Accessible parking enforcement isn’t just about parking rules and regulations; it’s about respect, access, and fairness. All too often, accessible parking spaces are unfortunately misused by those who do not need them, leaving the people who genuinely do struggle to find safe and convenient parking that they truly rely on. 

When used thoughtfully — with ADA compliance and fairness at the forefront — modern accessible parking enforcement tools, such as license plate recognition (LPR), AI-powered badge detection, and integrated digital workflows, empower property managers to prevent misuse while maintaining a fair and efficient process.

This guide explores the challenges of accessible parking misuse, explains how technology can help, and provides practical best practices for using ParqEx to make parking fair and equitable for everyone.

Why accessible parking enforcement matters

Accessible spots are legally required to be near building entrances, properly sized, and clearly marked. When someone parks there without a valid permit, it’s more than just an inconvenience; it’s a barrier for others. When these spaces are misused, people with disabilities may have to walk farther, navigate deeper into parking facilities, and even miss appointments.

Accessible parking enforcement ensures these spaces are reserved for those who genuinely need them. It’s about fairness, safety, and compliance with ADA standards, and it’s actually easier than ever with the right set of smart parking tools.

How smart parking technology can help

License Plate Recognition (LPR)
LPR systems automatically read plates and check them against a digital permit database. This speeds up enforcement, reduces human error, and ensures that those with valid permits can park without worry.

AI-powered badge detection
Accessible parking enforcement no longer solely relies on human eyes to look for accessible parking badges and placards. Thankfully, advances in computer vision enable smart parking systems to detect accessible parking placards and badges, verifying that the appropriate vehicles are parked in designated accessible parking spaces. By utilizing deep learning models, AI can flag potential misuse for review, thereby reducing the need for constant manual checks. 

Why technology alone isn’t enough
No system is perfect. Bad weather, blurry images, or varying accessible parking badge designs can create false alerts in the system. That’s why human review is essential!

Research finds

• Deep-learning models, such as YOLO (You Only Look Once) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), are highly effective in detecting various objects, particularly vehicles and license plates.
  
• Systems that combine LPR and badge detection report higher accuracy, especially when trained on local permit styles.
  
• Clear parking signage, transparent rules, and an easy appeals process help maintain trust and reduce disputes.
  

Best practices for equitable, accessible parking enforcement (with ParqEx solutions)

1. Set clear policies and signage
Start with visible, ADA-compliant parking signage that explains rules and penalties. ParqEx helps by both providing custom accessible parking signage and digitally publishing parking policies and enforcement workflows, so residents and guests always know what’s expected.

2. Use multiple technologies together
Relying solely on LPR or badge detection can leave security gaps and allow continued misuse of these spaces. ParqEx utilizes multiple technologies to establish its robust smart parking system. ParqEx’s Access+ LPR integrates with permit management and badge detection, ensuring both digital and visual checks are in place.

3. Keep humans in the loop
AI flags potential issues, but humans make the final decision. ParqEx’s Enforcer App displays flagged cases with photos and timestamps, providing staff and enforcement officers with the necessary context and information to enforce fairly and promptly.

4. Protect users’ privacy
ParqEx enables properties to store only the necessary data and adhere to data retention policies that meet regulatory requirements. Residents, tenants, employees, and users can trust that the system respects their privacy while maintaining effective enforcement.

5. Customize for local placards
Accessible parking badges and placards vary by state and region. ParqEx’s AI can be trained for local designs, reducing false alerts and ensuring accurate, accessible parking enforcement.

6. Make citations and appeals transparent
With ParqEx, staff can issue warnings, document incidents, upload photo evidence, and handle any appeals online through the app. Residents and visitors can also easily submit evidence, ensuring a fair and conflict-free process.

7. Coordinate with towing and law enforcement when necessary
ParqEx generates evidence-rich violation reports that can be shared with tow companies and local authorities, ensuring enforcement aligns with local codes and regulations.

Tips and pitfalls to watch

• Some cases are particularly challenging, as they involve caregivers, temporary permits, or hidden disabilities, which require discretion. Communication is critical in these instances, and ParqEx’s platform provides lines of contact when needed.
  
• AI models require periodic retraining to maintain accuracy. ParqEx makes this easy.
  
• Local laws vary — Check ADA compliance requirements for accessible parking and codes before issuing fines.
  

Quick checklist for property managers

• Post ADA-compliant signage and rules.
  
• Use ParqEx Access+ LPR + AI badge detection.
  
• Review flagged cases in the Enforcer app before issuing citations.
  
• Protect privacy with ParqEx’s retention and redaction tools.
  
• Train staff on appeals and ADA policies.
  
• Audit performance quarterly and retrain AI when needed.
  

Fairness matters in parking, too!

Accessible parking isn’t just about convenience; it’s about equity and compliance. When used thoughtfully, smart parking enforcement restores fairness and protects the people who rely on these spaces.

With ParqEx’s integrated solutions (LPR, AI badge detection, Enforcer app, guest registration, and digital appeals workflows), property managers can make accessible parking enforcement smarter, fairer, and easier than ever.

Ready to take the next step in protecting your accessible parking? Book a demo with ParqEx today.

The post Accessible Parking Enforcement That Works appeared first on ParqEx.

In commercial real estate, every square foot has value — and that most certainly includes your parking. For years, garages and lots have been treated as simple add-ons to a building. But today, that’s changing fast.

Smart parking for commercial real estate is a transformative solution that turns idle parking spaces into income-generating, tenant-pleasing, security-enhancing assets, unlocking the hidden potential of your property.

