Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine March 2018 | Page 34

DEVELOPMENTS
Tech Takes
Property by Storm
Smart homes and home buying
T
echnology is fast changing the
face of property development
with a host of cost-saving,
eco-friendly and convenient new high-
tech elements becoming standard fea-
tures even in entry level developments.
Property expert, Toni Enderli, says
smart cities comprising smart homes are
the future. These are homes in which ap-
pliances are controlled remotely through
online portals or smartphone apps and
applies to single dwellings, apartments,
complexes and security estates.
Keyless technology, used by the ho-
tel industry for years, is now a feature
of smart homes across the world, elimi-
nating keys and instead using codes via
smartphone apps or software portals.
Enderli says fibre technology in new
developments is making connectivity
easy and a standard feature of many
estates. “Most of us live and thrive off
data and connectivity. Fibre helps make
this happen quicker and easier and
developers are using fibre not only for
connectivity but also for intercom and
communications systems which can
now be accessed and operated through
smart phones.”
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Enderli says fibre technology is also
being utilised for satellite television,
linking scores of units in apartments or
complexes to one dish as opposed to one
for each unit, thereby cutting costs and
clutter.
Developers, International Housing
Solutions which incorporates smart
technology into its affordable housing
projects, says high speed internet con-
nectivity has become the fourth utili-
ty after water, gas and electricity. The
Courtyard, one of its recently launched
entry level developments in Parklands,
features solar geysers, water and energy
saving technology and fibre ready units.
“Smart cities use advances in com-
munications and digital technologies,
data sharing and analysis and intelligent
design to make cities more liveable, re-
silient, economically sound and sustain-
able for the future,” notes IHS on its
website.
Enderli says complex or development
apps are becoming the “heartbeat” of
secure estates. The apps manage access,
security, appliances and enhance com-
munity communication. Smart devices
can be used to view both the inside and
MARCH 2018 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
outside of properties via security camer-
as while alarm systems can be activated
and deactivate remotely too.
He adds that certain developments
are even creating their own digital cur-
rency for residents to pay their utility,
security and other internal bills.
Enderli says some real estate com-
panies such as Realtors of Excellence,
which he heads, are also on board the
technology wave, replacing old school
show houses with cloud-based technol-
ogy platforms to make house viewing
and purchasing simpler. This includes
drone technology, 3D virtual tours of
properties incorporating 3D plans and
social media to showcase property in
specific communities.
Big data is also being used to analyse
and share property market statistics and
trends. In addition, online, securely cod-
ed information platforms are being used
to store confidential documents and to
eliminate time-consuming and ardu-
ous paperwork. “Technology is making
all our lives so much easier and home
buyers can how have all the informa-
tion they need at their fingertips,” says
Enderli.