By Mel Schultz Commercial Properties, Vendors

Should You Upgrade to a Cloud-Based Security System?

Upgrade to Cloud-Based Access Control - For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Affiliations & Credentials: We are proud members of IREM, CCIM and MNCAR along with various professional organizations and hold relevant certifications in the real estate management field. Our affiliations and credentials demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

Everyone on the Clarity Commercial team hopes to become a trusted partner and resource for our clients. We’ve helped property owners with all sorts of questions, from how to grow a profitable commercial real estate portfolio to how to supervise on-site workers. One question we’re often asked is how to best secure commercial property with a Cloud-Based Security System.

There are as many ways to secure a property as there are properties themselves. A warehouse in Burnsville, Minnesota, has very different security and safety needs from an apartment building in downtown Minneapolis. This month, we wanted to focus on one of the newer technologies in commercial security: cloud-based security systems.

Cloud-Based Security System are a Hot Trend

Cloud-based security systems have become very popular options for commercial properties. Cloud-based systems can integrate several different layers of security, from alarm and access control systems to security cameras and CCTV. It’s easy and affordable to add sensors and other security equipment to a cloud-based system, which makes them a great option for a growing business or for landlords with average to high tenant turnover.

In a cloud-based system, property managers and owners manage who has access to their buildings through an online dashboard. They can assign and revoke access to all or parts of their property and review who’s entered and exited the building. Cloud-based storage of video makes it easy and affordable to keep and review footage from security cameras anytime, anywhere.

Cloud-Based Access Control for Tenants

For a property with multiple tenants, a cloud-based security system is a great option. Many newer systems are operated via a smartphone app, which means owners do not have to invest in hundreds of key cards that can get lost or stolen. Instead, tenants download the app, the property owner or manager authorizes them as users, and the app automatically unlocks doors for them via the phone’s Bluetooth capability. Since it’s cloud-based, access can be assigned or revoked instantly, and records of who is entering and leaving the building are immediately available.

If you’re considering adding or upgrading a security system on your commercial property, Clarity Commercial is here to help. Our property managers have years of experience advising property owners on how to find the security system that keeps their property secure without breaking the bank. Contact us today for help.

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Affiliations & Credentials: We are proud members of IREM, CCIM and MNCAR along with various professional organizations and hold relevant certifications in the real estate management field. Our affiliations and credentials demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

Commercial Maintenance - Fall Cleanup for Commercial Properties in Minnesota

January 15, 2019

By Mel Schultz Vendors Property Management

Winter Commercial Maintenance Tips from Clarity Commercial

So far, January has been a relatively mild month in Minnesota. We list some commercial maintenance tips to keep your property safe and worry free. We haven’t had a run of frigid temperatures or a major snowstorm. But anyone who’s lived through a winter here knows that there is a high likelihood that the other shoe will drop. Are you prepared to keep your parking lot and walkways safe and clear for your guests and employees?

Commercial Maintenance: Keeping Parking Lots and Walkways Clear of Snow

Mild temperatures in early January melted away most of the snow in Twin Cities, but chances are we’ll get a few more snowstorms before winter’s done with us. Have you contracted with a snow removal company yet?

If not, Clarity Commercial can help. We partner with the best snow removal companies in the area to help our customers keep their parking lots and walkways clear and safe. If snow’s in the forecast, the crew will stop by before the storm hits to pretreat your surfaces. Then, they will clear your parking lots and walkways as soon as the snow stops falling. Once they’ve cleared the snow away, they can treat your lot and walkways with deicer to keep them safe for your guests and employees.

Commercial Maintenance: Keeping Parking Lots and Walkways Clear of Ice

Remember the slop storm we got around Christmas? The rain/ice/snow mix left quite the icy mess. If our winter continues to be mild, we may get another one of these messy storms before spring. Keeping parking lots and walkways safe after an ice storm is a tough job.

Clarity Commercial’s trusted partners have the equipment and trained staff to pretreat and remove ice buildup from your parking lot and walkways. They’ll lay down deicer before the storm hits, so the ice cannot build up on your property. After the storm moves through, they’ll come back to plow and shovel, if needed, and retreat any slick areas.

Snow and ice are part of a Minnesota winter, but they don’t have to put your guests and employees at risk of slipping and falling. Clarity Commercial can help you keep your property safe this winter. Contact us today to get started on your snow removal and maintenance plan.