At ParqEx, we collaborate with property owners and managers to rethink what their parking can do. Whether you manage an office building, a retail shopping center, or a mixed-use development, this guide will walk you through how smart parking works, what tech powers it, and how it can make a measurable difference for your properties.

What Is Smart Parking?

Put simply, smart parking uses technology — sensors, cameras, access control, mobile apps, and real-time data — to manage how parking spaces are optimally utilized. It replaces manual systems with automation, visibility, and control.

But when we talk about smart parking for commercial real estate, we’re not just talking about tech. We’re talking about a smarter way to manage one of the most overlooked and forgotten parts of your property.

Smart parking is about boosting parking revenue, improving the tenant, resident, and guest experience, and reducing time-consuming admin work — all while enhancing the security of the entire property.

If you’ve ever wondered how to monetize commercial parking, a smart parking management system like ParqEx — equipped with digital access control, license plate recognition, and automated enforcement — is your answer.

Why Smart Parking Makes Sense for CRE

Traditional parking setups aren’t built for today’s parking needs and expectations. Parking is hard to enforce, easy to misuse, and seldom optimized for efficiency or solid revenue generation.

Smart parking for commercial real estate changes that. Here’s what it brings to the table:

• More revenue – Properties can rent out unused spots, introduce premium access, and maximize use.
  
• Better tenant retention – CRE property managers’ smart parking tools help property management offer a seamless, app-based parking experience.
  
• Stronger security – Real-time parking enforcement tools help CRE parking enforcement monitor who’s parking where, with real-time visibility.
  
• Operational efficiency – Parking operators can automate access, permits, and enforcement.
  
• Future readiness – Property owners can get ahead of rising EV demand and sustainability goals.

Whether it’s a multi-level parking garage with hundreds of parking spaces or a 5-spot open surface parking lot, smart parking technology helps your parking perform at its best, contributing to your bottom line.

The Tech Behind Smart Parking for Commercial Real Estate

At ParqEx, we’ve built a commercial real estate parking solutions-based platform. Our customizable smart parking system is modular, scalable, and built to integrate with all existing operations and systems already on-site.

Here are some key features:

1) Access+ (Access Control)

Forget key fobs, clickers, and garage door openers, with Access+, property owners, managers, enforcement officers, and approved users can control garage doors, gates, and secured entrances using mobile devices, QR codes, or license plate recognition. With access control for parking facilities, management and ownership decide who gets in — and when.

2) Enforcer App

No more relying on guesswork or paper logs. Our enforcement app gives your team live access to who’s authorized to park. You can address violations immediately and reduce unauthorized use.

3) IoT Sensors & LPR Cameras

Occupancy sensors (used for parking occupancy tracking) and license plate recognition (LPR) give you a complete picture of how your spaces are used — and help boost both parking efficiency and property security.

4) Custom-Branded Parking Platform

We’ll create a white-labeled parking portal or app, so tenants, employees, and guests can reserve spaces, manage permits, and check availability — all under your brand.

5) EV Charging Management

Smart parking also includes smart EV charging. Allocate and monitor EV spaces, ensure proper usage, and support your tenants’ shift toward greener transportation.

Smart Parking for Commercial Real Estate with ParqEx in Action

Smart parking for commercial real estate works across all types of properties that have parking, such as:

1) Office Buildings

Give employees flexible access, streamline guest parking, and monetize empty spots during weekends.

2) Retail & Mixed-Use

Balance resident, employee, and shopper needs while eliminating unauthorized parking with LPR enforcement, scheduling tools, and validated parking.

3) Hotels & Event Spaces

Pre-sell spaces for events, enable smooth guest access, and integrate parking with your existing concierge, valet, or VIP services.

4) New Developments

Design smart from the start. We work with developers to future-proof parking infrastructure, meet zoning and EV parking management requirements, and ensure compliance with federal EV infrastructure guidelines.

Why ParqEx?

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Every property is different — and smart parking for commercial real estate needs to reflect that.

Our platform is:

• Modular – Use just what you need, when you need it
  
• Scalable – From single buildings to entire portfolios
  
• Customizable – Fully branded to match your property
  
• Proven – Trusted by developers, REITs, HOAs, and property managers nationwide. 

We have a track record of success. We know CRE. And we know parking.

Ready to Reimagine Your Parking?

Parking shouldn’t be a nuisance — it should be part of your money-making, tenant-inviting, security-augmenting strategy. With parking technology for commercial buildings, you can increase NOI, attract better tenants, and streamline your day-to-day operations.

Let’s walk your site, show you the numbers, and build a plan that works for you. We’d love to help.

The post Smart Parking for CRE: Maximize Property Value | ParqEx appeared first on ParqEx.

Welcome to our Q&A sessions with Bart Kramer! Bart is not just our CFO but our game show host (who always keeps us on our toes & smiling) and one of our fearless leaders. ParqEx would not be where it is today without him. That being said, let’s ask Bart some questions!

1) How is ParqEx a platform for change in the real estate industry?

ParqEx is a platform that enables the sharing economy in the real estate industry. ParqEx offers a solution to the parking crunch that plagues many urban areas by connecting private parking space owners with individuals looking for parking. This platform offers a way to monetize underutilized parking spaces while providing a valuable community service. This sharing model can potentially disrupt the traditional real estate industry by providing more efficient and cost-practical solutions to the parking problem.

2) What trends do you see in the property technology industry, and how is ParqEx responding?

