In a First for U.S. Multifamily, Silverstein Properties Utilizes Apple Wallet

In a first for the U.S. multifamily sector, a prominent New York City landlord has instituted a key technology amenity for its residents.

Silverstein Properties has embraced residential keyless access with its adoption of Apple Wallet keys for residents of Silver Towers at 606 West 42nd Street in Manhattan. This is the first multifamily building in the U.S. using the technology, as well as the initial Apple partnership with a residential owner to make resident keys available through Apple Wallet.

The Silverstein organization is introducing the technology for its 1,359-unit Silver Towers in partnership with proptech digital wallet and access companies SwiftConnect, Allegion and Kastle Systems. Residents can now unlock their homes with a tap of an iPhone or Apple Watch, mobile devices that use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

“We’re excited to make it easy for our residents to use their resident key in Apple Wallet to get into their buildings, homes and common areas, which builds upon our previous offering to office tenants who use their employee badge in Apple Wallet to access offices and shared spaces including lounges, cafes, conference facilities and yoga studios,” Tal Kerret, president of Silverstein Properties, said in a statement.

Silverstein Properties also owns multifamily buildings 116 John Street and River Place in Manhattan. There are no plans yet to expand Apple Wallet access to these properties. 

“The Silver Towers project builds on SwiftConnect’s success in delivering seamless access via NFC wallets across the most iconic commercial real estate properties in New York and beyond,” Matt Kopel, co-CEO and president of SwiftConnect, said in the announcement of the technology’s implementation. “We are excited to once again partner with Silverstein Properties and to extend our leadership into the multifamily housing market.”

Silver Tower residents can add their resident key to Apple Wallet after an initial setup through Silverstein’s Inspire app, using SwiftConnect’s AccessCloud platform. Once added, tenants can hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a door reader or smart lock for access to the building, their home and shared spaces such as the fitness center.

There’s an express mode too: Tenants can simply hold their device near a reader and go. If an iPhone needs to be charged, tenants can still use their device to access their apartment and amenity spaces with a power reserve function. The Apple Wallet resident key uses the privacy and security features built into iPhone and Apple Watch. Data is encrypted and protected against tampering and theft, and Apple cannot see when and where a resident uses a home key in Wallet.

Philip Russo can be reached at prusso@commercialobserver.com.