Proptech Company Envoy Adds Real-Time Visitor Management

Proptech company Envoy, which has a cloud software platform for hybrid workplaces, has added a new product, Envoy Connect, which is a multi-tenant visitor management system, according to the company’s website.

The intent is “streamlining visitor registration in the main lobby.” Real-time communications between the front desk and tenants. Staff in the lobby can know “who’s expected at each suite, who they’re visiting, when, and why.”

“Tenants can customize visitor emails, entry requirements, notification settings, and more to create the best experience for their hosts and visitors,” the website further explains.

Real-time analytics on foot traffic, physical occupancy, and capacity by tenant and overall property help better plan for future needs and capital expenses.

Envoy already had a visitor management system. It also has a hot-desk booking system, conference room scheduling, mailroom automation for package pickups, and hybrid work software for space booking and wayfinding.

In a press release, the company says that more than 16,000 standalone offices already use its software. Envoy Connect helps extend its reach into multi-tenant properties.

In January, Envoy raised $111 million in a Series-C fundraising round led by Brookfield Growth, the investment arm of Brookfield, one of the largest owners and operators of real estate. “[CEO Larry Gadea] and the Envoy team have built a dynamic workplace platform that maximizes productivity and improves the employee and guest experience by eliminating the friction in office leading to a safer, more engaging office that adapts space for flexibility and collaboration,” Brookfield wrote at the time.

Moving beyond single-tenant buildings is a virtual must for a company in Envoy’s niche. According to recent Gallup polling, fully on-site work will become a “relic of the past.” The shift will mean that many if not most companies will have to reconsider their real estate use. Companies that can manage employees’ part-time schedules and avoid large spikes in office appearance will have the opportunity to reduce their space needs and likely adjust, dropping significant space as some large companies have already begun to do.

Perhaps companies will move and downsize floor space, like KPMG has done, possibly moving into multi-tenant buildings. Those that are locked into leases might instead look to sublease out excess and effectively turn them into multiple tenant properties themselves.