks can minimize the physical contact needed to enter a unit.
- Smart doorbells and cameras can reduce face-to-face contact by providing virtual interactions with workers and vendors.
Using Smart Technology to Deter Crime
Now back to the video.
Many multifamily properties opt for security guards to help protect their residents and physical structures. However, this can be an expensive and ineffective solution.
Live video monitoring can help solve security problems for multifamily residential properties. Trained security operators, safely located in remote locations, watch analytics-based cameras. The smart technology is designed to pick up movements and alert the monitoring staff of suspicious activity. This allows the operator to act immediately to help minimize damage and increase the chances that police will arrive while the trespassers are still on the property, as you saw in the video. This proactive solution can save up to 60% on security spend.
As smart technology evolves, the opportunities will continue to reshape the way we live. You can be sure, our security solutions will advance right along with it.
For more information about live video monitoring for your multifamily community, contact us.
About the Author