The property technology industry is rapidly evolving. ParqEx is staying ahead of the curve by embracing emerging trends such as smart parking technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. ParqEx also adapts to changing consumer preferences by offering a more flexible and community-driven approach to parking solutions. By continuing to innovate and stay at the forefront of technology trends, ParqEx will remain competitive and relevant in the property technology industry.

3) Why is it critical for sales, customer service, and marketing to work together cohesively?

Sales, customer service, and marketing are all critical functions in any organization, and they must work together cohesively to achieve the company’s objectives. For example, sales teams generate revenue, marketing teams create brand awareness and generate leads, and customer service teams provide support and ensure customer satisfaction. By aligning these functions and working towards a common goal, the company creates a seamless and positive customer experience, increasing sales and customer loyalty.

4) What’s a common objection you’ve received when dealing with various real estate entities?

A common objection that ParqEx has faced when dealing with various real estate industries is related to the perceived inconvenience and complexity of listing and renting out parking spaces. Property owners sometimes feel that the effort required to list and manage their parking space on ParqEx outweighs the benefits of earning supplemental income. In response to this objection, ParqEx emphasizes its platform’s simplicity and ease of use and highlights the potential financial benefits of listing unused parking spaces. In addition, ParqEx provides clear and concise instructions on the listing process and offers support and guidance throughout the process; ParqEx helps alleviate concerns and encourages more property owners to join its platform.

5) How do you organize your team and keep them motivated?

Effective team organization and motivation are key to the success of any organization. ParqEx achieves this by setting clear goals and expectations for the team, providing regular feedback and recognition, and creating a positive and supportive work culture. In addition, by promoting a sense of purpose and community within the team, ParqEx ensures that its employees are motivated, engaged, and working towards a common goal.

6) If you could jump into a time machine, what would you tell yourself at the beginning of your career here at ParqEx?

If I could jump into a time machine and go back to the beginning of my career at ParqEx, I would tell myself: Be prepared for a challenging, exhilarating, and rewarding ride with the ParqEx Team!

Thanks for tuning in for our Q&A Sessions with Bart Kramer! We hope to continue this series of interviews with leaders here at ParqEx. For more information on ParqEx & to grasp just how we are the one-stop-shop parking platform, book a demo with us!

The post Q&A Sessions with Bart Kramer appeared first on ParqEx.

Guest parking is a much sought-after amenity but it has never been an easy task for property owners & managers. Whether it’s from the visitor, security, resident, or manager point of view, it can be a hassle for visitors to find parking, a security nightmare, a headache for residents, and even the cause for wrong vehicles being towed. 

At ParqEx, we specialize in parking solutions to alleviate all problems associated with parking at any property. In terms of visitor parking, ParqEx’s GuestParq simplifies the parking process for residents and their guests! Real estate owners and property managers—are you looking for ways to eliminate unnecessary stress regarding guest parking? Keep on reading!

What is GuestParq?

ParqEx can provide complete transparency of all visitors and guests on the premises and drastically improve the property’s security! Let’s leave having to worry about guest parking in the past. With ParqEx’s GuestParq, residents can reserve their spots ahead of time, not have to worry about finding parking, and book spots for their visitors without having to go through property management. Additionally, GuestParq eliminates property management issues such as: issuing visitor parking passes, the overall security of the property, garage door access, and payment processing. 

Benefits of GuestParq for Property Management

GuestParq brings an essential update to the parking standard for property management. Property managers no longer have to worry about people disregarding parking policies or about residents and their guests finding parking on the property. Through GuestParq and Access+, the booking and management are entirely streamlined along with their guests. Some benefits for property management include:

• • Reduced Effort for Management

Residents can reserve their visitor parking through the simplicity of the GuestParq app. It allows property managers to be entirely hands-off when it comes to booking and management. Property management staff can focus on more pressing issues or concerns. 

• • Searchable Data on Guest/Visitor Parkers

GuestParq allows property managers to gain insight into their visitor parking through a real-time access log. With vehicle registration being continuously uploaded to the properties access log, management can see which guest the vehicle belongs to, which spot the vehicle should be parked in and when, and even which resident the guest vehicle is visiting!

• • Increased Visibility and Control

GuestParq provides intel and total transparency on every visitor entering and exiting the property. Through the use of GuestParq along with ParqEx’s Enforcer App, property managers (along with enforcement officers) can easily see which visitors have come and gone. This visibility and control give managers tremendous insights into who is parking on their property, where, when, and for how long. Gone are the days of accidentally towing the wrong vehicle! If anyone violates parking policies, the Enforcer App can instantly issue parking violations via property management staff’s smartphones. The Enforcer App tracks it all.

• • Satisfied Residents

Without a doubt, GuestParq is a luxury amenity add-on that increases the satisfaction of current residents and attracts prospective residents. Instead of worrying about parking availability, guests can simply arrive at their reserved spot. The security of knowing that every car visiting the structure is monitored is another selling point.

• • Monetized Parking Option

Who doesn’t like another stream of revenue? Who doesn’t love generating revenue from existing assets? With GuestParq, property managers can now have the option of monetizing their guest parking. Suppose property management decides to charge a fee for each of the GuestParq spots on their property. In that case, one can use this supplemental income for different projects or property improvements and updates. 

