Developer and builder Brookfield Residential has launched two new series of digital tools for its home buyers, known together as the Empower platform. The myTime system enables new and prospective buyers to access self-guided home tours at Brookfield Residential communities across the country, while myCommand allows users to operate smart homes using any one of the “big three” voice command systems—Amazon, Google, or Apple.
“By embracing all major platforms—Amazon, Google, and Apple—the technological reach of myCommand greatly heightens flexibility for homeowners,” says Brookfield Residential president and COO Adrian Foley. “At the same time, myTime expands the home-shopping experience with on-demand tours at almost any time, even after hours. While these advancements will deeply impact industry practices, the underlying result is to empower consumers with broad new choices, especially when they need it.”
While Brookfield Residential has offered self-guided home tours in the Washington, D.C., and Denver markets since 2018, the myTime system expands this option nationwide, allowing access to model homes and to a large array of move-in ready “inventory homes,” including before or after regular business hours. Customers can register or schedule a tour online, receive a unique code that opens the home’s smart lock, and may then either tour the home at their own pace or interact with a Brookfield Residential team member via video chat.
According to Brookfield, this system provides prospective buyers with greater security, privacy, and comfort during their home search. “For example, if a buyer is seeking to relocate to a larger residence that allows them to comfortably work from home, Empower gives them the private, expanded access they need to choose a home, plus whatever smart-home system they prefer when they move in,” Foley says.
The myCommand system, available in a growing number of Brookfield Residential communities, gives buyers the flexibility to “plug and play” the smart home systems they already prefer. “With Google, Amazon, and Apple each offering different advantages for different preferences, myCommand is now the most comprehensive, secure, and convenient smart-home program for new homes in North America,” Foley says. “It arrives at a time when people need it most, for home offices, home tutoring, and family entertainment.”
Individual smart home installations may vary from region to region, with local providers offering tutorials and appropriate device choices.
