Key takeaways:
- 1VALET combines video intercom consoles, a resident app, and a management portal across Smart Lobby, Smart Building, and Smart Suite tiers.
- 1VALET doesn’t publish official pricing, so buyers need a quote covering hardware, installation, software, integrations, and any LTE service.
- The Resident App averages 4.5 out of 5 across 877 App Store ratings, though written reviews also mention bugs, freezing, sign-outs, and phone-related access issues.
Disclaimer: ButterflyMX provides these blog posts to help our customers and potential customers make the right business decisions. Our blog posts are based on the information available to us at the time of writing.
This 1Valet review looks at a smart building platform for multifamily and related residential properties. It combines video intercom entry, mobile credentials, resident services, and building operations in one system.
The key buying questions go beyond video intercom system features: Which console fits the property? What network work is needed? Which tier and integrations belong in the quote? And how will residents enter if they can’t use the app?
This guide covers 1VALET features, console models, pricing, installation, customer feedback, pros and cons, alternatives, and how it compares with ButterflyMX.
This guide will answer:
- What is 1VALET?
- How does 1VALET work?
- 1VALET console models and specifications
- 1VALET features and integrations
- How much does 1VALET cost?
- 1VALET installation and connectivity requirements
- What do customers say about 1VALET?
- 1VALET pros and cons
- 1VALET alternatives
- 1VALET vs. ButterflyMX
- Frequently asked questions
- Is 1VALET right for your property?
Watch how ButterflyMX works:
What is 1VALET?
1VALET is a smart building operating system that combines entrance intercoms, a resident mobile app, and a cloud-based management portal. It supports access, visitor and delivery workflows, resident services, building operations, and connections to other property technology.
According to 1VALET’s platform figures, the company has more than 800 live buildings, over 150,000 connected residents, 99.99% uptime, and an average of four app opens per resident each day. These company-reported numbers show scale, not necessarily the day-to-day customer experience.
Who is 1VALET designed for?
1VALET is aimed at owners, operators, developers, property managers, condo boards, and residents. Its solutions page lists multifamily, student housing, senior living, mixed-use, new construction, and retrofit projects.
Multifamily housing has the strongest public emphasis. Buyers in other property types should ask how the proposed setup fits their entrances, staffing model, residents, and existing systems.
What are the Smart Lobby, Smart Building, and Smart Suite tiers?
1VALET offers three tiers that expand from entrance access to building operations and in-unit controls. The tier you choose shapes the project scope and quote.
The 1VALET solutions overview doesn’t list public tier prices. Buyers should define the needed functions before requesting a quote.
How does 1VALET work?
The entrance console handles visitor and delivery access, the Resident App handles credentials and resident services, and the Management Portal gives staff a central control layer.
Residents can receive video calls, unlock doors, create guest access, receive parcel notices, book amenities, submit maintenance requests, make payments, manage supported EV charging, and control connected thermostats. The Resident App also lists community messages, document access, and Apple Watch and Wear OS support.
Staff can use the Management Portal for access control, CCTV, concierge functions, parking, inspections, maintenance, visitor management, incidents, documents, analytics, and multi-property oversight.
Visitor and delivery access
Visitors can call residents from the console. Residents can issue time-limited guest passes or one-time access codes, and the system logs supported visitor activity.
For deliveries, 1VALET offers parcel barcode scanning, temporary courier entry, package-room support, pickup notifications, and smart-locker integrations. 1VALET calls its built-in package-scanning intercom patented and unique in the industry on its console page.
ButterflyMX supports visitor-access workflows and package rooms. Delivery-heavy properties should compare courier-entry automation, package storage, locker connections, and resident pickup needs.
Access methods and resident credentials
1VALET supports app-based NFC credentials, Apple Watch and Wear OS credentials, optional facial recognition, PIN codes, video-call entry, and physical fobs or cards through connected systems.
Written App Store reviews describe problems when a phone is dead or the app isn’t available. Buyers should define what happens during a dead battery, app freeze, sign-out, network interruption, lost phone, or device replacement. If physical fobs or cards will remain available, include that policy in resident onboarding and access procedures.
ButterflyMX also supports mobile access and wallet-based credentials. The useful comparison is the full credential plan, including how the property will keep entry available when a phone cannot be used.
1VALET console models and specifications
1VALET offers 10-inch, 21.5-inch, and 43-inch consoles. Detailed public specifications are available mainly for the 10-inch and 21.5-inch models.
The official console specifications state that the documented 10-inch and 21.5-inch models are IP65-rated, FCC and IC certified, and covered by two-year warranties. IP65 indicates documented protection against dust and water jets. IK07 and IK08 are impact-resistance ratings; IK08 is the higher rating.
