Dogwood Commercial Real Estate Integrates State-of-the-Art Security Solution, Reducing Operating Costs While Attracting New Tenets
The team at Dogwood Commercial Real Estate knew there had to be a more efficient and cost-effective way to manage office buildings. The veteran leadership group at the Dallas-area startup considered implementing several security improvements to provide enhanced value to the tenants and owners of the buildings they oversaw.
“We are very mindful of new technologies in the marketplace and how we can take advantage of them so we are not doing security the same way it has been done forever,” says Joe Zylka, Principal of Operations at Dogwood Commercial. “We wanted to figure out a better way.”
As part of its operating model, Dogwood targets office buildings with hidden value, particularly older, established structures that could provide tenants a differentiated experience. The addition of a restaurant, retail outlets, or a gym along with a refurbished lobby and conference rooms can attract new tenants while cementing relationships with current clients.
Dogwood also examines the operating costs of each building it manages and quickly realized that providing a comprehensive security and surveillance solution from EyeQ would create an opportunity to unlock additional value for all the buildings it manages.
State-of-the-Art Security as a Selling Point
Some of the properties in Dogwood’s portfolio employ on-site security personnel, but even when guards patrolled the buildings on predetermined schedules, coverage was limited. Additionally, Zylka found that the level of training and expertise of the guards varied from site to site, further degrading overall effectiveness.
By adding state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras from EyeQ to one such property, Dogwood was able to reduce monthly operating costs by nearly 50% while increasing overall security coverage and safety.
EyeQ’s complete end-to-end security solution monitors entrances and exits, parking lots and garages, and the areas around buildings 24/7, providing “eyes where security staff can’t be,” says Zylka.
Using thermal surveillance and Audio Voice Down services, EyeQ’s experienced team of security veterans continuously monitor sites from the company’s US-based Security Operations Center (SOC), delivering an almost immediate return on investment for properties with lower occupancy rates. New tenants feel safer moving into a building where safety and security are a top priority, and EyeQ personnel are available around the clock—even providing real-time “Virtual Watchman” services to monitor employees walking from the building to their vehicles after hours.
And for property owners, the new model makes financial sense, with the investment in improved security services typically being recouped within the first year of operation.
About EyeQ Monitoring
Established in 2007, EyeQ deploys security technology for medium to enterprise businesses. In 2021, EyeQ expanded its offering of technology solutions to automate and simplify tasks for automotive dealerships, multifamily, and a growing number of industries with the need for more eyes and ears around their properties.
