The multifamily housing industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. What began as a push toward standalone smart home devices, smart locks, thermostats, and cameras, is now evolving into something far more powerful: fully integrated, intelligent building operations. This shift marks the emergence of building intelligence, where connected technologies, data insights, and automation come together to create properties that are not only smarter—but also more efficient, resilient, and scalable.
In partnership with DOOR, Parks Associates’ latest white paper, From Smart Home to Building Intelligence, explores how multifamily owners and operators can navigate this transition and unlock long-term value.
Moving Beyond Standalone Smart Devices
Early smart home deployments in multifamily properties often focused on individual features, adding convenience for residents or incremental operational benefits. But these siloed solutions fall short of delivering true transformation.
Today’s leaders are rethinking their approach. By leveraging access control systems and smart technologies that feed into centralized platforms, operators can unify property operations and gain actionable insights. The result is a portfolio that is efficient, predictable in performance, more secure and easier to manage.
Building Intelligence Starts with the Right Foundation
The white paper outlines a clear, practical roadmap for deploying building intelligence. Rather than attempting to do everything at once, successful operators take a phased, strategic approach:
- Ensure Robust Connectivity: Reliable, property-wide connectivity is the backbone of any intelligent building. Without it, even the most advanced technologies cannot perform effectively.
- Modernize Access Control: Access becomes the anchor for the entire ecosystem. Smart access systems not only enhance security but also generate valuable data that informs broader operations.
- Integrate Smart Devices: Devices such as locks, sensors, thermostats, and cameras become more powerful when connected into a unified platform, enabling automation and cross-system insights.
- Scale Connected Workflows: With systems in place, operators can automate processes, streamline maintenance, improve energy management, and enhance the resident experience.
The Role of AI-Ready Infrastructure
One of the most significant insights from the research is the growing importance of AI-ready infrastructure. When access control and smart systems are integrated into a cohesive platform, they generate continuous streams of data. This data fuels advanced analytics and AI-driven decision-making, enabling smart energy usage, improved security, operational forecasting, and predictive maintenance. Ultimately, this transforms multifamily properties into intelligent enterprises that are capable of adapting, optimizing, and scaling with ease.
Cutting Through the Noise: What to Prioritize
With so many technologies available, many owners and operators face a critical challenge: where to start.
This white paper provides clarity by helping stakeholders to identify which technologies deliver the greatest immediate impact along with investment and implementation strategies for enhanced ROI and scalability.
Why Building Intelligence Matters Now
Market pressures, from rising operational costs to increasing resident expectations, are accelerating the need for smarter, more efficient property management. Building intelligence is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It is quickly becoming a competitive necessity. Organizations that embrace this evolution will be better positioned to improve operational efficiencies, enhance resident satisfaction and retention with resilient and scalable business models.
From Smart Home to Building Intelligence, developed in partnership with DOOR, delivers the insights multifamily leaders need to make informed decisions and accelerate their transformation.
Download the complimentary white paper: From Smart Home to Building Intelligence