Some marketing rounds the 21.5-inch model to 22 inches, but 21.5 inches is the precise specification. Don’t assume the documented power, environmental, or warranty details apply to the 43-inch console.
1VALET features and integrations
1VALET combines video intercom access, delivery automation, resident services, smart-suite controls, and centralized management. Its integrations may appeal to properties that want to retain compatible equipment.
- Video and guest entry: Residents can speak with visitors, unlock remotely, and issue temporary access.
- Digital credentials: Supported phones and wearables can serve as entry credentials.
- Delivery management: Parcel scanning, courier access, package-room support, and locker connections support high-volume delivery workflows.
- Property operations: Staff can manage supported access, CCTV, parking, inspections, incidents, documents, and analytics.
- Building controls: Supported functions include thermostats, elevator access, EV charging, and multi-property credentials.
These examples come from the 1VALET integration catalog. SALTO also describes functions involving digital keys, access control, CCTV-related controls, web relays, elevators, and fob encryption on its technology-partner page.
ButterflyMX has overlapping access and security capabilities, including video intercoms, access control, elevator controls, security cameras, package rooms, and smart-lock integrations. Buyers should map either platform to the property’s locks, entrances, elevators, cameras, and resident systems.
How well does 1VALET fit retrofit projects?
1VALET positions its platform as retrofit-friendly because it can connect with supported locks, panels, cameras, elevators, lockers, and property-management systems.
The company cites Ryland in Philadelphia and Cité Midtown in Ottawa as retrofit examples with no rewiring. Ask how closely your property’s cabling, network, panels, and doors match those projects.
How much does 1VALET cost?
1VALET doesn’t publish official pricing and requires a custom quote. The project may include intercom hardware, professional installation, platform tier, integrations, network equipment, optional devices, and ongoing services.
A third-party estimate places an intercom unit at $5,000 to $10,000. It isn’t an official 1VALET price and isn’t a complete installed project cost.
Optional LTE also requires a separate SIM card and data plan. Public information doesn’t list subscription fees, installation charges, or LTE service costs, so compare itemized quotes rather than a single headline number.
What should buyers include in a 1VALET quote?
Ask for separate line items where applicable:
- Console model, quantity, mounts, and entrance hardware
- Installation, cabling, commissioning, and training
- Smart Lobby, Smart Building, or Smart Suite software scope
- Recurring software and support charges
- PoE switches, injectors, network work, and power upgrades
- LTE hardware, SIM card, activation, and data plan
- Integration setup for PMS platforms, locks, cameras, elevators, and lockers
- Optional locks, panels, cameras, thermostats, EV charging, or elevator hardware
- Warranty, service response, replacement terms, and contract length
1VALET installation and connectivity requirements
1VALET uses professionally installed, wired intercom hardware with Power over Ethernet as its primary connection. It doesn’t require a landline, and optional LTE is available with a separate SIM and data plan.
Power over Ethernet carries network data and electrical power through Ethernet cabling. The 10-inch console uses PoE+, while the 21.5-inch console uses PoE++. The console requirements mean the property needs compatible switch ports or an appropriate injector.
Why do PoE+ and PoE++ matter during planning?
PoE++ can provide more power than PoE+, but not every switch supports it on every port. For a 21.5-inch console, have the installer review switch compatibility, available power budget, cable routes, outdoor mounting conditions, and network segmentation.
LTE may help when wired connectivity is difficult, but it creates an added service dependency. Connected locks, cameras, elevators, lockers, thermostats, and panels can also add hardware and labor beyond the console installation.
What do customers say about 1VALET?
Public feedback is mixed. Users value consolidated property tools, while recurring written app-review themes include bugs, freezing, unexpected sign-outs, and dependence on a working phone.
The 1VALET Resident App ratings average 4.5 out of 5 across 877 ratings. That score provides useful context, but it doesn’t show the specific problems described in written reviews.
G2 lists one 5 out of 5 review, while Capterra lists two reviews averaging 4 out of 5. Those small samples offer individual perspectives, not broad customer patterns.
One Capterra reviewer described thermostat controls as unresponsive and capped near 24°C or 75°F. Treat that as one experience, but use it as a reason to test thermostat workflows during a demonstration.
Mobile access and backup-entry considerations
When residents use phones as daily credentials, app reliability becomes an access-planning issue. Ask what residents can do during a dead battery, sign-out, frozen screen, connectivity problem, lost phone, or device replacement.
Also decide whether residents will receive physical fobs or cards through connected hardware, how temporary credentials work, who helps after hours, and how emergency entry will be handled.
