Privacy-Minded Home Security Options for the Camera Averse
As a homeowner, security and privacy can be an important priority. Learn about how to secure your home without always keeping a watchful eye.
Guest post by Eric Murrell
It’s never been easier to secure your home, thanks to an abundance of new gadgets on the market. Setups that once required professional installation and thousands of dollars in highly technical equipment are now easy to put together with off-the-shelf products and a few inexpensive apps. It’s a great time to be a consumer, and frankly, a bad time to be a criminal.
All of these new gadgets and services are great, but what if you’re worried about your privacy? Hacks and security breaches in the news—or simply the fear of loss of privacy between family members—have made some people uncomfortable with a camera-based security system inside their home. Thankfully, you can still make high-tech upgrades to your home to keep you safe without always keeping a watchful eye.
The first option to consider is a modern twist on a classic home security setup: motion sensors. Whether it’s a motion-sensitive light on your front porch or a few sensors placed around the home, motion-activated lights and alarms can be a surprisingly effective deterrent to the average thief.
Using today’s smart home technology, it’s easier than ever to add battery-operated sensors to strategic spots around your home. Both inexpensive and easy-to-install, these new sensors can trip lights and alarms like the old ones, but can also pair with a smart home hub to send instant alerts to your smartphone the moment an intruder is detected. Take a close look at your new thermostat or other smart devices; many include motion sensors that are already built-in.
To add an additional layer of security, purchase smart door and window sensors that serve as a first line of defense from the outside world. Like the motion sensors, inexpensive models are available that integrate with most smart home platforms. It’s simple to configure open and closed alerts, but you might find it even more helpful as a passive form of home security. Worried that you forgot to close the garage door after letting the dog out? By taking a quick glance at an app while you work, you can know for sure.
Even if you rule out in-home smart cameras, do consider having smart cameras outside your home so you can see if packages are delivered and if there are any trespassers in your yard. The most well-regarded systems now include location-based privacy features that use your smartphone to automatically adjust their settings, offering an unprecedented combination of privacy and security. Using the GPS signal from your phone, it’s easy to activate your full security network when you leave the house, and have the cameras automatically turn a blind eye the second you pull in the garage.
Security is personal for every family. Explore your device options, and even ask your internet service provider if they offer a home security solution, as bundling services often results in additional savings. Likewise, your ISP may offer the ability to control all of your existing home security gadgets from a centralized app. Whether you install array of sneaky sensors or smart locks, there are a wealth of connected home devices that can help keep your family safe without betraying their privacy. A good night’s sleep is only an app away.
Source: Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog
Helping Find Homes for Dogs in East Tennessee
Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, Realtors® is participating in the National Pet Adoption Weekend and the Homes for Dogs Project during September by promoting adoptable dogs and holding a special “Homes for Dogs” Open House event on Sept. 10th.
Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, Realtors® has been showing East Tennessee the way home for more than 80 years, and we’re excited to once again extend our mission to help find homes for dogs in our area.
Dogs Make a House a Home
Since 2015, the Homes for Dogs partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com has helped find homes for thousands of deserving shelter dogs.
But it’s not just the dogs who benefit from being part of a loving home. There is research that shows how dogs can positively impact our psychological as well as physical health. It isn’t a coincidence that you feel better coming home to your dog after a long stressful day. Studies have found that during heart rate and blood pressure testing, patients were calmer and had better test results when a dog was present.
Plus the exuberance dogs show when you start to put on a pair of sneakers is a great motivator for enjoying more active time spent together outdoors.
Helping Dogs in East Tennessee
Coldwell Banker’s Homes for Dogs project is now in its third year, and at Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, Realtors® in East Tennessee, we are ‘doggone’ happy to be taking part again.
All across the nation, real estate agents are doing their part to participate in the National Pet Adoption Weekend September 9th and 10th, 2017.
In Knoxville, we will be working with our local Adopt-a-Pet partner, the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley. First, we’ll be promoting adoptable shelter dogs with our “10 Days of Dogs” campaign on social media. Beginning September 1st, a different shelter dog will be featured each day across all the company’s social media platforms. We hope that by helping to showcase some of these amazing furry friends, they will be that much closer to finding their forever homes.
