Innovation and automation continue to flurish in the apartment industry

Companies are developing and upgrading their offerings in smart-home technology, software-driven parking management, access management, and electric-vehicle charging stations.

“Proper technology creates a better living experience for residents,” said Steve Fiske, chief product officer, iApartments. “When you consider the hiring challenges that so many are facing for their on-site teams, having efficient products that are available to the operator are even more valuable.”

iApartments Brings Comfort to Residents, Operators

The smart-home living experience continues to gain momentum in apartment communities. iApartments’ platform enables apartment communities to transform “ordinary apartments” with a turnkey approach that works whether retrofitting or developing new construction. iApartments provides enterprise-level asset protection, energy management, touchless common area access, and comfort control features.

Smart apartment technology gives residents front-door access with codes that are automatically assigned to that resident. Locks no longer have to be rekeyed, and teams are able to quickly and efficiently move residents in and out.

Lowering energy costs

Its predictive analytics for HVAC health can help to reduce energy costs and enable maintenance teams to understand critical components that are beginning to fail and require attention before they break the budget. And its leak detection device alerts maintenance teams of potential trouble in apartment homes before it becomes unmanageable.

Integrations

iApartments’ smart home platform integrates seamlessly with leading property management systems and is fully supported by iApartments’ installation team once activated. Its touchless access allows properties to streamline leasing through self-guided tours.

What apartments managers are saying

“Our residents love being able to control their home from their phones,” said Celia Patton, property manager, Hudson at East, managed by Bainbridge. “It has added tremendous value to our community, and we use it as a huge selling point.”

Article published in MF Magazine, January 2023

By Paul Bergeron

About Paul: Communications executive, industry influencer, content strategy consultant and journalist with a proven record of leading teams in digital content creation, Thought Leadership strategy, public relations and media relations on behalf of Fortune 500 corporations, technology and software companies, associations and nonprofits.

What are smart apartments?

Smart apartments offer renters modern conveniences that add control, security, and energy savings. Some of the most requested technologies include intelligent locks and thermostats. As a result, many communities are starting to offer these amenities in a technology package that include a mobile app, smart home devices, and smart access to building and common areas like the gym or the pool.

Control of smart devices

Residents can control their apartment’s most important features right from the their mobile phone. Features like door locks, thermostats, and lights that are all controlled from anywhere. Forget to lock your front door? No problem, simply tap the lock button in the app.

You can automate features too

Apartment renters are pleasantly surprised when they tour a property that is outfitted with intelligent home technology. Many apartment communities are integrating Alexa into the model units. Imagine walking into a model apartment and saying “Alexa, I’m home.” Then the lights turn on, music plays, and the apartment cools to the perfect temperature. You can even have the door lock behind you. That’s the benefit of home automation.

A smart apartment technology platform ties it all together

In order to tie all of these technologies together, cummunities rely on a smart apartment platform. This ensures seamless integration with property management software, smart devices, and building access control systems.  Community managers use a dashboard to assign automations that reduce manual tasks like turning lights out or adjusting the thermostat in vacant units. Maintenace teams no longer need to change out locks when new resident move in. Instead, smart lock credentials are automatically changed. Making it easier for everyone – residents and on-site teams.

Typical smart devices that are controlled or paired to a resident app:

One smart apartment app vs. multiple apps

Between the automated building entry systems, in-home smart door locks, thermostats, and lights – managing multiple apps and platforms can be extremely challenging. A piecemeal solution only adds to the complexity of managing a property and juggling multiple apps. For instance, let’s say you have Google Nest installed in apartments units, Kwikset or Yale locks on the doors, and a building access control system like Openpath or Butterfly – these are all controled with separtate apps. How do you tie it all together to make things easy for residents?

Consider a smart apartments platform that uses one app to control all smart home devices. Residents appreciate the ability to manage everything from one place – lights, temperature, and the smart lock on the door.

Better resident service

In the old days, when an AC unit went down, residents had to report the issue before any sort of maintenance ticket was created. Today, thanks to automated alerts, maintenace teams receive HVAC, water leak, and high humidity notifications right on there phone when issues arise. In other words, communities can better serve residents in a proactive way, resulting in higher resident satisfaction and longer leases.

