Standard Access covers every aspect of the property management process in one efficient system, making it easier to manage a host of residential tenants, across many buildings, from one single location
There are many reasons why tenant engagement has become such a hot topic for letting agents and property managers in 2020. As Ireland – like much of Europe and many other countries – remains in lockdown, estate agents and property managers have closed the doors of their traditional bricks and mortar offices and are instead relying upon technology to conduct their business, to keep client landlords updated and to keep existing tenants happy and engaged. This is no mean feat for an industry that has been, at best, sluggish at best (and at worst, resistant) to adopting new technologies designed to make the property experience frictionless.
Over the past number of years, through the emerging build to rent (BTR) and private rented sector (PRS), tenant engagement initiatives were used by quality providers and property managers as a way to foster positive tenant relations and to distinguish themselves as market leaders. While this remains true, the nature of the tenant engagement activities and the tools/technologies used have changed in recent time, particularly in response to the ongoing pandemic. Discounts to local eateries, cocktail-making sessions and yoga classes are still happening – albeit online – and they are still important, however, there has been a notable shift in the priorities of the tenants, the landlords and indeed, the managing agents on foot of Covid-19. What was once a novelty, is now a necessity.
Connectivity is no longer about convenience or even best practice, it is the only route to survival. And this connectivity is not just between the tenant and the property owner/manager, it is about the connectivity of the building – and all of the services within it – to the occupiers and the operators and to the building management system.
The tenant/landlord relationship starts before either actually knows that it has started, that is to say, during the property search. As a tenant, how and where you search for a home communicates a lot to your prospective landlord, and this is similarly true for how and where property owners/operators list available properties to attract the right tenants.
The tenant or user experience begins at this search point, which is why good property operators use online portals strategically to attract potential tenants over to their own website/platforms. This is where the process of online viewings or making appointments for in-person viewings should be seamless to the point of automation. Also, the completion of lease documentation, the payment of a deposit and the exchange of ‘keys’ should all follow in this smart, frictionless manner.
Keyless entry is an increasingly popular feature of contemporary, high quality, residential blocks and this trend is set to accelerate as construction and design teams seek out pandemic-responsive solutions for buildings. Virtual keys, like the Standard Access’ sonic handshake (sound-encrypted), allow for more flexible and secure building entry, exit and navigation. Unlike traditional keys that are often lost or not returned at the end of a tenancy, virtual keys cannot be lost or stolen, eliminating the need to replace or change locks. These keys may also be shared via WhatsApp, if authorised, for a prescribed period of time.
Two-way, real time communications between landlord/property manager and tenants, coupled with the ability to upload images for issue reporting, has never been more important than during this period of lockdown. Using the Standard Access offering, tenants can report a fault via text or image, which automatically triggers a job ticket. From there, the property owner/manager can manage the entire maintenance process through the app and dashboard, and the tenant is kept up-to-date on the progress in real time.
The use of this smart building technology generates useful, actionable and valuable data for building operators and, through the use of smart data analytics, landlords can gain insights into the building usage, air quality, energy consumption, utility usage and so much more, with a view to achieving significant cost savings and meeting sustainability targets. All of these features are available as whitelabel products for property owners/operators and can be managed through the Standard Access administration dashboard. This single dashboard also allows for easy integration with any existing building hardware, including utility meters and other smart buildings solutions.
About Standard Access:
Established in 2014 by Damien Browne, Standard Access is a global leader in IoT solutions for smart building access and developer of the Sonic Handshake®, which is a revolutionary, patented Data Over Sound technology to enable building and room access using an encrypted sound byte via app. www.standardaccess.co