We’re collecting items from the shelter’s wish list at each of our six area office locations. We have placed special donation containers in our office lobbies where consumers can drop off greatly appreciate items that we will deliver to the shelter. Click here to find a list of items needed by the shelter.
Finding Homes for All
Since we’re also in the business of finding homes for people, real estate agents at Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, Realtors® will be holding a number of properties open on September 10th as part of this special event. We invite the public to visit any of our open houses that day and register to win one of six GPS pet trackers being given away. We’re hoping to help a few beloved pets make sure they always find their way back home. Consumers may also bring donated items for the shelter to any of our open houses on Sept. 10th.
Our company has been fortunate to be part of the community in East Tennessee since 1936. It has been our great honor to help thousands of our neighbors find their Knoxville home for more than 80 years. Many of our more than 350 sales professionals are passionate pet owners, and they look forward to taking part in this campaign to help find homes for dogs, our favorite four-legged friends.
Source: Coldwell Banker Blue MatterBlog
Coldwell Banker at Inman Connect San Francisco 2017
Inman Connect San Francisco brings together more than 4,000 of the most important people in real estate including top-producing agents and brokers, CEOs of leading real estate franchises and tech entrepreneurs to embrace and leverage the change that surrounds real estate.
Coldwell Banker showed up big this year. From the stage to the lobby Gen Blue was seen and heard – reminding the industry why it is real estate’s most iconic brand.
Below are some highlights from the week.
The President and CEO of Coldwell Banker, Charlie Young, gave an inspiring keynote from mainstage about how the Empowered Agent is bringing positive disruption to real estate and is a force to be reckoned with.
Charlie also wrote a piece for Inman on how to identify, embrace and support these talented specialists as we look to the future.
A special group of empowered agents were highlighted on mainstage including Team Diva with Coldwell Banker Bain in Seattle. Pictured on-screen below is Kim V. Colaprete and Roy Powell.
Lindsay Listanski, Senior Manager Media Engagement for Coldwell Banker, ran a social media crash course on how to implement geographic marketing using Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The audience ate it up and so did Inman. Lindsay’s presentation was packed full of how-tos, best practices and helpful tips on how to take your social media marketing to the next level and wow your sellers. You can catch her full presentation here.
David Marine, Senior Vice President of Marketing, predicted the future of real estate marketing. Spoiler alert: the future is video. He covered everything from local television advertising to how to effectively use video to bolster your listings. He also addressed how real estate brands should think about using tools like Zillow and Trulia to their advantage.
Coldwell Banker rounded out the week with a visit to the Nest Headquarters in Palo Alto.
Agents and brokers heard from Nest CMO Doug Sweeny about the future of the connected home and received a preview of what Nest is doing to support real estate Smart Home specialists.
Come back to CB Exchange for a new suite of marketing assets next month!
The networking and fun continued at the invite-only Coldwell Banker cocktail party – Smart Cocktails and Smart Conversations.
Even if you weren’t there in person you can catch up on everything you missed right here:
- David Marine on Why You Should Consider Advertising on Local TV
- David Marine on Zillow and Trulia
- Sam DeBrod on Why Brokerages Still Matter
- Terri King on the Value of a Franchise Brokerage and Coaching Your Team
- Charlie Young on Mainstage: The Empowered Agent
- Lindsay Listanski on Geographic Marketing using Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
Coldwell Banker sales associates can also stay in the know with Gen Blue News. Now available on Amazon Alexa, just enable Gen Blue News on your Amazon Echo or Echo Dot and say “”Alexa, Open Gen Blue News” or download the podcast through iTunes.
And if you’re still having FOMO make sure to join us at Gen Blue and Inman Connect NYC!
Our Future is Now: The Coldwell Banker Brand Anthem
The power of the Coldwell Banker brand – in one customizable video (and downloadable eCards). View the brand anthem video and get your very own now.
From the CB Zap platform, award-winning CBx Listing Experience App, smart home initiative and record breaking ad campaigns, Coldwell Banker Real Estate has the resources that can help you lead your market and exceed your goals.
Watch above as we show exactly why Coldwell Banker is the real estate brand with real advantages. And the best part is you can customize this video and download an eCard for promotional use in your local market!
The Coldwell Banker network is filled with trailblazers, trendsetters and doers. By affiliating with the brand, your business demonstrates a power, reach and recognition of a global brand where we make a difference in the lives of others.
Source: Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blig