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Affiliations & Credentials: We are proud members of IREM, CCIM and MNCAR along with various professional organizations and hold relevant certifications in the real estate management field. Our affiliations and credentials demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

Building Tenants and Guests Safe during Winter

October 18, 2018

By Mel Schultz Commercial Properties, Vendors

3 Ways to Keep Building Tenants and Guests Safe during Winter

Property owners in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, face a unique challenge for up to six months of the year: winter. Whether you own a strip mall in the suburbs or office space downtown, winter cold, ice, and snow make it difficult to keep your building safe and comfortable. Here are three challenges property owners face in winter and how to solve them.

Commercial Property Maintenance: Snowy and Icy Walkways, Driveways, and Parking Lots

Challenge

Snow can make it difficult or impossible for tenants and guests to reach your building. In late winter, mountains of plowed snow can shrink your parking lot and make it difficult to see pedestrians. Ice makes walkways and driveways treacherous, too. Some cities require you to clear and de-ice public walkways around your building within 12 to 24 hours, which is difficult if you own more than one property.

Solution

If you own just one building, you may feel comfortable clearing your walkways, driveway, and parking lot yourself. Maybe you own a plow or don’t mind getting to your building early so walkways are clear once your tenants and their guests arrive or staying through the day to ensure walkways remain clear.

If this sounds like a lot of work, or if you have more profitable things to do with your time than clear snow, consider hiring a snow removal company. A snow removal company will plow snow, shovel walkways, and de-ice all paved surfaces to ensure they’re safe and easy to navigate. If you already work with a property management company, such as Clarity Commercial, ask if you can add snow removal to your list of services.

Broken Boiler or Offline HVAC System

Challenge

It gets brutally cold in Minnesota. No one wants to work in or visit a building where the heat is broken. But if you own an older building, discovering a broken boiler or furnace is a real possibility. Without proper maintenance and regular repairs, you may have to shut down your building for a day or more due to frigid indoor temperatures.

Solution

Head any boiler or HVAC issues off at the pass with regular maintenance and repairs. Routine boiler and furnace checks can uncover issues before they occur. Not an HVAC professional? Then it’s time to call your property management company. Clarity Commercial can take the headache out of boiler and HVAC maintenance so you keep your tenants warm all winter long.

Power Outages

Challenge

Minnesota is home to some epic blizzards (remember when the Metrodome roof collapsed?). High winds and accumulating snow can bring down power lines. This means all your tenants’ electronic equipment—including office computers or a restaurant’s freezers—will be down until the power comes back on. Power outages are a headache at best and a disaster at worst, especially when refrigeration is involved.

Solution

A generator is one of the best investments you can make. The generator kicks in to support your building until the power comes back on. It’s not a long-term fix, but it is a lifesaver for you and your tenants. Clarity Commercial can recommend generators that are good solutions for your building.

Don’t let winter make property ownership a headache this year. Partner with a commercial property management company that can take the challenges of winter property management off your plate. Contact us today to get started.

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Affiliations & Credentials: We are proud members of IREM, CCIM and MNCAR along with various professional organizations and hold relevant certifications in the real estate management field. Our affiliations and credentials demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

By Mel Schultz Commercial Properties, Vendors

Vendor Testimonial

This is why we love what we do – when out of the blue a vendor of ours sends an email to tell me how well my employees are doing and that we are building our business the right way!! Thank you Mark!!

Mel,

While I have a moment and it’s fresh on my mind, I want to congratulate you and your team on the launching of Clarity Commercial. These are exciting times and I know you will continue to grow and succeed for many years to come.

I also want you to know when members of your team go above and beyond expectations when dealing with contractors, such as myself. I speak of Jenny Ramola. She is extremely professional and pleasant to deal with. Any and every time I’ve dealt with Jenny, she gets to the heart of the matter, communicates well and follows through.

She realizes that contractors and Property Managers for that matter, don’t often get emails or phone calls singing the praises of how well your company manages a property or how efficient/effective a contractor is while on a property site. Jenny, on many occasions, has passed on a kind word or compliment coming from a tenant and is one of only a handful of people (that I’ve ever dealt with) to ever bother doing this. She seems to genuinely appreciate the work we furnish and always thanks me/us for the various services you folks have asked us to provide to your clients.

So congratulations on the great team you have surrounded yourself with and thank you for giving Lakeville Building Services the many past, current and future opportunities!

Respectfully,

Mark Rundquist
President
Lakeville Building Services, LLC