Picture this: It's 2 AM, and your on-call property manager just got their third resident lockout call of the week. Meanwhile, your regional manager is staring at another quarterly report showing maintenance costs eating into the portfolio's net operating income. And somewhere, a property owner is wondering why their Class B garden-style community can't seem to compete with the newer developments down the street.
Sound familiar? You're not alone. In fact, more than half of renters in the U.S. are dissatisfied with their community's access control, and they don't feel very safe in their apartment complexes.
But here's where it gets interesting: We now have hard data from 649 properties across California, Texas, and Georgia that shows exactly what happens when communities implement smart access control. Spoiler alert: The results go way beyond just fewer lockout calls.
Let's cut to the chase. Properties using Gatewise's smart access control saw a 20% increase in resident satisfaction with controlled access over three years. Compare that to just 7% at non-Gatewise communities in the same markets.
But here's the kicker—this isn't just about making residents marginally happier. The link between access control and resident retention intent was 16.5% stronger at Gatewise communities. In other words, when residents feel good about their community's access control, they're significantly more likely to renew their lease. And we all know what higher retention rates mean for your net operating income.
When Q10 Property Management rolled out Gatewise across their portfolio, CEO Stephanie Graves had an immediate reaction that every property manager can relate to:
"I immediately thought, 'Why aren't we using this everywhere'... It has streamlined our gate processes and is a great addition to our operations. The teams love it!"
Think about that for a second. When was the last time your team genuinely loved a new system?
Over at Indus Property Management, IT Manager Sergio Pinedo didn't mince words about the transformation:
"Gatewise has proven to be a vital component ... it feels like a quantum leap forward, allowing us to bridge the gap in service delivery."
A quantum leap. Not an incremental improvement. Not a minor upgrade. A complete transformation in how they deliver service to residents.
Here's where things get really interesting. The Kingsley Index—the gold standard for multifamily performance benchmarking—tracked Gatewise communities over three full years. The data tells a compelling story:
California - Properties Tracked: 257
Avg. Monthly Satisfaction Increase: +0.15
Georgia - Properties Tracked: 179
Avg. Monthly Satisfaction Increase: +0.16
Texas - Properties Tracked: 449
Avg. Monthly Satisfaction Increase: +0.01
Surveys conducted over the last 3 years, measured from start to finish of survey program.
But here's what should really catch your attention: Satisfaction scores didn't just bump up temporarily. They rose from 2.9 in early 2023 to 3.8 by mid-2024, and then held steady at those higher levels. This isn't a honeymoon phase—it's sustained improvement that residents value throughout their entire lease term.
Let's talk net operating income for a moment. When Avenue5 Residential made the switch from traditional access systems, they didn't just reduce operational costs—they fundamentally changed their communities' financial trajectory.
Consider the math:
When you factor in all these elements, smart access control isn't an expense—it's an investment that directly improves your net operating income.
Grace Hill's research revealed something crucial: More than 60% of community managers are already adopting electronic access systems. They're not doing it because it's trendy. They're doing it because resident expectations have fundamentally shifted.
Today's renters—especially those Millennials and Gen Z residents everyone's trying to attract—expect their apartment to work like the rest of their life: smartphone-enabled, seamless, and secure. They're comparing your community not to other apartments, but to their experiences with Uber, Amazon, and Netflix.
No more midnight lockouts. No more hours spent programming fobs. Your team can focus on what really matters: building community and enhancing the resident experience. As the teams at Q10 discovered, this isn't just about efficiency—it’s about teams that can rely on technology doing the heavy lifting.
Imagine standardizing access control across your entire portfolio with real-time visibility into every property. The data shows consistent improvements across all three states studied, proving this isn't a market-specific solution—it's a portfolio-wide opportunity to optimize operations and boost net operating income.
This is your competitive edge. In a market where everyone claims to offer "luxury" amenities, smart access control delivers measurable ROI. The sustained satisfaction improvements translate directly to:
The data from 649 properties over three years sends a clear message: Smart access control has moved from "nice-to-have" to "must-have." When residents feel safe and have convenient access to their community, they're not just happier—they're more likely to stay, recommend your property to friends, and pay premium rents.
Meanwhile, properties clinging to traditional systems are falling behind. That 13-percentage-point gap in satisfaction improvement (20% vs 7%) isn't just a statistic—it's the difference between a thriving community and one struggling to compete.
The transition to smart access control is easier than you might think. Most importantly, you'll start seeing improvements to your net operating income almost immediately through reduced operational costs and improved resident satisfaction.
The question isn't whether to upgrade your access control—it's how quickly you can make the switch.
Want to see exactly how smart access control can transform your property's performance? Schedule a demo and join the growing number of communities delivering the safe, convenient experience residents expect—and the operational efficiency your bottom line demands.
Data Source: Analysis of Grace Hill's Survey data across Texas, California, and Georgia (2023–2025)
Gatewise offers a simple and modern gate entry system that provides residents with a mobile app and managers with a cloud-based management portal.
