Does the Future of Smart Apartments Start with Student Housing?

Landmark Properties and Brilliant NextGen Win Student Housing Business Innovator Award for Best Off-Campus Bandwidth/Connectivity Solution

For anyone who has attended school away from home, you know the experience of your first apartment in a college setting. Furnished rooms - the chill common areas - the silent study lounge - all new and exciting. Learning how to “adult” with your roommates and neighbors doing the same. While that’s all still true, the amenities of student housing have become community-focused, stylish, and tech-forward. Don’t forget that parents are part of the decision for off campus housing - they want the added safety and security smart apartments provide. This generation of student residents are more discerning and expect their surroundings to be at least as nice as their family homes.

Tech-forward housing (student and otherwise) is something we are dedicated to improve and enhance. As we consider how to better serve our audience’s wants for a smart home experience, these digital native students are in a unique technology cohort. 

• Are they hungry? Uber Eats keeps them fueled up. 
• Struggling to focus? Streaming study tunes helps. 
• Need to complete something when their schedule/vehicle/health doesn’t permit? With Taskrabbit, mundane chores can be solved with a simple request via the app. 

They are used to technology stepping in to make their lives easier.

Smart Apartments Make Life Easier

Residents benefit from easier, secure access through integrated smart locks and entry systems. Improved common area experience with smart lighting, and smart temperature controls for efficiency. In-apartment integration with smart devices creates a comfortable, intuitive respite from their hectic lives as students. We think that once residents become accustomed to their smart apartment experience, they will expect it in future living spaces too.

Smart Apartments Help Managers and Owners Improve Net Operating Income (NOI)

Smart water leak detectors and shut-offs prevent costly repairs and alert maintenance teams when residents may not be home or aware that there is a problem. Property operations teams can centrally control common area lighting controls, heating and air conditioning, and set automations to maximize energy savings. Smart locks reduce frustrating lockouts and the hassle of rekeying. Common areas become more enjoyable with music tuned to the vibe of the day, study schedule, or gym activity. Smart tech is attractive to student residents too - helping to keep a steady stream of new residents wanting to move in. Simply put: smart tech positively impacts NOI. 

This isn’t just a “Brilliant” idea - this is available today.

Our smart apartment system helped Landmark Properties – a leader in student housing development – win the prestigious Innovator Award for Off-Campus Smart Connectivity, thanks to its successful deployment of the Brilliant smart technology platform. This recognition celebrates Landmark and Brilliant’s collaborative efforts in pioneering smart apartment living for students. It also spotlights Landmark’s commitment to creating tech-enabled, next-generation student housing.

Driving this forward-thinking initiative is Landmark’s Senior Vice President of Technology Services, Katie Campbell, who shared: “We’re excited to see how Brilliant’s technology enhances our properties with a unique, tech-forward living experience that supports sustainability and convenience. Our goal is to always provide the highest quality of life in our communities while continually raising the bar in student housing.”

Given our ongoing collaboration and commitment, this is just the first step in our journey together!

A special note for multifamily developers and operators weighing their options for placing smart tech in your developments  - these students resemble your future residents. When they graduate and look for housing in the cities where their careers take them they will expect their new housing options to include smart tech in your communities too.