I think it’s time that technology can do away with keys.
“I hate keys,” says Parakeet CEO Brad Huber. “I think it’s time that technology can do away with keys.” Keys, and a number of other inconveniences that make renting a vacation property less than ideal for the renter and the property manager, are all on Huber’s kill list. And thanks to the smart home automation platform Huber has created, those unnecessary evils can now disappear from the vacation experience.
When a guest rents from a vacation property equipped with the Parakeet platform, prior to arriving at their destination that guest receives a code to unlock the property doors. Gone are the days of fumbling around for a lockbox in the dark. And to save the renter from chilly or sweltering temperatures, the rental manager can remotely set the perfect temperature, then readjust the temperatures once the guest leaves.
Parakeet not only greatly improves the rental experience for the renter, but greatly improves the renting experience for the property manager as well. Parakeet reduces the operational costs for rental managers and allows managers to manage hundreds or thousands of smart homes from one dashboard. “Parakeet is the one-stop shop where they can get everything,” Huber says. “We’re the platform and we’re the service.” Parakeet helps managers determine which devices are necessary, lines up a third party installer, and trains the managers on the Parakeet dashboard. “Rental managers are not home automation experts,” Huber says. “We provide much smoother, much better service.”
Parakeet launched their beta in March of 2015 and came out of beta in September of the same year. Parakeet currently has sixteen property managers as customers. “Our goal is to be the platform of choice for rental managers using home automation,” Huber explains. It seems Parakeet is well on its way to meeting that goal. Parakeet has secured partnerships with HomeAway, Barefoot, and Streamline, meaning rental managers can control smart home automation while booking guests.
Parakeet is in diligence with Bay Area investors and Huber hopes to enter more verticals (student housing, commercial real estate, etc.) in the next couple of years. “Rental managers have a business case for home automation,” Huber says. “Home automation is a new and growing market.” Parakeet serves the desire of renters who long to rent a smart home and serves managers with the ability to meet that desire seamlessly.
