Provide Peace of Mind to Your Most Valuable Asset: Your Employees

Why KATANA?

KATANA SAFETY is a comprehensive way to address the duty of care obligations and prove a property management company’s commitment to the safety and well-being of its people. With our easy-to-use solution, you can transform from a company with thousands of unique risks to a proactive, pre-emptive and empathetic mitigator of risk.  Not addressing the risks to these employees could be a ticking time-bomb for the industry-based workplace safety and OSHA compliance.

Solving This Problem is Personal to Us

The onsite leasing and maintenance activities involve inherent risk, like touring an empty apartment with a stranger or entering an occupied apartment to address a work order, which shouldn’t be a source of stress. That’s why Katana Safety has designed a device that, with the mere flick of a finger, sets in motion a chain of events that prevents a bad situation from getting worse.

And because we’ve designed it to travel anywhere, your team will be continually reminded, every time they pick up their phone, that you have their back, both on and off the clock.

A Solution That Works

There have been other attempts to close this gap, but they fall short. Weapons aren’t viable for a number of reasons – least of all licensure. An extra device that would provide all these benefits can easily be forgotten, because it’s not your smartphone. And those apps – well, someone with malicious intent is not going to give you a moment to unlock your phone to launch an app before they strike.

Safe Employees Stay

What happens when you give your leasing and maintenance team members a quick trigger on that omnipresent smartphone? They can breathe a little easier. And with less stress, they can perform better.   They will know you care about them and are willing to make proactive investments in their well-being. They pay that forward to your prospects and current residents, who reward you with positive reviews, high lease conversion, and a steady occupancy rate.

Immediate Help With the Click of Button

The multi-family industry involves inherent vulnerabilities. Though unlikely, what happens if a team member is assaulted or injured on the clock? And what if you find out you could have done more to prevent it? Beyond that, what if others start asking if there’s more you could have done to prevent it?

A simple panic button doesn’t do enough  when it comes to keeping our leasing consultants safe.

– Customer Quote

It’s why we prefer not to conduct a tour after dark. It’s why maintenance team members go through rigorous safety training. It’s why we train our agents on the best and safest way to tour an empty apartment. Yet while defined policies and procedures are important, both for safety and to mitigate liability, they depend on human beings to follow them. And they may not be enough against a truly bad actor.

MULTI-FAMILY Employee Safety Facts & Protocols

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

    • 10 real estate and leasing professionals were murdered at work in 2017
    • 20 real estate workers murdered on the job in 2016
    • 11 real estate workers were murdered in 2015.
    • Problems with crime and security are widespread.

Recent poll of real estate professionals by publication, BUILDER:

  • 42% of respondents have been the victim of a crime or felt threatened while at work.
  • Highlight the importance for employers in the industry to ensure their staff members are aware of risks and educated on safety practices.
  • Property managers and leasing staff are exposed to many of the same risks they show units to total strangers; spend much of their time alone in leasing offices and units; and deliver eviction notices to inhabitants who could be volatile.
  •  Common situations that caused fear for agents were open houses, vacant homes, and model homes
  • Other fear-inducing circumstances reported include buyers who refuse to meet in public places, and properties that are unlocked, unsecure, or in remote areas. 
  • National Apartment Association (NAA), teaches general safety protocol to its credential holders and conference attendees, such as keeping phones with them, letting someone else know their location, and asking for ID prior to giving apartment tours.  -ANTIQUATED

Why Multi-Family Companies Are Investing

Multi-Family Leasing Agents are dealing with challenging situations and customers producing an unsafe and stressful work environment”. Comments from Leasing agents:

Violent and dangerous work environments has me feeling concerned for my safety and the safety of my team.

I am grateful for the employee discount living on site but also I am not able to live peacefully. I cannot enjoy amenities or even have family over at the pool without being harassed and/or questioned by residents who recognize me. Not to mention they find out where I live and this can become a safety issue if it becomes aware to a resident who is not happy or is angry at the staff for some reason because of course, this happens. I think we should allow employees to live at any site with the employee discount.

We are being treated horribly by residents with no regard to our safety or well being.

Angry and violent clientele, high stress workplace/low wage.

The community I work for sure needs security for staff safety and even residents. Security Is something that should be implemented during the leasing office hours from open and close.

The safety of leasing agents or anyone left alone should be considered. There are many times when they are left alone or unattended like Saturday’s or when daylight savings end and it becomes darker earlier. Managers/maintenance leaves between 5:00 -5:30 pm. Even though taking prospect ID’s are supposed to be a safety measure, it’s not much of a safety measure if it will be at least 10 hours before someone can check the office or model to see if anything has happened at all. Hopefully more vigilance and appreciation for leasing professionals will come along.

Best Practices

  • Stay informed of neighborhood crime by utilizing an incident reporting system, talking with properties in your area, reading the local newspaper, and/or checking police reports
  • Host neighborhood watch programs- good example of how properties are involving residents in making communities safer 
  • Invite local police officers to meet with residents
  • Invite various experts to speak about safety topics and to encourage residents to practice good safety habits
  • Complete thorough background checks not only for potential employees but also vendors who work on the property
  • Promote an anti-crime campaign so that residents can anonymously report disturbances
  • Encourage community relations- when residents know or are familiar with their fellow residents the higher the likelihood is of noticing unusual or out of the norm activities

Our Enterprise Employee Safety Solution Includes:

• Safety Compliance Reporting

• Corporate Administration User Portal

• Customized Dashboard

• Multi User/Transferrable Licenses

• Dedicated Training

• Dedicated Customer Support

KATANA Safety Features

Patented Personal Safety Device

  • Instantly unlock your phone to send alert with the flick of the trigger
  • Piercing Siren or Silent Alert
  • Creates a record for review by organization
  • Attaches directly to smartphone so it’s always with you and easily accessible

24/7 Response Center

  • Notifies your organization immediately
  • GPS locator
  • Emergency Dispatch

Enterprise Dashboard

  • View live alerts with GPS location per user
  • Compliance reporting and records
  • Quarterly data trends and analysis
  • Customizable

Featured In

If you are interested in learning how KATANA Safety can benefit your business and provide your employees peace of mind, please reach out by completing the form below or calling one of our representatives at 1-855-KATANA1.