Brookfield offers house hunters choice of smart home platform
- October 19, 2020
- Steve Rogerson
Brookfield Residential, a North American land developer and homebuilder, has introduced a set of tools to provide more choice in the new-home purchase experience and smart-home performance.
Brookfield already offers home buyers on-site, self-guided, interactive tours on demand, at times convenient for them. The self-guided home tours were launched in 2018 in Washington DC and Denver, offering the ease and convenience of on-demand touring, even before or after regular business hours.
Now available in nearly all Brookfield home communities, this system, called MyTime, allows private access not only to model homes, but to Brookfield’s larger supply of move-in ready inventory homes.
Also part of the Empower tool suite is MyCommand, voice-automation technology that incorporates the top-three smart-home platforms – Amazon, Google and Apple. Brookfield says it is North America’s first major homebuilder to provide the choice seamlessly of all three.
“By embracing all major platforms – Amazon, Google and Apple – the technological reach of MyCommand greatly heightens flexibility for homeowners,” said Brookfield president and COO Adrian Foley “At the same time, MyTime expands the home-shopping experience with on-demand tours at almost any time, even after hours. While these advancements will deeply impact industry practices, the underlying result is to empower consumers with broad new choices, especially when they need it.”
In particular, the Empower tools give buyers security and peace of mind as they view homes in privacy and comfort. Empower also expands access beyond model homes to quick move-in inventory homes, including larger homes increasingly in demand. And after move-in, buyers have the ease of enjoying the smart-home system of their choice.
“For example, if a buyer is seeking to relocate to a larger residence that allows them to comfortably work from home, Empower gives them the private, expanded access they need to choose a home, plus whatever smart-home system they prefer when they move in,” said Foley.
Regional Brookfield residential offices in the USA and Canada have reported significant increases in year-over-year sales including buyers who work from home. The connectivity of MyCommand supports dedicated, comfortable spaces for these people to work, study and entertain.
The self-guided home tours of the MyTime programme transform new-home shopping. MyTime brings the ultimate convenience of on-demand access to model homes, comparable to consumer expectations of convenience in other industries, such as ride-sharing with Uber and Lyft.
Customers may register via desktop or mobile device and schedule a tour, including before or after typical business hours. They receive a code that opens the smart lock on the tour home. And they reserve the time exclusively for themselves, No other tours occur then, ensuring they view the homes securely and privately. Registering for a MyTime tour requires only basic contact information.
Both model homes and move-in-ready inventory homes are offered for MyTime visits. While touring, shoppers may interact with a Brookfield team member through video chatting, or they may view the home completely at their own pace.
In select model homes, MyTime also previews the MyCommand voice-automated, smart-home features. This interactive tour lets visitors use touchscreens, tablets and videos to engage with the home’s technology while learning about the residence, community and surrounding area. They can video-chat with a Brookfield team member or even engage a virtual assistant to ask questions along the way.
Just as MyTime expands home-shopping, MyCommand expands smart-home performance. Brookfield says it is the first nationwide homebuilder to be device agnostic, that is, to offer a choice among the big three platforms: Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple HomeKit. In an expanding number of select markets, new homes come ready for buyers to plug-and-play their preferred systems to adjust lighting, shades, temperature, security features, door locks and more.
“With Google, Amazon and Apple each offering different advantages for different preferences, MyCommand is now the most comprehensive, secure and convenient smart-home programme for new homes in North America,” said Foley. “It arrives at a time when people need it most, for home offices, home tutoring and family entertainment.”
Although MyCommand will vary among Brookfield divisions, every home-buyer will experience a leap in smart-home options. Local providers will ensure a seamless handoff to the customer, including tutorials and appropriate devices, depending on the customers’ choices.
For example, in the Washington DC area, customers can enhance their MyCommand features with pre-set packages that personalise their new home’s technology. A smart home expert helps them navigate technologies, gives tutorials and compares the benefits of each platform choice – Amazon, Google or Apple. The smart home expert is then available for 18 months to ensure continued support after move in.