Amazon is looking to dominant or at least have a presence across industries — now they’re eyeing property management technology. The company recently launched a new service, Alexa for Residential, which will make it easier to set up Alexa-enabled devices to manage residential buildings.
Lowering Barriers to Amazon Adoption in the Home
Amazon wants their Alexa-enabled devices to provide value for property managers, acting as a tool for smart home management. The goal is to allow residents to control smart home features without needing an Amazon account connected, allowing property managers to install smart home features in their properties in a more seamless manner.
Alexa devices are already very popular, and many people already have Amazon accounts — residents with existing Amazon accounts will be able to connect to the Alexa devices included in their rentals and use them normally. Property managers won’t be able to see any of their residents’ personal information.
The Alexa devices would be tied to a specific unit, and property managers can enable custom Alexa skills on a unit-by-unit basis, which can let residents “submit maintenance requests, make amenity reservations or even pay their rent via Alexa.” The program will also allow property managers to remotely reset the devices when a resident moves out, allowing for the next resident to take advantage of the technology.
This service is attempting to bridge a technology gap — Amazon points to data from the National Apartment Association that shows 84% of renters want an apartment with smart home amenities, but smart home devices are mostly aimed at consumer applications. Alexa for Residential would allow smart home devices to become more normalized for renters, instead of a luxury that the renter has to provide for themselves.
Amazon’s push into the property management tech market is a savvy way for the company to build out its Alexa ecosystem. It also would accelerate tech adoption by property managers.