1VALET pros and cons
1VALET is a broad, integration-friendly platform with delivery-focused workflows. The main tradeoffs are pricing transparency, mobile-access continuity, LTE costs, and limited public details for the largest console.
Pros
- Unified platform: Combines intercom entry, resident services, and staff management tools.
- Broad integrations: Connects with supported locks, panels, PMS platforms, cameras, elevators, lockers, thermostats, payments, and EV charging.
- Delivery workflows: Parcel scanning, courier access, package-room support, and locker integrations may fit delivery-heavy properties.
- Climate-rated documented models: The 10-inch and 21.5-inch consoles have IP65 protection and a -30°C to 55°C operating range.
- Flexible scope: Smart Lobby, Smart Building, and Smart Suite support phased planning.
Cons
- No public price list: A detailed quote is needed for a reliable budget comparison.
- App reliability complaints: Written reviews mention bugs, freezing, and sign-outs that may affect daily access.
- Backup access needs planning: Residents need a clear path to entry when a phone or app is unavailable.
- Separate LTE expense: Cellular service needs its own SIM and data plan.
- Limited 43-inch specifications: Buyers have less technical detail for early planning.
1VALET alternatives
Alternatives serve different priorities. Build a shortlist around access and security, resident operations, smart-home controls, or the mix your property needs.
- ButterflyMX: Consider it for video intercoms, access control, mobile and visitor access, vehicle and elevator access, security cameras, package rooms, smart-lock integrations, and wallet-based credentials.
- BuildingLink: Consider it when resident communication and building-management workflows matter more than an intercom-led platform.
- Carson Living: Consider it for resident-experience and property-operations software.
- SmartRent: Consider it when smart-home technology and access are both central to the project.
1VALET was founded in 2017. Its company background describes a 2025 leadership change in which SmartRent co-founder Demetrios Barnes became CEO and founder Jean-Pierre Poulin became Executive Chairman.
1VALET vs. ButterflyMX
1VALET and ButterflyMX overlap in video intercoms, mobile access, visitor entry, elevator workflows, smart-lock connectivity, and package management. The choice depends on whether the property gives more weight to resident and building operations, access and security coverage, or a mix of both.
Neither platform is automatically the better fit. Compare proposals using the same entrances, integrations, credential policies, delivery workflows, infrastructure assumptions, contract terms, and support requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What is 1VALET?
1VALET is a smart building operating system that combines video intercom consoles, a resident app, and a management portal for access, resident services, and property operations.
How much does 1VALET cost?
1VALET uses custom quotes and doesn’t publish official pricing. A third-party estimate puts an intercom unit at $5,000 to $10,000, but that isn’t an official price or a complete project cost.
What console sizes does 1VALET offer?
1VALET offers 10-inch, 21.5-inch, and 43-inch consoles. Public technical details are more complete for the 10-inch and 21.5-inch models.
Does 1VALET require internet or a landline?
1VALET primarily uses wired Power over Ethernet and doesn’t require a landline. Optional LTE is available but needs a separate SIM card and data plan.
What happens if a resident’s phone dies?
Written reviews describe access problems when a phone or app is unavailable. Buyers should establish whether fobs, cards, staff support, or another backup-entry method will be available.
What integrations does 1VALET support?
1VALET lists integrations with smart locks, access panels, property management systems, surveillance platforms, elevators, lockers, thermostats, Stripe payments, and SWTCH EV charging.
What do customers say about 1VALET?
Feedback is mixed: the Resident App averages 4.5 out of 5 across 877 App Store ratings, while written reviews mention bugs, freezing, sign-outs, and phone-dependent access concerns. G2 and Capterra have much smaller review samples.
What are the main alternatives to 1VALET?
Alternatives include ButterflyMX, BuildingLink, Carson Living, and SmartRent. The right shortlist depends on whether the property prioritizes access and security, resident operations, smart-home controls, or a mix of these functions.
Is 1VALET right for your property?
1VALET may fit multifamily and related residential properties that want to bring intercom entry, resident services, delivery workflows, management tools, and supported building technology into one platform. Its integrations and three-tier structure may be especially useful for complex or phased projects.
The main challenge is scoping the full project without a public price list. Before shortlisting 1VALET, compare itemized quotes, console and PoE needs, existing-system compatibility, mobile-access continuity, backup credentials, LTE costs, and support terms.
Also compare ButterflyMX if video intercoms, access control, mobile and visitor access, vehicle and elevator access, security cameras, package rooms, smart-lock integrations, and wallet-based credentials are central to your property plan.
Request a ButterflyMX demo to compare the platforms against your property’s access and security requirements.
Get your free quote!
Fill in the form below, and we'll email you right back.
Want a free quote?
Fill in the form below, and we'll email you right back.
You’ll be redirected shortly...