REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY, INVESTMENTS
Businesswire | June 01, 2023
SmartRent, Inc. (NYSE: SMRT), the leading provider of smart home and property operations solutions for the rental housing industry, today announced the launch of its Community WiFi solution, built by multifamily experts for the multifamily industry.
Through Community WiFi, SmartRent is elevating renter expectations for wireless service at their communities in terms of connection speed, dependability, portability and affordability. It is also raising the bar for management teams by upgrading infrastructure and working harmoniously with major property management systems and existing tech stacks for smooth integration and implementation.
SmartRent is an established industry leader, specializing in smart home technologies, self-guided tours, access control, asset protection and IoT solutions. Broadly, the impact of smart technology has often been limited by the WiFi system deployed at the property level. Resident-acquired WiFi varies substantially from home to home, and bulk WiFi packages are still dependent on the signal strength and reliability of individual routers and modems in each home, common area and amenity space. After analyzing the needs of apartment communities and experiencing the challenges firsthand, SmartRent decided to help solve the long-standing industry issue. Through its development of Community WiFi, SmartRent strives to deliver dependable, accessible, community wide internet access to serve as the bedrock upon which rental housing communities can confidently build out their smart home and proptech systems.
“SmartRent’s Community WiFi is the culmination of years of discovery with our clients and a deep understanding of the pains associated with connectivity at the property level,” said SmartRent CEO Lucas Haldeman. “We are uniquely positioned to bring a truly game-changing WiFi solution to the market. Through our infrastructure upgrade expertise, vast hardware and software installation experience and intimate knowledge of smart home technologies for IoT, we have designed Community WiFi to power fully connected communities. Dynamic and reliable high-speed internet connectivity is not only one of the single highest demand amenities for today’s renters, but also the backbone of efficient, high-performing properties.”
Residents can initiate Community WiFi in a matter of minutes, with no need to set up an installation appointment, through the SmartRent app — the same platform used to manage smart home devices and smart access controls and receive calls from video intercoms. Featuring up to 1 GB connection speeds, the service is competitive with individual in-home WiFi plans. A consistent connection encompasses the entire community, including amenities, common areas and office spaces, so residents and on-site staff aren’t required to connect to various routers as they move about the property. The powerful, reliable connectivity also enables WiFi calling, making it essential in areas with marginal cellular reception.
As a marketable amenity, Community WiFi can be leveraged to boost lead conversions and resident retention. Through infrastructure ownership, operators can gain a direct NOI boost from a monthly connection fee per unit and an overall increased asset value through significant infrastructure upgrades. Community wide connectivity fortifies smart communities, providing stability for property technologies and smart home devices to enhance overall IoT performance.
About SmartRent
Founded in 2017, SmartRent, Inc. (NYSE: SMRT) is a leading provider of smart home and smart property solutions for the multifamily industry. The company’s unmatched platform, comprised of smart hardware and cloud-based SaaS solutions, gives operators seamless visibility and control over real estate assets, empowering them to simplify operations, automate workflows, benefit from additional revenue opportunities and deliver exceptional site team and resident experiences. SmartRent serves 15 of the top 20 multifamily owners and operators, and its solutions enable millions of users to live smarter every day. For more information, please visit www.smartrent.com.
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REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY, REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
The Premier Property Group | March 14, 2023
One of the largest residential and independent real estate brokerage in Northwest Florida and an affiliate of Luxury Portfolio International®, The Premier Property Group, recently announced it has acquired a significant stake in Bay County, Florida based, Beachy Beach Real Estate, one of the region's most well-known, independently owned real estate brokerages. The terms of the transaction's finances were not disclosed.
The acquisition of the significant stake signifies the Walton County-based company's expansion into Bay County, anchored by Panama City Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base and advancing its long-term growth trajectory in Florida and the Southeastern United States. The Premier Property Group was established in 2008 by Keith Flippo and Bob Parks. With a team of over a hundred agents and staff, it has also led luxury sales across the region. As a result, it is consistently ranked among the top Brokerages in the Florida Panhandle.
Beachy Beach Real Estate was established in 2010 by Broker/Owner Karen Smith and is based in Panama City Beach. It will continue to operate under its current name and branding after The Premier Property Group acquired a significant stake, now benefiting from the combined strength will boost the company's rank to the number one in the Bay County's independent brokerages. With 20+ years of industry experience, Smith is admired for her leadership, expertise, and extensive community involvement. She will continue to head Beachy Beach Real Estate and, along with her current executive team, will manage day-to-day operations.
About The Premier Property Group
The Premier Property Group is one of the largest independent real estate firms in Northwest Florida. The company has been a consistent leader of sales in the region since its first year of operations, and it has been ranked in the top 10% of luxury sales by the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors. It offers experienced and knowledgeable agents in Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties who specialize in residential, commercial, and new development real estate. In addition, it serves the 30A, Sandestin, Destin, and Panama City Beach regions of Florida from three convenient locations in Seacrest Beach /Rosemary Beach, WaterColor, and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin.
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MARKET OUTLOOK, MORTGAGE AND LENDING
Affinius Capital | March 13, 2023
USAA Real Estate recently announced it has successfully consummated a decade-long partnership with Square Mile Capital after acquiring the balance of Square Mile Capital in 2021. The final integration of the investment management platforms would be under a new corporate brand, Affinius Capital®. The company will continue to offer strategic equity and debt capital, and it will continue to capitalize on the growing demand for structured credit, technology-driven real estate assets, and flexible deal structures while addressing the pressing need for rental housing solutions under the new corporate brand name Affinius Capital.
The same dedicated and diverse group of senior leaders will be operating Affinius Capital, using the disciplined approach as previously to invest and align interests that have made USAA Real Estate and Square Mile Capital successful. In addition, former Square Mile CEO Craig Solomon will now be the CIO and Vice Chairman of the new company.
Affinius Capital, with the original approach of the two integrated companies, will continue to put its clients and their interests first and ensure they align with its own goals. It will also continue to look for risk-adjusted returns that have a positive and measurable effect on society while keeping its multifaceted focus on creative and dynamic solutions that use technological advances in digital automation, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence. The company's headquarters will remain in San Antonio and New York, and regional experts will continue to operate in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seoul, and Washington, D.C.
About Affinius Capital
San Antonio, Texas-based Affinius Capital and affiliate companies invest across the risk spectrum for a client base worldwide, managing more than $35 billion within a diversified portfolio across Europe and North America as net assets under management. It offers strategic equity and debt capital to capitalize on the escalating demand for technology-driven real estate assets to meet the critical demands for housing solutions and other capital and market structure opportunities exhibiting convincing risk-return characteristics.
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