Benefits of GuestParq for Residents

With ParqEx’s GuestParq, parking is exponentially easier for residents. In a world where we are trying to avoid unnecessary human interaction due to health concerns, having the ability to book visitor parking via the ParqEx app without the management staff’s help is a considerable advantage. Some benefits for residents include:

• • Faster Process for Guest Parking

GuestParq gives residents the ability to reserve private visitor parking ahead of time for their guests on the app. Not only can they book guest parking by the hour or the day, but they can also book the spot for more extended stays. All they need to do is enter information about their guest and their vehicle’s details! With this information, ParqEx’s GuestParq, Access +, or with our License Plate Reading technology, management can recognize the guest’s vehicle and allow access at any entry point on the property. If the residents don’t know all of the guests’ vehicle information, it’s not an issue! The visitor will receive an email and an SMS notification reminding them to fill in the necessary vehicle information before their visit.

• • Less Effort to Help Guests Park

Not only is it effortless to reserve a guest parking spot, but it’s just as easy for visitors to have access to their reservation along with the parking facility. Upon booking the parking spot, the resident can transfer the parking spot to their guest via email and SMS. This both eliminates the anxiety surrounding parking and simplifies the entire process. GuestParq allows residents to book a guest parking spot for their visitors from the comfort of their own homes. Upon the visitor’s arrival, ParqEx’s Access + or Access + Premium takes over and allows a smooth entry and exit for the guest. GuestParq can transform visitor parking from a huge inconvenience to a high-tech luxury amenity for residents.

• • Increased Income for residents

Additionally, residents can now earn supplemental income by renting out their assigned parking spots. Through the use of ParqEx’s Private Parking Marketplace, if a resident has an underutilized parking spot, they can rent out that spot to the public on an hourly, daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. 

• • Satisfied Guests and residents

Not having to deal with headaches surrounding guest parking is an added benefit for residents. Residents already have to leave the comfort of their own homes for hundreds of other reasons. Let your residents kick their feet up, relax, and not have to go down to greet their guests in the parking structure! Granting their guests a parking solution along with an automatic entry/exit of the property is undoubtedly a luxury amenity for both residents and their visitors.

Benefits of GuestParq for Guests and Visitors

With GuestParq, visitors no longer have to continuously work out back-up plans of what to do when they undoubtedly have a hard time finding parking. Additionally, guests can stop sending the “I’m here” text instead of merely showing up at the residents’ doorstep. Some benefits for guests include:

• • Higher Confidence in Parking Availability

GuestParq delivers a sense of relief for guest parkers before they even get in their vehicles. Merely knowing that a parking spot is already reserved for them provides peace of mind. There’s nothing worse than arriving at a property, finding no parking, and having to drive around several blocks hoping to find an off-site parking spot. The ease of GuestParq makes guests’ visits to the property enjoyable and could even encourage these visitors to look into moving to the property. 

• • Easy Arrival/Exit

With just a handful of taps on their smartphones, residents can book and send the reservation details to the intended guest. ParqEx’s technology on-site will then grant the visitor access. Thanks to this, guests no longer have to worry about visitor fobs, garage entry, or even having to search for a spot. Furthermore, residents no longer have to rush to let their guests inside the property. With GuestParq, the annoyance of ensuring that visitors can enter and exit the property is eliminated.

• • Better Overall Impression of Building and Management

Having impressive parking solutions that allow residents to reserve a spot for their guests in advance is something that visitors will remember. A property can have several desirable amenities, like a state-of-the-art gym, the best appliances, or maybe even a rarely-used fancy concierge. Most properties tend to fall short when it comes to their parking situation. Guaranteed, something as simple as GuestParq will be a positive takeaway for all property visitors.

The Success of GuestParq In Use

ParqEx has experienced success with its GuestParq technology. A great example of ParqEx’s success with GuestParq is at Silver Tower in the center of Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Before GuestParq and Access +, Silver Tower had untapped revenue potential. After the successful installation of Access + with GuestParq, Silver Tower’s 39-story condominium now has a brand new revenue source for their HOA and has drastically improved resident and guest satisfaction. 

Inquire about GuestParq

GuestParq technology has proved to be a solution to parking management and parking real estate’s multiple operational problems. GuestParq eliminates the hassle of parking management while improving resident and guest satisfaction. Additionally, it improves the security of the property. Consequently, GuestParq also improves the security for the residents and their guests all the while providing property management real-time insight into who is entering and exiting the building. ParqEx’s GuestParq is proven to be successful and is available. 

Are you interested in adding this luxury amenity to your property? Reach out to ParqEx for more information. Our team is looking forward to helping you!

The post The Benefits of Guest Parking using ParqEx GuestParq appeared first on ParqEx.

The post Real Estate: How Coronavirus Will Shape the Smart Parking of the Future appeared first on ParqEx.

1. Parking

Parking is a problem for many buildings, especially older ones that may have been built before everyone had at least one car if not two. While most complexes list parking as an amenity, the truth is that residents and tenants often have to deal with insufficient parking and a lack of guest parking, especially overnight. Residents who rent a car as needed often cannot park on the property. One solution is to offer multi-family smart parking, which allows you to better manage the parking you have, letting residents book guest spots in advance, open the gate with their phone, etc. Being able to avoid saying “Well, you can park on the street” can be a perk not many think about until it is brought up. Add a few electric car charging stations (with a smart system to reserve them when needed) and you can turn parking from a side note to something central to your business.

2. Hotel-style common areas.

Residents expect to be able to make use of common areas in new ways, especially if the apartments tend to be small. Offering comfortable seating is a plus. Offering computers for resident use has become standard, but you can get “bonus points” for enclosed workstations. Large screen televisions can attract residents and promote a sense of community. Offering events for residents and their guests can help ensure that these areas are used. The best location: The lobby. Top floor party rooms are great, but residents tend to forget they are there. If your climate allows it, outdoor “rooms” are important, such as roof decks or courtyards. Such multi-family amenities should be targeted to the demographic you aim to support.