Smart Apartments Technology Discussion

iApartments Chief Product Officer, Steve Fiske, will be speaking on Smart Apartments Technology at OPTECH 2022 Town Hall Session in Las Vegas, NV. This smart technology discussion is give owner operators new insights on how to leverage simplified, integrated, and sustainable technology for better property operational performance.

“As a veteran in smart apartment technology, I am thrilled to share insights and collaborate with other experts on ways to help apartment owners and managers,” said Fiske. “As prop tech continues to grow and evolve, it’s important for the industry to come together at preeminent events, like OPTECH, to showcase what’s working.”

Read the Press Release

Featured Proptech Technology

iApartments a leading-edge Smart Home Technology will be featured at Greystar’s (WAM) Women Asset Managers Summit in Frisco, TX. This is a special reuniting of leading women in multifamily since the COVID pandemic. Needless to say, “we are all very excited to be together again” said Gina Johnson at iApartments. There is so much excitement in the air and we are thrilled to be a Diamond Plus Level Sponsor at WAM. The theme of the summit says it all, Reunite, Rethink, Renew.

Women Asset Managers Summit (WAM) – April 25th-27th

Gina Johnson and Scott Stamilio will be representing iApartments at the WAM 2022 Summit.

Get Insider Prospectives

The true value of the WAM event is thought leadership sharing personal secrets on maximizing the value of their assets and the continued relationship building. According to Scott Stamilio “There are now more opportunities than ever for properties to improve not only on property value but on operating efficiency. These opportunities are coming from smart technology built specifically for the multifamily industry.”

ESG Initiatives

WAM attendees will be diving into other important initiatives including (ESG) Environmental Social Governance responsibility. Where the challenges are, and what opportunities lie within. Multifamily owners and operators can begin to tackle challenges like energy usage with smart technology that lowers the cost to maintain vacant property units. For instance, iApartments smart home system automatically puts vacant units into “Energy Savings Mode” when a resident moves out. The apartment unit temperature is automatically set to management standards and lights are turned off. Whether it’s reducing heating or cooling an apartment or detecting water leaks, proptech can help operators make better environmentally decisions.

Learn More 

Multifamily operators can learn the most about smart technology by simply requesting a demonstration.

Florida Apartment Association features Smart Apartment Technology

Smart tech offerings that solve operational problems and create added value for residents will be among the hot topics for apartment owners attending the Florida Apartment Association (FAA) Conference on Oct. 13-15 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Smart apartment technology is a hot topic in the apartment management industry. Smart devices have shown to help protect assets, improve operating efficiencies, and create new long lasting revenue streams.

iApartments combines its next-gen automation technology with a disruptive approach that removes the upfront challenges for new and retrofit communities so they can leverage the power of an enterprise-level smart apartment platform, with the simplicity they need.

iApartments will attend and exhibit at the FAA Conference Booth 629.

Residents expect smart tech in apartments

“PropTech is no longer just a renter preference, it has become the expectation,” Yetta Tropper, head of multifamily asset management at New York–based PGIM Real Estate, says in a recent article from MFE.

PGIM operates 54,000 units in the U.S. and has implemented virtual and self-guided tours enabled by smart locks.

“It’s evolving so quickly, it’s important to embrace these changes and stay at the forefront,” Tropper says.

Rachel Davidson, executive vice president at Austin, Texas-based RPM, which counts 84,000 units in its portfolio, tells MFE, “Everyone is talking about tours, which are certainly huge. But online payment solutions, smart home technology, and the complete virtual leasing have become critically important over the past year.”

Connectivity without the need for a dedicated network

iApartments approach makes “smart apartments” possible for all communities. Their smart apartment solution employs CAT-M1 cellular technology to deliver a more accessible and more affordable connection to the cloud without a dedicated network.

iApartments has been quietly growing its business in 2021, adding clients such as UBS, Mark Taylor, Merion Realty Partners, Weller Management, Wire Development, and Greystar.

