Multifamily properties are getting smart about locks. They are installing locks that make their properties safer, smarter and more secure. What I’m talking about of course are smart locks. These are the trending keyless lock systems that residents open with their smart phone or credential. Residents love them. In fact, it seems they are more than happy to toss the notion of traditional keys out the door. Yet it’s the properties that stand to gain the most by switching from traditional locks to the smarter set. After all these keys streamline operations, reduce key management costs, and boost security. The only question then is which smart lock is best suited for a multifamily property? The answer lies within the technology.

It’s common knowledge that tech tools are only as sophisticated as the software that supports them. So is the case with smart locks. That’s why many multifamily properties lean toward smart locks that are designed for open integration. It just makes sense.

For one, it means the smart lock manufacturer is honed in on what they do best: make good locks. They are not trying to become a software company. Perhaps that is a topic for another post, but still it’s a fact worth noting.

More to the point, an open integration design makes smart locks highly adaptable. This is important because it grants properties the flexibility to choose the best available third-party access management software solution that suits their unique needs today and in the future. So, rather than adding one more software system to the mix they are really broadening the capabilities of an existing program. It’s a key capability that goes a long way in streamlining operations. The same cannot be said for smart locks tied to specific software.

Sure, we can talk about how easy smart locks are for property staff to manage or how smart credentials add a new level of security to a property or even the cost savings associated with removing traditional keys as a line item from your budget, but at the end of the day it is the software that makes or breaks the savvy of the smart lock. Those built with an open integration design works seamlessly with a multifamily property’s existing tech infrastructure to make lock and key management easier than ever before. They are real game changers.