3. Wi-fi.

These days tenants, especially younger residents, expect to be able to access fast, reliable wi-fi in common areas. This even includes outdoor areas. Wi-fi is at the point of not being an “amenity” so much as an “expectation” that landlords need to meet. If your building is a cave, then good wi-fi becomes even more important and you might also want to consider installing cell relays in problem areas.

4. Pet amenities.

Although some buildings are still anti-pet, in many areas being pet-friendly is something of a selling point. However, it has to go past “we allow pets.” If you have space, a dog park is useful. So is partnering with a dog walking service. Even small things like a jar of dog treats in the lobby will make your four-footed residents, and their owners, feel more welcome. A less common, but growing amenity, is the pet spa, a place designed for grooming and bathing pets. Furthermore, pet amenities often allow you to increase your rent more with a lower outlay.

5. Fitness centers.

Even if there is a gym down the street, some of your residents will use the on-site fitness center. More importantly, most of your new residents will think they are going to use it. Apartment fitness centers now have to go past putting a couple of treadmills and a multi-gym in the basement. Attract a fitness-minded demographic with a multi-purpose room that offers yoga and pilates classes, video classes for yoga, dance fitness and spinning, and modern equipment. Also, a lot of renters are interested in things like racquetball or tennis courts, walking trails (if your property borders a good trail, make sure to provide access) and other non-standard fitness amenities.

6. Excellent package managing.

More and more people shop online and receive packages. Having proper package storage and smart software will help reduce the number of annoyed residents. Although package handling may not be on the list of multi-family amenities you put front and center, with 47 percent of renters receiving at least three packages per month, including perishables, not having good package handling is likely to result in poor reviews and a higher turnover. Negotiating for an Amazon locker is one good move.

7. Sustainability.

Younger tenants want to know that their apartment building is sustainable. Green roofs and energy-efficient appliances are both particularly popular. For new construction, try to meet or exceed LEED standards. When renovating, consider how you can make the building more energy efficient (which also gives the selling point of lower heating and air conditioning bills).

When developing or running an apartment building, you need to provide the best multi-family amenities to your residents. If you are looking for smart parking solutions for your apartment building, Schedule a Demo/Call today.

The post 7 Multifamily Amenities Your Complex Needs appeared first on ParqEx.

As rapid innovation continues with IoT technologies, the results of their combined use are yet to be fully understood. The reverberations of the shift, though, will be felt as an after effect of the sweeping change, the transformation from outdated legacy systems, modes, methods, and tools – to innovative online software solutions in the cloud.

Smart cities are being developed by many individual companies using separate systems that communicate with each other. 

Market Analysis and Knowledgeable Research

One of the most challenging and logistically confusing daily tasks is parking. Traveling around in cities or unfamiliar neighborhoods, drivers are wasting valuable time and money trying to find the ideal parking spot. At the same time, the home parking garage is still a piece of equipment that has yet to fully be integrated into the digital home.

Whether you’re booking your spare bedroom or an entire investment property, where your guest’s park can make a big difference. Garage space provides a protected and homey welcome, but you don’t just want to leave your garage door hanging open until your guests arrive or make them call you to open it.  Multifamily residents currently rely on a non guaranteed reservations for a spot within their garage or guest parking is not even available at the community. Residents also find having to exchange a fob or provide a parking sticker as a means of validation. IoT technology is working together through the innovative cloud and mobile solutions, in order to solve complex logistical issues. The agility and flexibility being offered by the cloud are far preferable to, exclusively, on-premise logistical solutions. 

IoT technology is working together through the innovative cloud and mobile solutions, in order to create business opportunities and solve complex logistical issues. The agility and flexibility being offered by the cloud are far preferable to, exclusively, on-premises logistical solutions.

Sights On The Future of Real Estate Tech

The IoT is always involved when speaking about smart anything, and almost all technology is smart at this point. Smart parking garages are using monitoring devices to detect vacant spaces, then automatically sharing the data to their own systems and any specified partners.

For instance, the parking garage business may want to automate real-time updates of vacancies to the city’s tourist guide mobile app, or event centers’ apps might want their customers to have access to available spaces.

This isn’t to say that all hardware, paper, and analog systems will be completely eliminated, rather, they’ll be reduced and minimized. SaaS, PaaS, and emerging subscription software are allowing SMBs to streamline, expand, and improve the quality of their work and production – this is hard to ignore. Technology is promising to be the best solution for overcrowded city streets, in the U.S. and worldwide.

Competition in this space has generated an increased awareness from the real estate owners and the providers of these technology stressing their importance for growth. The Future of Real Estate Tech continues to push VC’s and startups in this space for a multitude of reasons. No one has found the key to Pandora’s box at this given junction, leaving the door open for challengers to propel the groundwork needed for the sector’s continued growth and development.

Property Management and Residents Look For Education

The real estate community is using technology in ways that make sense for residents. The advantages and opportunities that innovative cloud and mobile technologies offer are promising to solve parking woes and boost the local economy at the same time. Before, solving parking woes would have meant building more parking spaces, which means cities and/or businesses had to spend money, therefore making taxpayers and consumers pay for it.

The IoT, in relation to smart cities, is the technology and online systems being used to create innovative solutions and solve complex logistical issues, such as parking. For instance, parking spot sensors are being used by parking garages and city governments, in order to inform drivers of vacancies (and owners of non-compliance) and navigate them to the spot – all through their smartphones. Technology and the IoT have even shown to play a positive factor on individual health.

