Let’s face it: Having a doorman for your building adds a nice personal touch. They greet residents, accept packages, and manage access for visitors. But having a doorman comes with its drawbacks, too. For starters, a doorman is expensive — having a 24/7 doorman at your property requires at least five employees, which costs $150,000 or more per year. And this is just for one building — imagine having a doorman at every property you own or manage.

The good news is that a traditional doorman isn’t your only option. There’s an alternative: the remote doorman.

A remote doorman effectively reduces operating costs, maintains building security, and manages property access for deliveries and visitors. But what is a virtual doorman, and how does it work? Read on to learn more about virtual doorman systems, how much they cost, and your options.

In this post, we cover:

• What is a remote doorman?
• What is the purpose of a remote doorman?
• How a remote doorman helps with package deliveries
• Remote doorman cost
• Remote doorman options and alternatives

 

What is a remote doorman?

A remote doorman is a building entry system providing property access to visitors, delivery people, and residents. The system consists of a video intercom installed at the property’s entrance and a team of off-site operators. The operators can see and speak with anyone seeking access to the property and grant or deny them access remotely.

A cyber doorman system may include a video intercom and security cameras installed throughout the building so that operators can monitor the premises.

 

 

How does a remote doorman work?

A remote doorman works when a visitor uses the video intercom installed at the front of the building to call the “doorman.” Since there is no on-site doorman, their call goes to a virtual operator. The off-site operator sees and speaks with visitors to verify their identity before granting them access to the property.

The virtual operator can be a call center employee, building staff member, or resident. Since a video intercom sends the video and audio feed directly to a smartphone or computer, the operator doesn’t need to be in the building to see and speak with the visitor. A door release mechanism enables them to open the door for the visitor remotely. If the building has an automatic door, visitors can enter without even touching it.

 

Watch how ButterflyMX works:

 

What is the purpose of a remote doorman?

The purpose of a remote doorman is to provide the same courtesy and security services as an in-person doorman but from a distant location. Common in multi-tenant apartment buildings, doormen are responsible for maintaining building security, checking in guests, and providing property access to visitors and delivery people.

The benefits of a remote doorman include:

• Reduced operating costs, since one virtual doorman can oversee multiple buildings at the same time
• Never missing a delivery or visitor
• Assistance for resident lockouts
• Added property value because apartment buildings with doormen rent for 12% more on average than buildings without a doorman

 

How does a remote doorman help with package deliveries?

A remote doorman helps ensure successful package deliveries by providing 24/7 access to your property. Since couriers deliver packages at all hours of the day, your residents won’t always be home to open the door for them. However, a virtual doorman is always available to grant access to your property because they work off-site.

With a virtual doorman, your residents will never be frustrated by receiving a “Sorry we missed you” note. A digital doorman can also prevent package theft by ensuring couriers can leave packages inside the building rather than outside, where they’re susceptible to theft.

 

 

Remote doorman cost

Remote doorman pricing varies, but you can expect to spend anywhere from $100 to $3,000 monthly for software and fees, plus $1,000 to $70,000 for hardware and installation costs.

The total cost of a virtual doorman depends heavily on the type of system you choose. A system with lots of hardware, such as access control devices and cameras, will cost more than a simple system installed at the property’s entryway. Your building’s infrastructure also impacts pricing because installation costs depend on the wiring and labor needed. If your property requires additional wiring to support the added hardware, purchasing and installing that wiring will be costly.

 

Remote doorman options and alternatives

You have a few options if you’re interested in investing in a virtual doorman for your building. Several products and systems — which range in price and scope of features — provide doorman services. Below, we outline three popular options.

Three remote doorman options include:

1. Virtual Doorman
2. Telephone entry systems
3. Smart video intercom systems

 

1. Virtual Doorman

One high-end option is Virtual Doorman, a company that offers hardware and software to monitor and control access from its call center.

The benefit of Virtual Doorman is that your property receives 24/7 coverage. However, this solution costs more than alternatives since you must purchase and install additional hardware, including an access control system and security cameras. In addition, your building will have to pay monthly fees for Virtual Doorman to provide ongoing monitoring and access to visitors and deliveries.

 

2. Telephone entry systems

A lower-end doorman option is to install a telephone entry system at your property’s entrance.

If you use a telephone entry system, you’ll have to connect one of the system’s ‘call’ buttons to a telephone managed by building staff or a concierge service. When visitors arrive, they press the ‘call’ button to speak to the doorman. The property staff can answer the call and converse with the visitor before granting them property access.

Telephone entry systems are less expensive to install than higher-end virtual doorman solutions. However, they lack a video calling component, so building staff can’t see who’s at the door before opening it for a visitor. They also don’t take photos or record video footage when visitors enter the building. This leaves your property less secure and more susceptible to package theft.

That’s why the best option for doorman services is to install a smart video intercom system.

 

3. Smart video intercom systems

Smart video intercom systems offer the best of both worlds: They’re more cost-effective than Virtual Doorman, and more robust than telephone entry systems.

 

 

Video intercoms let your off-site staff see and talk to delivery people and visitors, which means they can properly verify the identity of anyone requesting property access. And since the video intercom is connected to the door’s electric or magnetic lock, your staff can remotely open the door for visitors. For maximum convenience, systems with a mobile app allow residents to manage access from anywhere using their smartphones.

A smart video intercom is also ideal if you want to employ a traditional doorman during business hours but still want to accommodate deliveries and visitors outside of those hours. Visitors and couriers can call residents directly from the intercom at your front door when they need property access. Eliminating the third shift will reduce operating costs without hindering guest access during those hours.

 

ButterflyMX as a remote doorman

If you’re considering a virtual doorman solution, ButterflyMX is a robust, cost-effective doorman alternative for any size building.

The ButterflyMX front desk station empowers you to manage visitor access and tenant communication right from your property’s front desk — or from anywhere else in the world.

Additionally, a front desk station streamlines communication by allowing you to speak directly to visitors and tenants whenever necessary.

What’s more, a robust front desk station offers live video feeds so you can enhance security by authenticating guest access credentials and sharing live video with tenants.

Since the ButterflyMX intercom has a customizable touchscreen interface, you can add a call button that dials your off-site doorman. When visitors arrive at the building, they start a video call with the doorman, who can grant access right from their phone or computer. Package delivery is a breeze with ButterflyMX—couriers with a single-use or recurring delivery PIN can access the property without calling the remote doorman.

For added security, the intercom takes photos whenever someone accesses the property. These photos create a secure audit trail that building staff can view in an online workplace management dashboard.

The best part is that installing ButterflyMX is quick and easy. You’ll only need three connections — power, internet, and door strike. And because ButterflyMX is a wireless and cloud-based system, you won’t have to spend money purchasing or installing hardware. You can use any smartphone or computer to receive calls, see and speak with visitors, and grant remote property access.

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