By integrating LatchOS, the Core Development team delivers an improved resident experience across their entire portfolio of redevelopment projects.
Instead of renting in a newly constructed high rise, why not live in a historic space with one-of-a-kind character? That’s exactly the experience that Core Redevelopment offers to each of their residents. With properties across Indiana and Ohio, they approach real estate through a creative lens.
Founded in 2009, Core Redevelopment doesn’t just renovate apartment buildings. Instead, their goal is to revitalize the communities and maintain each city’s history. “The first time I walked into the building, I couldn't believe they were taking a school and making it into residential units,” said Jamie Petraglia, Latch Vice President of Enterprise Sales. “It was a complete surprise to me to walk into these units and see a chalkboard, an auditorium, and lockers in the hallway.”
Core Redevelopment doesn’t focus only on the apartments themselves, but the entire experience. That’s why they’ve integrated Latch across their portfolio to offer a tech-forward experience that effortlessly integrates into these historic spaces.
The Problem
For many people, new technology can be intimidating. When Core Redevelopment was evaluating technology solutions for their portfolio, they needed to consider the impact it would have on their residents—all while finding a solution that was flexible enough to accommodate the unique needs of their historic properties.
“It's really hard to change the thought process here in the Midwest. We get stuck in our ways pretty easily,” Gavin Railing, Regional Property Manager for Core Redevelopment.
“We were very hesitant at first to get into the technology game,” he added. “We like to do a lot of things, old school—we still call every person that is interested in the apartment. We don't just email. We don't just text message. We call and talk to everybody.”
Instead of avoiding any new technology, the Core Redevelopment team knew they needed to find a product that increased operational efficiency and improved the resident experience, all while still being flexible enough to incorporate across their portfolio of historic buildings.
“When you have something that rattles the cage like Latch, it allows you to start to think outside the box,” said Railing.
The Solution
Because LatchOS is a full-building operating system flexible enough for any style of building, it was the ideal solution for Core’s entire portfolio. Their historic properties that were once a baseball stadium and schoolhouses required a flexible solution that could accommodate their unique spaces. Even in these historic redevelopment properties, Latch effortlessly blends into the space and works for every door, ensuring a cohesive and complete solution from the very start.
“We really love that Latch molds to the building. It looks like it belongs. Latch has done an amazing job allowing the seamless transition from historic building to new technology and made it very easy for us,” said Railing.
Every Latch device is designed with flexible connectivity to accommodate buildings with different infrastructure. Latch’s smart access devices don’t require network connectivity, and the Latch Intercom runs on ethernet, Wi-Fi, or cellular LTE to ensure uninterrupted access to meet the needs of every building.
“One of the big reasons we chose Latch was because it doesn’t require us to run new electrical wiring or to have wifi throughout the entire building,” said Railing. “That was a huge plus for us. Everything updates automatically through the Cloud and through Bluetooth, so it allows us to step into the future.”
The Result
“Latch really kick-started our technology approach in our property,” said Railing. Across their portfolio, Core Redevelopment has adopted various technology and amenity solutions to deliver a premium experience for their customers, including the Latch C and Latch R.
Residents are so impressed by the Latch experience, that they are even willing to pay a monthly technology fee, generating additional revenue each month for the Core team. “Residents always ask, ‘What is this technology fee, and what's it for?’” said Railing. “The best part about it is when we walk into the building without a key or walk into the apartment without a key, and show the residents, we have not had any pushback on anything.”
“Whether it's a retrofit of an currently occupied building or a new property that we're leasing up, the future of technology and real estate is going towards a fully automated home within one app. We’re excited to be a part of that with Latch,” said Railing.
In addition to a top-tier resident experience, Latch has also empowered Core Redevelopment’s staff to increase operational efficiencies by allowing scheduled access, temporary access for vendors, and gives maintenance faster access. “When we chose Latch, we thought we'd give it a try on one building. It went so well that we have rolled it out to every new property, and we're also retrofitting it into most of our current properties,” said Railing.
“I couldn't imagine not putting Latch in a building at this point. It's a no-brainer for us to say, ‘We're going to do a new building. We're putting Latch in this,’” said Railing.