Essentially, what makes IoT technology so powerful is its ability to communicate and integrate with other systems and technological solutions within a city or community. Using cloud and mobile computing technology, combined with the nearly universal rate of smartphone usage, the IoT is creating innovative solutions not possible before. Closing a garage door from across the world through a mobile app is a good example.

Listen To The IoT Parking Expert

Katie Williams recognizes the lack of movement and innovation within the real estate realm. IoT within the private parking/ multifamily properties are newly discovered and emerging – there is a need to revolutionize and disrupt the current trends and inefficiencies with smart real estate technologies and smarter parking.

Katie realizes there is an underutilization of parking assets in the Chicago and surrounding markets. This is evident by poorly managed private garages offering ease of resident-guest experience or lack thereof. She looks to educate multifamily owners, residents, and property managers on the hidden value of their parking and how IoT technologies serve as a tool for the space. They provide an additional amenity in a space that is always searching for the next best thing, with a value-add to aid in boosting their ROI and bottom lines.

Please reach out to Katie if you would like additional information on how these IoT solutions can help your property today!

The post Multifamily ROI Impacted by Technology Solutions appeared first on ParqEx.

Echo

The dominant player in the smart home tech sector is Amazon’s Echo, nicknamed “Alexa” because that is the voice command to activate the device. This unit allows users to search, buy products, listen to music, get weather and much more just through their voice.

Additionally, through its smart apps and integrations, the product integrates with the entire home. Consumers can turn on lights, adjust the temperature, run the dishwasher and much more. Amazon has recently unveiled an Echo with a screen that allows videos and visual search after the voice command.

Smart Kitchen and Drop Scale

The connected kitchen has long been a dream of homeowners. Imagine turning on the coffee maker or the toaster from your phone or by voice command while still in bed. That makes the morning much more pleasant. Many companies are now developing and launching these items including Samsung, GE and Kenmore.

For example, Drop has introduced a smart scale that integrates with Amazon Echo and Google Home devices. The scale can be controlled by voice to turn on and off. It automatically weighs the food and matches it to a recipe you are working on. The scale can determine if you are over or under the amount prescribed in the recipe. This removes the cook’s anxiety of getting the recipe wrong.

Parking Devices

One of the most challenging and logistically confusing daily tasks is parking. Traveling around in cities or unfamiliar neighborhoods, drivers are wasting valuable time and money trying to find the ideal parking spot. At the same time, the home parking garage is still a piece of equipment that has yet to fully be integrated into the digital home.

However, ParqEx has developed a unique and innovative system for parking garages with their solution to smart home tech new innovations. From a mobile device, users can open garages for themselves or others. The system for the user to enter the garage is called Access+. This makes life much easier because you do not have to get out of your car or worry about a ticket. You also know the pricing clearly and can pay through your phone.

Similarly, GuestParq allows the user to open a garage or gate for a guest. In this case, the user may be opening their home garage to a guest that would ordinarily not have access. This makes life much more easy and convenient for the user.

Nest

The Nest kicked off the era of smart home tech. This beautiful device automatically adjusts the temperature in the home based on personalized settings and can be controlled by a smartphone. Google’s multi-billion dollar purchase of this company put additional fuel in the company’s growth. It is a core part of the Google system and works perfectly with the new Google Home device.

Today, Nest is a symbol for all things smart home technology including advanced home video recorders, lighting, doorbells, locks and fire detectors. Additionally, there are thousands of devices that may integrate with the Nest platform to create a comprehensive home management system.

ParqEx is a leading smart parking software platform which helps drivers find ideal spots while saving time and money. The Access+ and GuestParq features allow drivers to open gates and garage doors from the convenience of their smartphone as well. For more information, please contact us.

The post Smart Home Tech New Innovations appeared first on ParqEx.

ParqEx was founded on a dedication to making life easier through technology and we are so excited about smart homes that we’ve opened an awesome Smart Home Giveaway! One lucky person can win our drawing for an entire smart home starter kit, everything you need to start your very own start home environment.

The Smart Home Giveaway

The founding principles of ParqEx are to make parking easier through wireless technology. Smart homes offer many benefits through technology, similar to how we solve parking problems with smart parking technology. We want to bring the joy of wireless life to someone new and have put together a fantastic smart home starter package. With this smart home starter kit, you can establish the interactive AI center of your smart home, get to know the essential features, and inspire yourself to invent a truly personalized smart home for your household. Sweepstakes submissions are open right now, so anyone who has been dreaming of a new smart home is invited to enter their name.

Amazon Alexa Smart Home Giveaway

What’s Included in the Smart Home Kit?

• Amazon Echo Plus
• Amazon Echo Dot
• 2 Philips 60W Smart LED Bulbs – Soft White
• 2 Jinvoo Smart Power Outlets
• Smart Power Strip – 4 Outlets and 4 USB Ports
• VIP ParqEx Treatment and Service Credit

We thought long and hard about what to include in our smart home giveaway and carefully selected these items because together they are the perfect way to get started on your very own smart home. To run every one of these devices, you only need one smart home app: Alexa. All you have to do is activate a skill, then name your devices so that Alexa can respond to them by name.

From your AI hub to the smarten-anything outlets, you can control the lighting and upgrade ‘dumb’ electronic devices into your smart home experience. Let’s explore what’s inside and how you can make amazing use of these smart home assets in your household!

Amazon Alexa – Echo Plus

The Echo Plus the ‘brains’ of the operation. It is a smart home hub and a superb smart speaker combined into one. You can control your entire smart home by talking to Alexa through the elegant black tower of the Echo Plus.