“Many apartment operators do not have the capital or the budget to invest in an [expensive] smart apartment program,” said iApartments CEO Dave Magrisso. “We’ve created an intriguing option that works well right out of the box. And, it has allowed our customers to begin generating ancillary income at launch, charging very modest fees for the added convenience the system offers their residents.”

The iApartments team will also attend NMHC’s Annual Meeting Sept. 22-24 in Washington, D.C.

There, it will be onhand to discuss how their next-gen intelligent apartment solution has brought innovation and disruption to the nearly $2 billion (June 2020 Reportlinker) industry of multifamily smart home solution providers. Through a holistic approach to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensors, and predictive analytics, they have built a product and service line to compete with current industry notables.

“With smart home adoption sitting at less than 2% in the [multifamily smart home] industry, I am more thrilled than ever about our timing and position in the market,” said Magrisso. “Both our regional and institutional clients have expressed they are ready to move forward with our platform that fills the voids that they are missing. This opens the door for endless opportunities. Our combination of world-class service and a robust platform built to scale to millions of units will serve us well as we strive to be a household name synonymous with quality and a leader in the smart apartments market.”

iApartments is headed to Chicago to debut our tradeshow booth at NAA Apartmentalize.

The iApartments all-star team is excited to be meeting with customers in-person again at booth #2359. Apartmentalize is Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 at McCormick Place. This is the first stop on our ambitious industry meetings schedule this fall.

So much has happened in the past year as we continue to rollout our premier smart apartment technology platform. We can’t wait to tell you about it.

iApartments approach makes “smart apartments” possible for all communities. We have been quietly growing our business in 2021, adding clients such as Greystar, UBS, Mark Taylor, Merion Realty Partners, Weller Management, and Wire Development.

iApartments is an enterprise-level smart apartment platform that turns ordinary apartments into intelligent apartments. More specifically, our smart technology automates asset protection, access control, and operational efficiencies for multifamily property owners, managers, and provides a compelling amenity to their residents to enhance the overall living experience.

Big Savings in Network Connectivity

iApartments employs CAT-M1 cellular technology to deliver a more accessible and more affordable connection to the cloud without a dedicated network. This is saving apartment companies and developers millions.

Come meet the iApartments Team

Come meet our new Chief Revenue Officer, Scott Stamillio, and Gina Johnson, Vice President of Institutional Sales. Both are ready to share in-depth knowledge on how to get the most out of a robust smart apartment solution. We will be featuring our self-guided tours as a powerful lead-generation tool for your leasing staff.

Dave Magrisso, iApartments CEO and pioneer of multifamily “Amenity-as-a-Service,” will be on hand to speak with multifamily owners on creating a property-to-property competitive advantage and using automation to increase operating efficiencies and reducing unit energy costs.

“Many apartment operators do not have the capital or the budget to invest in an [expensive] intelligent apartment program,” said iApartments CEO Dave Magrisso. “We’ve created an intriguing option that works well right out of the box. And, it has allowed our customers to begin generating ancillary income at launch, charging very modest fees for the added convenience the system offers their residents.”

iApartments has brought innovation and disruption to the nearly $2 billion (June 2020 Reportlinker) industry of multifamily smart home solution providers. Through a holistic approach to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensors, and predictive analytics, the iApartments team has built a product and service line to compete with current industry notables.

“With smart home adoption sitting at less than 2% in the [multifamily smart home] industry, I am more thrilled than ever about our timing and position in the market,” Magrisso said. “Both our regional and institutional clients have expressed they are ready to move forward with our platform that fills the voids that they are missing. This opens the door for endless opportunities for iApartments. Our combination of world-class service and a robust platform built to scale to millions of units will serve us well as we strive to be a household name synonymous with quality and a leader in the smart home or intelligent apartments market.”

iApartments will also attend and exhibit at these three major events:

Florida Apartment Association (FAA) Annual Conference – Oct. 13-15 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

National Multihousing Council (NMHC) OpTech Conference & Expo – Nov. 8-10 National Harbor, Md.

And it will attend NMHC’s Annual Meeting Sept. 22-24 in Washington, D.C.

See you there!