Engineering Optimal Connectivity For A Superior Resident Experience Requires Knowledge and Skill
By Joseph Rodriguez, Senior Director of Planning and Engineering, RealtyCom Partners
If you’ve ever attempted to master a Rubik’s cube, you might be able to relate to the multifaceted challenges that multifamily owners face when designing and planning a future-proofed network infrastructure.
Keeping pace with rapidly evolving technology and mapping that to resident expectations for connectivity is just one piece of the puzzle. Understanding the myriad telecom agreements provided by service providers is another. If only there were a simple plug and play solution!
That’s where RealtyCom Partners comes in.
Being Future Forward Requires a Rearview Mirror, a Telescope and a Magnifying Glass
Preparing for the future involves looking back, and our extensive project history is another way that RealtyCom helps with future-proofing multifamily developments. Whether garden style, mid-rise, or high-rise, we understand the unique challenges involved and guide multifamily owners on how to successfully future-proof their properties. Collectively, our team of experts brings decades of experience in lessons learned and proven solutions.
When RealtyCom is working on the design for a project, we typically begin 2-3 years in advance. In addition to assessing the current trends for technology, we take a long view on how those needs could evolve.Through industry research and ongoing communications with vendors about solutions in development, we stay abreast of the latest trends. By leveraging our relationships with service providers, we are able to offer significant value to our clients and help them design solutions that will meet their residents’ needs well into the future.
In addition to taking a macro view of technology trends, we take a micro view for how these trends will impact telecom agreements as well as infrastructure requirements and how technology will be deployed for a managed wifi/property wide network. As a result of this due diligence, we can reduce costs to owners such as telecom room cooling requirements and reducing infrastructure, for example.
One of the advantages of our timeline is that for any given project that has a 2-3 year duration, we’re completing dozens of other projects. That means that we are gaining relevant, ongoing insights that inform our strategy about everything—from emerging technologies to infrastructure and possibly cabling that is becoming obsolete. This continuous cycle of insights benefits our clients and every phase of their projects’ development and operations.
Our First Move: Listening For Possibilities
The planning and engineering for a new multifamily development comes down to the design intent. In the kickoff meeting, we ask the owner what they want the resident experience to be like. Do you want them to feel like they’re in a tech savvy community? Do you want them to feel like they’re in a resort? From there, the RealtyCom team can determine an approach for the amenity spaces that delivers the ideal infrastructure for connectivity, audio, and visuals without disrupting the look and feel of their design.
A common misconception about future-proofing apartment communities is that you can just connect everything to the common Wi-Fi. At RealtyCom, we know it isn’t that simple. We also have to think about the resident experience. For example, a wireless connection for an app-based machine might not be stable. So, instead of seamlessly viewing a live game or getting a great workout with an on-demand fitness platform, the resident is frustrated by a connection that gets disrupted. By troubleshooting these scenarios during the planning and engineering stage, we help owners deliver the community amenities and resident experiences as planned, which results in resident satisfaction, loyalty, and referrals.
The Last Piece Of The Puzzle: Delivering Successful Outcomes Without Surprises
When RealtyCom Partners works with its clients to custom-design and engineer the best connectivity solution to meet their unique needs, we’re in it for the long haul – and we’re in it to win it. By offering Peer Review & Design Delivery services, we are able to assess clients’ needs and ensure they are consistent with the Service Provider Telecom agreements. This translates into a more seamless design experience and reduces costly change orders. In addition, we provide Construction Implementation Support. Throughout the process, our project managers and field engineers provide onsite support and verification to track milestone timing and confirm that what is being built is consistent with contract and low voltage plans.
Contact us to learn more about how we help provide winning solutions for future-proofing your multifamily development.