“A one-box smart home solution”

-Tech Radar

Alexa, your helpful AI voice assistant, lives in the Echo Plus like I Dream of Genie lived in her lamp. All you have to do is say “Alexa” and she will start to listen, then help you in any way she can. While most people think of smart home hubs as something like their wireless router, Alexa is much more than a hub got devices. Her inherent capabilities are amazing, even without a single smart home device connected. With nothing but a connection to the internet and a little coordination through a mobile device, Alexa can answer trivia questions, sing you songs, help your child study, keep your calendar, and set timers.

Alexa is named after the legendary lost library in Alexandria

– Wirecutter

Alexa is friendly, upbeat, and interactively helpful. You can set up custom commands through her app or you can converse with her to find hilarious easter egg features. The Echo Plus itself has Dolby sound quality and amazing sound detection. It even ‘looks’ at you when you speak the command word.

Amazon Echo Dot

The Echo Dot is like a satellite extension to the Echo Plus. The Dot’s most important function is as an additional speaker and receiver for your smart home. As cool as the Echo Plus is, it’s listening and broadcasting abilities are not infinite. The Dot allows you to continue conversing with your smart home in rooms that the hub cannot reach.

Most people put their smart home hub in their living room, the center of family activity. A Dot in your bedroom or kitchen can allow you to extend the functionality and your access to smart home features even when you are ‘out of earshot’ of Alexa’s hub.

Independent Extension

Interestingly, having an Echo Dot can also extend your smart home capabilities outside of the home itself. It can be used anywhere with a wifi network and a power source. You can move it into the backyard for a smart-barbecue, hook up your car with a wireless hotspot for a smart car on the go, or even take it with you to a vacation home. With your connected phone or tablet, it can function as an independent smart home hub, complete with Alexa.

2 Philips 60W Smart LED Bulbs – Soft White

After the hub itself, there is nothing more essential to a smart home than smart bulbs. For all the crazy gadgets out there, there is something inherently useful and satisfying about being able to turn on and off your lights with a word. We chose the Philips 60W Equivalent LED bulbs because they are the best of the best. Philips is the leading brand in smart home lighting with undeniable quality, performance, and longevity. The LEDs are much cooler and more energy-efficiently than a traditional incandescent bulb.

“Alexa, turn the Living Room Light off.”

“Okay!”

Of course, these don’t just turn on and off with a word. Smart lights are also capable of percentage power, essentially giving you a smart-dimmer for any room you use them in, and you can pick any number between 0 and 100%. This can allow you to set the mood in the evenings, use the lights as overhead night-lights for midnight snacks and children, then bring the lights up to full brightness when it’s time to find the missing remote.

“Alexa, set the Kitchen Light to 20%”

“Okay!”

With two bulbs to start with, you can ‘smarten’ the lighting for any two rooms in your home. Pick the two locations you use most often, and least want to walk to the light switch time and time again. We’re sure you’ll fall in love with smart bulbs immediately and soon you’ll be putting together a unique collection for every fixture in your home.

2 Jinvoo Smart Outlets

And if you thought smart lights were cool, wait until you discover the possibilities of a smart outlet. There are literally hundreds of smart home and IoT devices we could have chosen from for this starter kit, but smart outlets put the power in your hands. These little gadgets, you can turn almost any ‘dumb’ electronic device into a smart device. All you have to do is plug the outlet into the wall, then plug the device into the smart outlet. Then turn off the device.

Smart outlets give you simple on/off control of any device plugged in through them by controlling the flow of electricity. Lamps with oddly sized bulbs can still become smart lamps through an outlet. Fans can be made smart-fans with this simple power passthrough. You can start your coffee maker in the morning while lying in bed or even use them for smart parenting by turning off game consoles or wifi routers on a schedule. The possibilities are endless, just imagine anything you want to turn off or on with a command, on a schedule, or even through an app while you’re away from home.

Jinvoo Smart Power Strip

Our last physical device in the sweepstakes goodie bag is a Jinvoo smart power strip. Smart power strips are one of the latest additions to smart home technology, combining the innovation of the smart outlet with the convenience of an all-in-one power strip. This model has four conventional three-prong outlets and four fast-charging USB ports, allowing you to provide power through both types of common power ports.

Power Strip Includes

• 4 Individual Smart Outlets
• 4 High-Speed Charging USB Smart Ports

But it doesn’t stop there. The magic of a smart power strip is that each individual port is smart-controlled with its own separate entry and name. This means you’re actually getting a total of six smart power sources to control individually and four separate smart USB ports. That’s ten normal powered devices that can become delightful additions to your uniquely personalized smart home.

ParqEx Smart Parking Product / Service Offering:

ParqEx is the Private Parking Technology Platform.  Property owners and managers use our proprietary technology to increase the value of their parking spaces that are often underutilized and/or difficult to manage.  The platform is a set of modular solutions that can be implemented on their own or packaged together depending on the needs of a given customer or property.  Four of the key solutions include:

Marketplace

provides property owners with the ability to increase income by facilitating rentals to drivers looking for a place to park.  The owners set the availability and price, and we handle the rest. Our supply comes from a wide variety of customers and property types – everything from developers with large open lots, to non-profits with a few spots, to individual homeowners with one garage spot.

Access+

offers a better way to provide access to secure parking locations by controlling doors and gates through the ParqEx mobile app.  When compared with traditional opening methods such as fobs and “clickers”, this proprietary “Internet of Things” (IoT) technology solution is inexpensive to install, saves operating costs, and reduces management hassle.

