Born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, I’m used to the heat and humidity that abounds in this climate. Direct sunlight and weather can deteriorate locks over time. My father was a contractor and rental unit owner, and one of his major hurdles was changing the locks: back then it was expensive and time consuming.

Fast-forward to present day. I’ve been in the commercial real estate business for 14 years, and I also own about 20 rental units in 5-plex, 4-plex, tri-plex and duplex structures as well as a few single-family homes. The market is better in Sarasota now for a landlord; there are more people with status looking for places to rent. I’m able to pick and choose my tenants. Eight years ago it was difficult to find a tenant you could trust.

Kwikset’s SmartKey technology was a game-changer for me. I was in Home Depot about three years ago looking for door locks and an employee explained the new technology to me. I’ve been hooked ever since. I can’t afford to have a locksmith come change the locks every time someone moves in or out – it’s at least $50 per unit. But with SmartKey I can rekey the old keys in seconds. This is such a huge advantage for a multi-unit owner; I’ve recommended SmartKey to several units that have rentals.

I’m partial to the Juno polished brass doorknobs with SmartKey technology because I like consistency and for all of my units to have the same locks.

And when things get hectic stateside, I like to escape to my vacation home in Costa Rica. Even internationally, I’ve been able to use SmartKey to rekey my locks without having to go to a locksmith in a foreign country. That’s about as effective and efficient as it gets when it comes to rekeying and having to change the locks.

–Scott L.