A handful of RealtyCom Partners team members attended the recent NMHC Optech Conference in Dallas, Texas.  In case you missed it, here is a brief recap of some of the topics we think our clients will find interesting.  This is by no means a full list of topics, and I encourage you to visit NMHC’s website for more information.

My panel on Tuesday morning focused on how to navigate 21^st Century Telecom issues.  I shared the stage with Greg McDonald of Greystar, Steve Sadler of RealPage, Kirk Taylor of Hubacher Ames & Taylor and Sean Sabia of New York Life Real Estate Investors.

We discussed many telecom topics including:

• Managed WiFi was quite a hot topic at this year’s conference. As more providers are entering the space, property owners are looking at the benefits of a managed internet experience. There is a lot to consider and this is especially true with new construction projects, as managed property-wide WiFi (bulk) means you will often only have one provider onsite.
• 5G and CBRS – Although a real wide-scale launch of 5G is two or three years away, many providers and property owners are talking about its potential to deliver up […]
  

When is the right time to start telecom planning in a multifamily new construction project?

RealtyCom understands that our developer-partners have countless considerations when starting a new construction project, and that getting involved early is key to ensure our clients meet important objectives and deadlines for crucial telecommunication milestones.

RealtyCom represents over 200 active construction projects across the country, and has established a sophisticated process to manage the telecom installation process. Our team of in-house designers, field engineers and project managers, with help from our customized database that provides alerts at critical junctures, are here to manage the process from concept to completion – from telecom access agreement negotiation, to low voltage design review, to boots on the ground inspections.

The RealtyCom team typically meets with clients 2-3 years before the anticipated first resident move in date and hosts a kick-off call with Owner representatives. This usually takes place after entitlements and provides us with an opportunity to gather basic project information including timing, the number of structures and units, retail/commercial spaces, common area amenity list, and any other project information that may impact telecom services or installation.

Within 30 days of our kick off call, we prepare a Basis of Design (“BOD”) outlining […]

A couple of years ago, Cox and RealtyCom began discussing a program Cox wanted to pilot, called Quick Connect. We had several clients who owned properties within Cox’s test markets in Arizona and Nevada, and quickly spent time researching and discussing potential benefits of this program with our clients.

Two years later, the program successfully expanded to other regions where Cox offers service – and we receive a lot of questions from our clients about implementation, costs and benefits of participating.

How does the Cox Quick Connect Program Work?   The program includes a pre-installed Internet modem within the apartment that is installed during vacancy or turnover. The equipment plugs directly into the wall jack and allows for the new resident to “quickly connect” to the Internet. Cox has made this service an integral part of their Exclusive marketing partnerships and has factored this into renewal rates and our client’s “Preferred Pricing” program.

What are the Resident Benefits?   For the resident, the big benefit is convenience. They don’t have to order or pick up equipment when moving into their new apartment, plus Cox includes one-month free Internet service (150 Mbps) to any new customer. On move-out, residents can leave the equipment in their apartment, […]