Property managers are on the front lines of the apartment building, and oftentimes, have a job that feels like an around-the-clock responsibility. They’re faced with an array of tasks that includes overseeing multiple people—from the front desk, maintenance staff, and leasing team—while also handling day-to-day operations to keep the property running smoothly for residents.

Their jobs are made even more challenging by the changing demands of residents in the modern building. As the influx of package delivery continues to rise—UPS reported a 29 percent increase in U.S. average daily package volume from 2008 to 2018—property managers are tasked with finding solutions to avoid overrun hallways and missed deliveries. On-demand services like dog walking and house cleaning are also growing in popularity, as residents expect time-saving and personalized experiences that make their lives even more convenient.  

All of these changing consumer habits mean that more people need access into the apartment building—and it becomes the property manager’s responsibility to manage the people coming and going while keeping the building secure for residents. But the question emerges: is there a solution that makes this possible?

Smart access might be the answer.

A smart access system like Latch goes beyond providing residents with a means of keyless entry. As the first full-building solution for the modern apartment, Latch provides property managers and residents with unprecedented flexibility, convenience, and security. With Latch, building operators have a quicker, simpler, and more cost-effective way to keep their property running smoothly, so they can spend more time driving value for their residents and less time on activities that decrease net operating income.

Here are a few of the ways that Latch helps property managers add operational efficiency, lower operating expenses, and increase building security—all with one access system.  

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Added operational efficiency

Property managers can spend much of their day on time-consuming, yet essential activities like overseeing the front desk staff and coordinating with outside vendors. With their plates full and their schedules often unpredictable, property managers are always looking for ways to get some of their time back.

Latch Manager, a web-based property management platform, helps property managers streamline their schedules by allowing them to assign long-term access to building staff and frequent visitors, like maintenance workers, and even set access times during certain hours of the day. For one-time or irregular vendors like service providers, they can simply send temporary access credentials and instructions to each visitor.

This also applies to managing delivery logistics—an increasingly demanding job as package deliveries continually increase. With partnerships with UPS and Walmart’s Jet.com, Latch provides delivery couriers with secure doorcodes that allow them to enter the apartment building—helping property managers facilitate in-lobby deliveries and reduce time spent on package coordination in non-doorman buildings.

Latch makes it seamless for property managers to help their residents. Through the Latch App, property managers can give residents access to their own unit remotely—making late-night lockouts a thing of the past and relieving property managers from having to be onsite around the clock. Even the move-in and move-out process is made easier with Latch. Property managers can set a resident’s access to begin on their move-in date, so there’s no need to coordinate key pick-up. At move-out, residents’ access is simply removed from the platform—no key collection necessary—to save property managers more time on logistics.

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Lower operating expenses

Latch is the first access product of its kind that connects to smart home devices. The updated Latch M, a unit-entry device designed for mortise locks, includes a Zigbee 3.0 radio that allows the M to connect to sensors, lights, and more without the need for a standalone hub.

For property managers, this allows them to connect smart lights, thermostats, and sensors to monitor for leaks and maintain energy efficiency in vacant units—leading to cost-savings through early detection. In the event of an emergency, property managers can easily share access with their maintenance staff to enter the unit, whether they’re onsite or on-the-go.  

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Increased building security

Multifamily owners, property managers, and residents all want their building to be safe—but it’s often left to property managers to figure out how to deliver on security. To help, Latch captures the access history at every common space in a building, like the front door, gym, and elevators—providing property managers with a visual access history so they always know who’s coming through their doors. Residents’ activity at their own unit, however, always remains private and is never shared. By facilitating increased security through a single online platform, Latch gives property managers one less thing to worry about and added peace of mind.

By streamlining property managers’ day-to-day tasks, Latch enables them to work smarter as the apartment building becomes smarter. As smart access solutions like Latch deliver on operational efficiency, lower operating costs, and better building security, property managers can spend more time on building community for their residents and focus on activities that improve their building’s bottom line.

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This article was originally published on The Real Deal.