From optimized leasing and smart home solutions to proptech and self-guided touring, there has long been a missing link to bring it all together—a reliable digital foundation. Community IT infrastructures are not built to support the ever-expanding connectivity and cybersecurity needs of contemporary multifamily properties, nor are they constructed to adapt with evolving tech stacks.
Expert panelists took the stage for the Apartmentalize 2024 session, “Bridging the Digital Divide,” to discuss the strategies and solutions that helped them address the digital gap found at today’s communities.
With every technological advancement comes the need for increased connectivity, which broadens the digital divide. To establish a successful community that not only thrives in today’s digital landscape but is positioned for future adaptability, that divide must be connected.
Residents rely on quality Wi-Fi for work, leisure and everyday living to check email, stream their favorite shows and use their smart home appliances. For owners and operators, reliable internet connects operations for a seamless work environment.
For years, the industry has viewed offering community-wide Wi-Fi to residents as an amenity. It wasn’t until the influx of the tech-based solutions that fuel many of today’s communities that operators began to understand connectivity’s crucial role in operations.
“If you ask me, I wouldn’t even consider Wi-Fi an amenity anymore, it is a necessity,” said Guntram Weissenberger, President of Westover Companies. “It is extremely important to deliver a reliable connection. We may not realize it at the moment, but when it’s gone, we notice.”
Ensuring the seamless integration of a vast array of technologies is what drives the resident and associate experience. That means laying the groundwork that can shoulder the countless devices and features that serve an entire community in varying capacities, such as smart sensors and mobile maintenance apps.
“Things like smart tech and maintenance or self-guided touring apps need to be able to communicate without interruption,” said Dave Semyck, Vice President of Technology Services for Equity Residential. “Almost anything can be connected to the internet, and now is the time to prepare for future connectivity needs. Just by offering self-guided tours, our company has saved roughly $100,000 in labor costs.”
Whether it is a new build or a retrofit, investing in a solid digital foundation is essential to future-proofing a community. Panelists reiterated the importance of a digital foundation to anticipating future tech trends and guaranteeing adaptability.
“It’s a capital investment like anything else, but the payoff can be enormous,” Weissenberger said. “By using trusted partners, we can better manage our Wi-Fi offerings and deliver a best-in-class service backed with knowledgeable customer care representatives. Constructing a digital foundation is fundamental to sustainable success and is mutually beneficial to all stakeholders involved.”
Andrew Ruhland is an account executive and content writer for LinnellTaylor Marketing.