Original article titled 10 Reasons to Buy a Video Intercom for Condos, Small Apartment Buildings & HOAs by Johanna Gruber, published by ButterflyMX.
For decades, apartment intercom systems have been the go-to property access management tool for multifamily properties because they simplify property access for residents, visitors, and delivery people. But if you own or manage a small apartment building, condominium, co-op, or another type of property with only a few units, a video intercom might seem above and beyond what you need. The good news is that some video intercom manufacturers offer systems for buildings of all sizes.
Today’s best video intercoms aren’t just for large apartment buildings — there are smart video intercoms for condos and small apartments, too. Whether you have 5 units or 500, video systems offer improved convenience, security, and more. Below, we’ve outlined how a video intercom can benefit a smaller building just like yours.
Here are the top 10 reasons to buy video intercoms for condos, co-ops, HOAs, or small apartment buildings:
- Easy and affordable installation
- Ensure package delivery
- Long-term cost savings
- Intuitive system management
- Simplified visitor access
- No ongoing maintenance
- Improved security
- Deliver the technology residents demand
- A built-in building marketing tool
- Excellent customer service
Easy & Affordable Installation
Does the thought of installing a new intercom feel daunting? With the right system, installation doesn’t have to be a chore. Modern video intercoms, like ButterflyMX, make it easy to save time and money on your intercom installation.
Far too often, the fear of a massive installation bill prevents building owners and developers from installing or replacing an intercom system. Whether you’re retrofitting an intercom in an old building or installing one in a new development, don’t let installation costs hold you back.
It’s true that installing a wired intercom with in-unit hardware can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But by choosing a wireless video intercom system, you can slash that installation bill by more than half.
Wireless video intercoms for condos cost less to install than other systems because:
- You don’t need hardware in every unit
- You don’t have to run wiring throughout the building
If you own a condominium, it can be difficult to get your HOA board to sign off on an extensive — and expensive — project like installing a wired intercom system. Small apartment building owners also often hesitate to green-light big projects. Installing an intercom system that requires building-wide wiring will disrupt everyone in the building, possibly for weeks on end.
Installing ButterflyMX’s video intercom takes as little as a few hours because you only need three connections: power, internet, and door strike. Plus, you won’t have to disturb residents by running wiring throughout the building and installing hardware in every unit.
Ensure Package Deliveries
Missing a delivery because you weren’t home is extremely frustrating. Worse is if your package is stolen because it was left outside. With online shopping on the rise (and only expected to grow), your building will surely see more deliveries over the coming months and years. You need a way to provide delivery access, store packages, and distribute them efficiently.
A smart video intercom offers three ways to ensure packages deliveries:
- Video calling
- Delivery PINs
- Package rooms
Easy System Management
Requesting a service provider to come onsite and update your intercom with minor changes isn’t just expensive — it’s also a headache. Whether you own a small apartment building or serve as the president of your HOA, you have better things to do than worry about scheduling frivolous intercom programming appointments.
Choose a video intercom that makes it easy to add and remove tenants yourself. With cloud-based systems like ButterflyMX, all you have to do is log into your web-based property management dashboard.
In the ButterflyMX property admin dashboard, you can:
- Add or remove tenants
- Manage tenants’ permissions
- View an audit trail of who has entered the building
- Monitor how visitors gain access to your building
- Send messages to your tenants
With ButterflyMX, you are in control of the system. You can even have multiple admins in the dashboard so that everyone — from property managers to HOA members — can manage access and permissions.
Simplified Visitor Access
A huge pain point for residents, building managers, and owners alike is visitor access. If you’ve ever had to go downstairs to open the door for a guest or wait around all day to let in the cable guy, you know how frustrating visitor access in multifamily buildings can be.
Whether a resident needs to open the door for a friend or a property manager needs to grant access to a service provider, an intercom system with door release and video calling is the best solution. Guests can place a video call through the intercom, which residents can answer on their smartphones from anywhere in the world. Residents can also open the door for guests right from their phones.
In addition to video calls, ButterflyMX further simplifies property access for guests with tools like virtual keys and elevator controls.
Improved Building Security
Security is a top priority for any multifamily building, regardless of size. Condominiums, co-ops, and garden-style apartment buildings all need comprehensive security solutions to ensure resident safety.
Intercom systems improve property security by letting residents vet visitors. Video intercoms for condos are more secure than audio-only intercoms because they let residents see visitors before letting them in. The problem is that installing video stations in every unit can be extremely expensive. Even if your building only has a few units, the installation could cost thousands of dollars for hardware and labor.
Instead of choosing a wired video intercom, choose a wireless, smartphone-based system. ButterflyMX operates with smartphones instead of in-unit devices, so you’ll save significantly on the installation.
As an added layer of security, ButterflyMX also takes a time- and date-stamped photo every time someone uses the intercom to enter the building. This audit trail is stored in the property management dashboard for admins to review.
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About ButterflyMX
Founded in 2014, ButterflyMX is on a mission to enable people to open and manage doors from a smartphone. Our products are installed in more than 4,000 residential, commercial, and student-housing properties around the world including those developed, owned, and managed by the most trusted names in real estate.
ButterflyMX features are designed specifically for developers, owners, property managers, and tenants — lowering operating costs and improving tenant satisfaction. Developers and owners no longer need to run building wiring or install in-unit hardware; property managers can grant property access, issue or revoke permissions, and review entry-logs from an online dashboard; and residents can open doors from their smartphones, issue visitor access, and see who is trying to enter the building.
Paragon Security and Locksmith is the preferred ButterflyMX provider in New York City. Contact us for complimentary demonstration of ButterflyMX in action. Paragon Security proudly serves customers throughout New York, including in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and elsewhere in NYC.