There are many smart home technologies available to us today. Some are antiques that you will occasionally come across in older homes, while others are more modern. They all have their proponents. For example, X10 and Insteon are older technologies that are still available but appeal to a narrowing segment of the population — generally, consumers who already are invested in that technology.
There are individual products that rely on Bluetooth or radio frequency (RF), but no major manufacturers are making a realistic push to build an ecosystem based on these devices. Wi-Fi is a popular option among manufacturers of smart home products, however the quality of products range from poorly designed and executed devices that are little more than toys all the way to advanced, feature-rich products.
Smart home solutions inspire your client’s confidence and trust in you, in your ability to care for their property. Bulbs, plugs and sensors allow agents to dramatically increase the security of an unoccupied property. In this week’s episode, we’ll be talking about Shelley’s Wi-Fi-based products that homeowners can use.
Lights (bulbs or lamps controlled by plugs) can turn on and off automatically:
- Based on a preset schedule.
- With sunrise or sunset.
- When triggered by a door or a window sensor.
- With auto-on and auto-off timers (useful to turn off lights a set period after they’re turned on).
Sensors monitor environmental and occupancy conditions:
- Temperature and humidity sensors detect HVAC failures.
- Flood sensors detect broken pipes, leaking appliances or malfunctioning toilets.
- Door and window sensors detect entry, any windows or doors that are left open, lighting levels and temperature
Shelly sensors don’t require an external internet connection to trigger lighting products or devices connected to plugs on the same Wi-Fi network. This allows the agent to leave an inexpensive Wi-Fi router in place to coordinate between devices.
Mobile hotspots are perfectly adequate to provide an internet connection for Shelly devices, allowing Cloud connection and notifications to the outside world without a permanent ISP install.
The “Plug and Play” products and sensors are portable — you can take them from one listing to the next easily. By setting them up, you can provide significant peace of mind and confidence for your clients, knowing that their listing won’t have problems that’ll go days without discovery. You’re able to tailor the deployment of products to fit your clients’ individual needs based on their specific home.
Homebuyers are increasingly interested in purchasing homes with smart features or retrofitting their homes. The ability to recommend the right products and the right installer is a critical added value for your clients.
Cloud control is very popular, and Cloud-controlled products are often the first smart home devices consumers encounter. The ability to control your home remotely — using it for things like forgotten lights and garage doors to remote lock control, temperature adjustments and viewing cameras remotely — is too important to give up for many consumers, no matter the impact on other internet-connected technologies.
Shelly products all provide free Cloud services. They manage data traffic concerns by providing a local-first system, where devices that can be controlled locally — whether through a mobile app, hub or smart home platform — are handled on the local network, with the only outside traffic being from devices going to check time servers or for firmware upgrades. If the customer wishes to control devices from another network or physical location, Cloud integration handles this.
Cloud service is not required, however, for any Shelly devices. If customers unplug their Wi-Fi from their cable modem, they can still have full control and interaction between devices. This is especially valued by consumers who have privacy concerns, namely, those who do not want their lifestyle data to be shared with outside entities.
Shelly relays allow the control of lights, outlets, garage door openers, irrigation systems, heaters, ductless air conditioners, exhaust fans — a huge assortment of electrical and electronic devices. All of these systems can be controlled with timers, automatic schedules and even with commands sent from one device to another when specific events happen.
Brandon Doyle is a Realtor at Doyle Real Estate Team — RE/MAX Results in Minneapolis and co-author of Mindset, Methods & Metrics – Winning as a Modern Real Estate Agent. You can follow him on YouTube or Facebook.
