Digital locks and other high-tech home security solutions are becoming increasingly important to the 85 percent of Singapore residents living in housing managed by the government's Housing and Development Board (HDB).
Consequently more and more HDB residents are willing to spend their own money on security solutions such as digital locks, biometric readers and surveillance systems, reports STProperty, a Singapore real-estate website.
Jean Tay, a 37-year-old mother of two, is one of them. “It is to safeguard my family,” said Tay, who seven months ago organized a bulk purchase of locks for about 30 residents in her estate.
The growing security consciousness, driven in part by longer working hours and greater levels of international travel, has resulted in 2,000 Yale digital door lock sales to HDB flat owners, with about 20 percent of these customers purchasing their locks through group purchases.
Alan Goh, Retail Business Development Manager of Assa Abloy Singapore, says word of mouth is partly behind the surge in demand. “Social media sites such as Facebook and renovation forums have become a good platform for discussing security needs and highlighting the advantages of digital locks,” Goh said.
As well as increased security, digital locks provide the convenience of keyless entry.