Kwikset Offer First Electronic Access Control Solution for Multifamily Locations

Introduction of UNITE™ Signals Major Push Into Multifamily Housing Sector; Product Will Bring Myriad Benefits to Property Owners and Managers

  • Apr 05, 2023

Kwikset® brand of Spectrum Brands, Inc. – Hardware & Home Improvement Division, the leader in residential security, introduced its first-ever electronic access control (EAC) solution to the Multifamily market at ISC West 2023.

UNITE™ will give property managers and owners in the Multifamily sector a number of noteworthy benefits. Besides providing a more effective way to manage their properties, it will reduce key management time and costs while increasing profits. What’s more, it allows for increased occupancy, retention, and rental rates, as renters and owners of Multifamily units are demanding that their apartments offer more technology to enhance their living experience; therefore, locks using Bluetooth technology and RFID are in exceptionally high demand.

Kwikset’s entry into the electronic side of the Multifamily housing market is being catalyzed by three key factors:

  • The company has extensive experience in the Multifamily housing market via its mechanical lock business. Consequently, Kwikset is familiar with the specific needs, objectives, and pain points of this unique sector.
  • Kwikset also boasts a great deal of expertise with electronic locking solutions, as evidenced by its overwhelming share of the single-family residential market.
  • The company has long been a well-known and respected entity in the residential security space, having been recognized as the top selling U.S. lock brand since 2006.

While Multifamily property managers and owners will comprise the primary audience for UNITE, secondary sales channels include builders and developers, hardware dealers, wholesale distributors, general contractors, LV systems integrators, and third-party software providers. Clearly, UNITE will be a product that holds benefits for a wide variety of audiences in the Multifamily sector.

There are numerous properties for which UNITE is a solid fit. Both Class A High Rise Urban and Class B Garden Style Suburban properties will be critical targets for the new unit entry smart lock. What’s more, there is ample opportunity in both the new and retrofit markets. In fact, both property types represent meaningful potential in new construction and retrofit.

According to Sean Artz, Kwikset’s Senior Business Development Manager – Multifamily EAC, the introduction of UNITE comes at a perfect time.

“Both renters and owners are looking for greater levels of convenience and efficiency in their living situations, with security being a foundational need,” he said. “With UNITE, they will be getting just that.

“At the same time, property owners and managers need security systems that not only provide better access control and are simple to use but can seamlessly integrate with existing property management systems. UNITE will do all that – and more.”

Kwikset partner companies like DHI Communities, AMLI, Crescent Communities, and Woodfield have effectively helped to develop the UNITE platform. These firms worked alongside Kwikset throughout the entire development cycle, providing valuable input which include:

  • Feedback on existing platforms, pros and cons.
  • What they would like to see in a new solution.
  • On-going input on design considerations.
  • Future involvement in beta testing.

The UNITE platform is expected to be available by third quarter of 2023. It will be sold through pro channel distributors and dealers.

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