In today's tough market, the last place a real estate executive might go for marketing advice would be a security systems contractor. After all, what could a technical contractor possibly teach a savvy New York developer or building manager about moving units in a slow market?
In most cases, the answer would be, "Not a darn thing." But in the case of Larry Dolin, founder and president of American Security Systems, the answer is, "Much more than you might think."
Dolin wasn't always in the alarm business, and the way he got there is a bit different than most alarm company owners. Prior to forming American Security, Dolin was a "Mad Man" - that is, he was an account executive for one of Madison Avenue's top national ad agencies. One of his largest accounts was ADT.
After years helping ADT spread the gospel about dealer opportunities in alarm sales and launch dozens of successful dealerships, he found himself being converted by his own sermon and believing that becoming a security systems dealer was the entrepreneurial path he needed to follow.
"It was the best and most important career decision of my life. At the time I figured - correctly, as things turned out - that having a background in advertising, sales and marketing would give me a real leg up on other companies in the business. I never looked back."
With 30 years of leadership in the New York market, American Security Systems shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the company continues to innovate and grow, delivering security products and services with tremendous value for building owners and residents. Its latest innovation, the Video Doorman system, is one that's helping building owners in New York and other metropolitan markets give their properties a marketing edge over competition.
"Nowadays it's just essential to offer prospective tenants unique or differentiating features that make your building stand apart. A new state-of-the-art system like Video Doorman, which adds value, increases personal and family security, and improves quality of life, is a great example," Dolin said.
"What's also important, particularly now, is being able to provide services that residents will perceive as luxuries but that actually help keep operating or maintenance costs as low as possible."
Video Doorman
Introduced two years ago, Video Doorman has captured the minds of residential building owners and tenants wanting the security and convenience provided by doormen. Video Doorman not only provides most of the functions at a small percentage of the cost, but increases the value of buildings' units when it comes time to sell.
As most real estate people in cities know, tenants in buildings without doormen cannot receive UPS or Fed Ex packages, dry-cleaning, or deliveries from local merchants when the tenants aren't home. In effect, they are cut off from the many time saving benefits that tenants in doorman buildings enjoy. For example, nearly 50 percent of all Americans now order on the Internet, and Video Doorman solves the dreaded "delivery dilemma" for residents in non-doorman buildings.
With the Video Doorman system, a video intercom panel is installed on the outside of a building for use by couriers when tenants are not home. When someone presses the button, trained central station operators answer and see the delivery person on their video screen. The person is asked for identification and remotely allowed entry, while all activity is stored on a digital audio/video recorder.
Through a series of cameras and speakers/microphones in hallways and elevators, the central station operators 'escort' the delivery person every step of the way to a secured package room. The operators then release the package room lock, and watch as couriers complete their business and leave the building. The tenant is then emailed about the delivery. HID access control readers are installed on the front door and package room door, insuring only authorized tenants enter. Cards are managed over the Internet.
To give property managers as well as tenants a true a taste of how Video Doorman works, a short video has been posted on the VideoDoorman.com website at www.videodoorman.com
"Another feature tenants like about Video Doorman is the option, when arriving home alone or after dark, to call up our 24-hour UL Certified Central Station using a small personal transmitter," said Dolin. "Our operators speak to and watch the tenant entering the building. By having a camera and speaker/microphone in the elevator, the system lets us 'escort' tenants right to their floor."
Video Doorman is a professional integrated system of video intercom, CCTV, access control and high-security locks. Cameras are always recording and access control working, even when the Video Doorman feature is not activated. "You can't get better security than this," said Dolin.
"None of the owners and managers I talk to have ever seen a real estate market quite like this, and just about everyone is trying to figure out how to find an advantage," said Dolin. "I'd be the first to tell you that there's no single fool-proof solution and no substitute for determination. But we do know that Video Doorman, which is new, convenient, and astoundingly cost effective, is helping sales and rental agents attract more attention from prospective tenants."
For more information about Video Doorman visit www.videodoorman.com. Tags: