The Luxer One Blog

The Future of PropTech in Multifamily: What Operators Need to Know Heading Into 2026

December 16, 2025

If there’s one word I’d use to describe the current state of proptech in multifamily, it’s this: cautious.
We are surrounded by technology. New platforms, new tools, new promises. And yet, adoption across the industry is still slower than many people expected. That doesn’t mean operators aren’t interested. It means they’re being thoughtful. They’re asking the right questions. And frankly, they’re navigating a lot of noise.
As we look toward 2026, I believe the future of proptech in multifamily will be defined less by flashy new tools and more by clarity, consolidation, infrastructure, and long-term flexibility. This is not about chasing trends. It’s about building a foundation that allows properties to adapt, scale, and deliver real value to both staff and residents.

How Third Party Delivery Drivers Use Smart Lockers

December 16, 2025

Third party delivery has become a permanent fixture in both retail and quick-service restaurants. As delivery volumes increase and customer expectations tighten, operations leaders are rethinking not just how orders are fulfilled, but how they are handed off. One of the most overlooked friction points in this process is the delivery driver pickup experience.
Smart lockers, originally designed for customer pickup, are increasingly being used as a reliable handoff point for third party delivery drivers. When implemented as part of a BOPIS strategy, smart lockers simplify pickup, reduce in-store congestion, and create a faster, more predictable workflow for everyone involved.

How To Write A Proposal To Get Smart Lockers Approved For Your Community

December 15, 2025

Getting smart lockers approved often has less to do with the technology itself and more to do with how the proposal is framed. Ownership groups, asset managers, and regional leaders are not looking for another amenity request. They are evaluating investments based on operational impact, cost control, and long-term value.
This guide walks through exactly how to write a proposal that speaks their language and positions smart lockers as a strategic improvement, not a nice-to-have.

Package Rooms vs. Package Lockers: Which Is Better?

December 11, 2025

Finding the best package management systems for multifamily communities often comes down to one key question: package rooms vs. package lockers. Both solutions help properties handle rising delivery volumes, reduce staff workload, and improve the resident experience, but each one serves a different operational need.
The right choice depends on your building style, delivery patterns, available space, and long term goals. This guide breaks down the differences, benefits, and limitations of each option to help you make an informed decision.

The Upgrades That Actually Make Renters Happier

December 10, 2025

When you strip away the fancy brochures and amenity checklists, most residents are asking one simple question:
“Does living here actually make my life easier and happier?”
The upgrades that make residents happier are not always the flashiest. In 2025, renters consistently gravitate toward improvements that protect their time, reduce friction in daily life, and make them feel safe, supported, and understood.
Recent renter surveys show a clear pattern. Tech-enabled conveniences, smart design, and practical comfort often outperform luxury features in driving satisfaction.
Here is what truly matters to residents and where smart package lockers naturally fit into the story.

What’s The ROI on Smart Lockers for Apartments?

December 9, 2025

When apartment communities evaluate new amenities, few generate clearer operational and financial returns than automated package systems. Between time saved and improvement to operational efficiency it’s no wonder that properties see significant ROI on smart lockers. Below is a simple breakdown of how to evaluate the return on investment for smart lockers in today’s multifamily environment.

The Global Shift Toward Smart Lockers: Why Automated Delivery Is Becoming the Backbone of Last Mile Logistics

December 9, 2025

For more than fifteen years, I have worked with locker networks across Europe and beyond, and have seen firsthand how quickly delivery systems can transform when economic pressure meets technological readiness. Today, the global last mile is approaching that same kind of tipping point. Parcel volumes are still rising, labor is becoming more expensive and harder to find, and urban security issues continue to grow. All of this is putting the traditional door to door model under unprecedented strain.
What comes next is not a mystery. It is already unfolding around the world. Smart lockers are becoming essential infrastructure for modern delivery, not a niche add on. In several countries, this shift is already well underway. In others, it is just beginning. But everywhere, the direction is clear.
The next decade of delivery will not be defined by faster vans or more expensive convenience. It will be defined by smarter, more efficient systems that allow carriers, retailers, and consumers to regain control of the last mile.
Smart lockers will be at the center of that shift.

Retail Industry Trends for 2026: What Operations Leaders Should Prepare For

December 8, 2025

After a turbulent few years of shifting consumer confidence, supply chain recalibration and nonstop digital innovation, retail is entering 2026 with more clarity and more pressure. The last 12 months revealed a shopper who is simultaneously value driven and convenience obsessed, pushing retailers to rethink how stores operate, how fulfillment happens and how technology drives profitability instead of complexity.
As leaders head into the NRF Big Show in New York, the message is clear. 2026 will reward retailers who streamline operations, modernize fulfillment and build flexible omnichannel experiences rooted in real, measurable efficiency. Here is what the latest data, forecasts and industry analyses tell us about the retail landscape ahead.

Has Delivery Replaced Pickup? What the Data Says About Retail’s Next Chapter

December 5, 2025

Retailers face more choices than ever when it comes to fulfillment: ship-to-home, same-day delivery, third-party courier pick-ups, and in-store or curbside pickup (BOPIS – Buy Online, Pickup In-Store). Is the traditional in-person pickup model fading away in favor of delivery and third‐party logistics? Data suggests that in-store/curbside pickup remains not only relevant but increasingly important, in a transformed, omnichannel context.

Best Practices For Package Locker Setup In Apartments

December 4, 2025

Package lockers have become an essential amenity in modern apartment communities. With daily delivery volumes rising and residents expecting secure self-service pickup, a well planned locker setup can make a major difference in resident satisfaction and staff efficiency. Below are the top questions property managers ask when planning a successful package locker deployment, along with practical best practices.

Top 5 Challenges Property Managers Will Face in 2026

October 24, 2025

The multifamily housing industry is entering 2026 with a mix of optimism and caution. New supply pipelines, shifting resident expectations, and tightening budgets are reshaping how property managers operate. While many of these trends have been building for years, 2026 will be the year they converge, putting more pressure on efficiency, service quality, and decision-making at every level.
To stay ahead, regional and property managers will need to plan strategically, invest in automation, and strengthen partnerships that can withstand the next wave of industry change.

Holiday BOPIS Case Study Breakdown: How Smart Lockers Streamline Seasonal Fulfillment

October 23, 2025

The holiday season has become retail’s ultimate stress test and Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) operations are often the first to feel the pressure. With peak order volumes up to 40% higher than average, many retailers struggle to balance customer expectations with limited staff and store space.
Luxer One’s new case study, How Smart Lockers Transformed Holiday BOPIS for a National Retailer, offers an inside look at how one major brand overcame those challenges using automated smart locker technology. The results? Faster pickup times, reduced labor strain, and higher customer satisfaction across hundreds of stores nationwide.

Why is Last-Mile Delivery Such a Challenge for Property Managers?

October 22, 2025

“Last-mile delivery” refers to the final step where a shipment moves from a transportation hub or carrier vehicle to its destination. For property managers in multifamily communities, this step has become one of the most difficult parts of daily operations. Rising package volumes, limited staff capacity, and growing resident expectations have turned last-mile logistics into a constant balancing act between efficiency and service.
In this guide we’ll explain the most common last-mile delivery challenges for property managers, explore how they affect community operations, and highlight practical ways to solve them.

What Are Parcel Lockers and How Do They Work for Multifamily Communities

October 22, 2025

With online shopping now the norm, apartment communities are seeing more package deliveries than ever before. According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, the average community receives 250–400 packages per week. This number can easily double during the holidays. For property teams, that means more time spent managing deliveries, handling resident complaints, and troubleshooting lost or stolen packages.

That’s where parcel lockers come in. These secure, automated systems have become one of the most effective ways to manage the growing volume of deliveries, while keeping residents happy and operations efficient. They combine security, convenience, and technology to simplify the entire delivery process from carrier drop-off to resident pickup.

Porch Pirates: How to Handle Package Theft During the Holidays

October 20, 2025

The holiday season means a surge in online orders, and unfortunately, a corresponding uptick in package theft. In 2024, as many as 58 million packages were stolen nationwide, resulting in an estimated $12 billion to $16 billion in losses.

Apartment residents are especially vulnerable, experiencing theft at nearly twice the rate of single-family homeowners. For multifamily property managers, the rise in “porch piracy” is more than a seasonal headache: it’s a reputational and operational challenge that can directly affect resident trust and retention.

Below are five strategic, actionable tips designed to help property managers understand how to handle package theft more effectively this holiday season.

The State of the Canadian Multifamily Market: Key Takeaways from CAIC

October 16, 2025

The Canadian multifamily market is undergoing a profound shift. At this year’s Canadian Apartment Investment Conference (CAIC), experts described an industry that’s both challenged by cost pressures and invigorated by innovation. Developers, investors, and property managers alike are confronting the realities of high construction costs, shifting immigration policies, and evolving renter expectations—while also seizing opportunities in emerging markets and new operational models.

Benjamin Tal, Managing Director and Deputy Chief Economist of CIBC Capital Markets Inc., kicked off the conference highlighting upcoming challenges in the Canadian market, but emphasized a bright future to come. Below, we break down the key takeaways from the latest Canadian Apartment Investment Report, what they mean for Canada’s multifamily sector in 2025 and beyond, and how Tal’s hopeful outlook is realistic.

The Ultimate Holiday Survival Guide: 7 Helpful Tips to Stay Ahead of the Chaos

The Ultimate Holiday Survival Guide for Multifamily

October 14, 2025

The holidays are a time for celebration, but for property managers, they can also bring the year’s biggest operational challenges. From snowstorms and staffing shortages to delivery surges and resident events, even the best-run communities can feel the strain.

According to ShipMatrix, national holiday package volume is expected to rise another 5% this season, adding pressure to mailrooms and lobbies already bustling with guests and events. And with colder weather and more residents staying home, maintenance and communication demands also increase.

This holiday survival guide for multifamily highlights seven smart, proactive ways to prepare your property so you can keep things merry, bright, and under control.

Turning Package Management into a New Revenue Stream for Multifamily Communities

October 9, 2025

As multifamily budgets tighten and operating costs rise, property leaders are rethinking how every amenity contributes to the bottom line. From EV charging stations to storage units, the best-performing communities are transforming resident conveniences into measurable financial returns. One opportunity that’s often overlooked? Smart package management.
With eCommerce deliveries now a daily norm, package lockers and rooms are more than a resident perk, they’re a powerful way to create a new revenue stream for multifamily communities while easing staff workload and improving satisfaction.

How to Unlock Government Funding for Food Pantries

October 6, 2025

As food insecurity continues to rise across the U.S., food pantries and food banks are being asked to do more than ever with fewer resources. But new opportunities are opening for organizations ready to modernize their approach.
From federal grants to local partnerships, government funding for food pantries has expanded in recent years to support infrastructure upgrades, technology innovation, and programs that improve equitable access to food. For many communities, that means new potential to integrate solutions like smart lockers that make food distribution safer, faster, and more accessible. But with the right preparation, you can turn this challenge into an opportunity to boost resident satisfaction and prove your property is ahead of the curve.
If you’re asking yourself “What is the best package management solution for my community?”, you’re in the right place. Below, we’ve outlined the most common questions property managers face, along with insights from our Multifamily Guide to Package Management.

IFMA World Workplace Recap: Key Takeaways for Facility Leaders

September 22, 2025

Every year, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) hosts World Workplace, bringing together leaders, innovators, and solution providers shaping the future of our built environments. This year’s event highlighted the pressing challenges and opportunities facing facility professionals across industries. From hybrid operations to sustainability and artificial intelligence, the 2025 IFMA World Workplace Recap underscores how facility leaders are rethinking spaces, systems, and strategies to prepare for what’s next.

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