Kwikset Introduces UNITE, Company’s First EAC Solution For Multifamily

LAKE FOREST, CA  Kwikset®, a brand of Spectrum Brands, Inc. – Hardware & Home Improvement Division, introduces its first electronic access control (EAC) solution for the multifamily market.

UNITE will give property managers and owners in the multifamily sector a number of noteworthy benefits. Besides providing a more effective way to manage their properties, it will reduce key management time and costs while increasing profits. What’s more, it allows for increased occupancy, retention, and rental rates, as renters and owners of multifamily units are demanding that their apartments offer more technology to enhance their living experience; therefore, locks using Bluetooth technology and RFID are in exceptionally high demand.

Kwikset’s entry into the electronic side of the multifamily housing market is being catalyzed by two key factors:

• The company has extensive experience in the multifamily housing market via its mechanical lock business. Consequently, Kwikset is familiar with the specific needs, objectives, and pain points of this unique sector.
• Kwikset also boasts a great deal of expertise with electronic locking solutions, as evidenced by its overwhelming share of the single-family residential market.

While multifamily property managers and owners will comprise the primary audience for UNITE, secondary sales channels include builders and developers, hardware dealers, wholesale distributors, general contractors, LV systems integrators, and third-party software providers. Clearly, UNITE will be a product that holds benefits for a wide variety of audiences in the multifamily sector.

There are numerous properties for which UNITE is a solid fit. Both Class A High Rise Urban and Class B Garden Style Suburban properties will be critical targets for the new unit entry smart lock. What’s more, there is ample opportunity in both the new and retrofit markets. In fact, both property types represent meaningful potential in new construction and retrofit. 

Partner companies like DHI Communities, AMLI, Crescent Communities, and Woodfield have effectively helped to develop the UNITE platform. These firms assisted throughout the entire development cycle, providing valuable input which included:

• Feedback on existing platforms, pros and cons.
• What they would like to see in a new solution.  
• On-going input on design considerations.
• Future involvement in beta testing.

The UNITE platform is expected to be available by the 3rd quarter of 2023. It will be sold through pro channel distributors and dealers.