GuestParq

designed primarily for apartment and condominium buildings, this plug-and-play offering is an amenity that improves the guest parking experience for residents, guests, and managers alike. It improves the entire process: from reserving a spot to arriving at the building to managing who should be parking in what spot – all while capturing important usage data over time.

Enforcer

provides easy to use tools to ensure that the correct vehicles are parked in the appropriate locations. This offering supports anyone who is self-managing their parking and wants to have better information at their fingertips to do so more efficiently.

ParqEx is accessible via a web-based app (app.parqex.com) and mobile apps for iOS and Android.

ParqEx VIP Treatment

Finally, our lucky sweepstakes winner will not only get all the convenience and fun of this complete smart home starter package, we will also be rewarding the winner with exclusive ParqEx VIP treatment. We will make you feel like a star of the new wireless world. First, you get access to premier options through the ParqEx app including better parking spaces, VIP planning features, and a full suite of special services we provide.

$50 in Parking Credit in Prime Locations

Just to start with, the winner will find themselves the proud owner of $50 in premium ParqEx credit. Leave behind your worries about parking on busy streets or paying overcharged public parking lots and garages. You will be able to book parking for free in prime locations around our hotspots of Chicago, Milwaukee, along with any premier locations available across the country.

VIP Access to Premier Options

Our team is constantly trying to bring a better experience to loyal ParqEx users and this has resulted in a number of premier options through our app and membership choices. The lucky winner of the giveaway will get premier access to our best options with their pick in how to use them. From booking spaces at the last minute to renting out spots in your own driveway or even a parking lot, we’re ready to provide with VIP exclusive customer service.

Try our Access+ Technology (Digital Garage Door Opener)

And in the wonderful spirit of smart home convenience, you get to try ParqEx Access+ (Digital Garage Door Opener). Through our app, you will be able to try our Access+ technology at our select parking locations to open a gate or garage door from the ParqEx app. But it doesn’t stop there. You can also provide garage door access to friends, family members, and approved visitors and only for as long as you want to provide access. This makes garage door ownership (and keeping track of garage door openers) so much easier!

Enter To Win the Smart Home Giveaway Today!

This offer won’t last forever, and there can only be one lucky winner. If you love smart homes but don’t have one of your own yet, put your name into the running. Now is your chance to start an elite smart home of your own, uniquely designed to suit your needs and make your house immensely cool. Great for homeowners and renters, real estate professionals and even to take along to vacation homes, this kit is the perfect way to start your amazing smart home experience. Join our sweepstakes today!

For more information about the Smart Home Giveaway click here!

The post ParqEx’s Amazing Alexa Smart Home Giveaway! appeared first on ParqEx.

Want to know more about these awesome advancements? If so, you’ve come to the right place! In this article we will explore three of the most exciting new trends in vehicle technology, how they might affect your day-to-day life, and how they’ll change your habits for the better in the near future.

Vehicle Communication

After a long 12 years of research, vehicle-to-vehicle communication will officially hit the market this year via the 2017 Cadillac CTS. While the technology will be extremely limited at first due to a lack of similarly equipped vehicles on the road to “talk” to, it will still give the driver some advantages, such as communicating with certain traffic lights.

Moreover, it will pave the way for even more of this incredible new technology in the future, which will eventually have the ability to prevent accidents through the use of cameras and other information-gathering systems and an advanced wireless car-to-car communication system.

While it may take a while to grow to that point, Cadillac is taking the most important and most difficult baby steps in the right direction.

Autonomous Driving

As proven by Tesla, Uber, and a few other companies in 2016, self-driving cars are here to stay. Not only that, but they are set to make some big advancements this year.

For instance, Volvo will be releasing 100 autonomous cars onto Swedish roads in the next year in order to 1) give the public a chance to experience a ride without a driver, and 2) test this new technology in the quest for a “death-proof vehicle”. The company hopes to make this ultra-safe car available to the public by the year 2020.

Additionally, companies such as Ford, GM, and BMW will be releasing self-driving fleets of their own. Finally—and most impressively—Tesla is scheduled to send a self-driving car on a trip from New York to LA before year’s end.

Improved Electric Cars

As if self-driving cars aren’t cool enough, it looks like 2017 will be a big year for electric cars as well. Hopefully this advancement signals the beginning of the end of our dependence on fossil fuels, and a step toward a greener, brighter tomorrow.

Not to be outdone by the Nissan Leaf—which was upgraded last year and now boasts an impressive 107-mile range—Chevrolet has announced that its new Bolt EV will have an increased range of up to 200 miles. This is an incredible step in the right direction for electric vehicles, as the longer range makes them a far more practical option. Additionally, the Ford Focus Electric will become a 100-mile car, meaning those looking for a lower-priced option will not be disappointed with the range possibilities in their budget category.

Smart Parking

Clearly, vehicle manufacturers have seen just how important it is to keep up with the demand for newer and more efficient technology. We at ParqEx have seen the light as well, and we’re taking steps to make parking easier than ever through the use of “internet of things” technology. We hope to work with car manufacturers toward an ultimate goal of less traffic congestion and a hassle-free driving experience for all.

Are you interested in learning more about Using Internet of Things and new trends in parking technology? Please have a look around our website or contact us with questions. After reading more about us, we are sure you will want to sign up for an account right away in order to take full advantage of our peer-to-peer sharing platform and our amazing new technology.

The post Technology is changing the auto industry appeared first on ParqEx.