The Evolution of Building Access
There was a time when access was about keys, fobs, and security desks. Today, it’s more than entry, it’s about knowing who comes in, when, and why. In modern commercial real estate (CRE), access is no longer just a security feature but a gateway to data, engagement, and strategic insight.
In HqO’s recent webinar, Access, Identity, and Experience: The Foundation of Connected Properties, Ashley Colella and Kevin McCarthy reframed access as the beginning of a deeper relationship, not just with tenants, but with every building occupant.
Why Access Is the Most Consistent Experience
Every person interacts with access: tenants, visitors, vendors, delivery drivers. While not everyone uses amenities or engages in building events, everyone enters the building, and that creates a consistent, measurable touchpoint. These interactions yield behavioral data that can drive more personalized, human-centered operations.
From Hardware Headaches to Digital Convenience
The CRE industry is shifting from technical specs to user experience, from hardware silos to cloud-first platforms. Lost keycards, buried emails, and friction-filled onboarding are giving way to mobile credentials, NFC access, and touchless entry.
These aren’t just conveniences, they’re strategic levers. They help property teams anticipate needs, streamline provisioning, and manage identity seamlessly across buildings and user types.
Intelligent Infrastructure: Beyond the Lobby
Access is now part of the real estate experience infrastructure. It lives in every interaction: from a visitor’s pre-arrival credential to a tenant’s reentry after hours. With HqO, access becomes a system of insight, complete with real-time analytics, credential control, and visitor intelligence in one interface.
It’s not just about getting in, but about enabling smarter CRE decisions, improving service delivery, and strengthening tenant loyalty.
