Our team at Audio Den works with a variety of customers – ranging from residential homeowners in Long Island and New York City to local businesses such as restaurants, fitness centers, retail stores, and hospitals.
One type of company we have experience partnering with are family offices. These are private firms that manage investments and lifestyle services of high-net-worth individuals and families. Family offices also provide fiduciary services such as wealth planning, tax and legal advice, and asset monitoring.
We haven’t made a strong effort to advertise this side of our business. Why? Because most family offices like to keep a low profile to protect the privacy of their clients. But over the years more family offices and investment firms have approached us, looking for advice on AV and Family Office technology needs. They often have experience managing real estate properties and investments. However, they need to bring on extra help when it comes to installing and supporting smart building technology and addressing the personal home technology needs of their family members.
That’s where we come in.
If you work at a family office and are busy overseeing real estate and back-office, then selecting a smart home and audio-video specialist can seem like a daunting task if you don’t know the technology. Here is our advice on how to find the right partner to complement your property management services.
Location
You want to work with an AV company that has a presence in your city or geographic location to respond to situations and issues quickly and efficiently.
So much business today is conducted digitally thanks to advances in communication technology. However, property management requires feet on the ground. Will you be prepared if the lighting control system or wireless internet fails? You need ongoing enterprise support in case something goes wrong.
Audio Den’s response:
We work with some of the leading family offices on Long Island, the Hamptons, and New York City. Many of the firms have clients with additional properties outside of New York, such as ski lodges in Vermont and beach homes in Florida. We utilize technology such as remote monitoring to proactively monitor installed systems and in many cases, resolve problems before the family even notices.
Technology capabilities
For many family offices that are managing real estate assets, an electrician or alarm company won’t suffice. You need a full-service automation provider to provide the highest level of service. For example, the touch panel your client uses in their NYC apartment should have the same user interface as the panel on their boat, plane, and the Hamptons home. The entire technology stack should be centralized on one ecosystem.
Audio Den’s response:
We have a talented team with expertise in nearly every facet of technology integration – audio, video, networking, lighting control, energy management, dedicated home theaters, security, motorized window blinds, and surveillance. Our in-house programmers know how to design a world-class smart automation platform and our installation team executes world-class installation and support, with the utmost of discretion.
Experience level
You want to contract a company you can depend on. The experience level of a custom av integration firm and IT provider can make a big difference. When vetting prospects, you should be researching how long a company has been around for. You don’t want to hire a startup that goes belly-up only a few months after you start working together.
Audio Den’s response:
We have been in business since the 1970s. Not many AV providers have been around as long as we have. Many of the firms we partner with have been working with us for decades- generation after generation.
While technology has evolved over the years, our commitment to impeccable customer service has not. However, don’t take our word for it. Check out our online reviews on Google+, Facebook, and Yelp to find out what our customers have to say.
Real estate knowledge
Your AV partner should have more than just an understanding of technology. They also need to know real estate. It’s one thing to be able to assemble the pieces of an integrated system so it functions properly. It’s another skill set to be able to engineer a system that complements the aesthetic design of a home or property.
Audio Den’s response:
Our goal at Audio Den is to help family offices increase the value of their clients’ real estate assets. We understand that properties are not only places to live and enjoy, but also investments as well. Our project managers oversee all aspects of the integration process, collaborating with general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, interior designers, and all other stakeholders along the way- always looking out for the client’s best interests.
Conclusion
Selecting an audio-video technology company to enhance the lives of the family, support best-in-class products, and enhance the value of the real estate portfolio isn’t as simple as it may seem. There are a variety of criteria to evaluate before making a decision. Ultimately, you need a seamless integrator that can provide the highest caliber of customer service when it’s needed most.
Our team at Audio Den understands how family offices operate. It’s a market we’ve been supporting for over 30 years. Please get in touch to learn more about our capabilities, and how we can add value to your next A/V project and ensure your clients are happy.
How Audio Den Provide Unparalleled Value
- A long-time family office client has a 60th birthday at their house in Easthampton one weekend. Our support center is notified early Thursday morning that the incoming internet service from the cable provider has been broken. Audio Den reaches out the family’s rep and coordinates service with the ISP. An Audio Den technician meets the ISP technician on-site the next morning, ensures service is restored, and tests all installed components. The family never knew a thing.
- During a cold winter, the heating fails in an unattended client’s ski chalet. Audio Den is notified that the temperature in the home is plummeting. Audio Den notifies the property manager and heat is restored, preventing costly damage to the homes plumbing system.
- Walking to the mailbox to pick up the morning paper, the family’s notices the front gate at the driveway has been severely damaged. Audio Den reviews the surveillance footage from early that morning and identifies the cause of the damage, a fire truck turning around!