The Story and Purpose of Caret
Caret began with a practical question: how could a property team make it easier for tenants to communicate with their building and use its shared amenities?
Caret was formed by experienced commercial real estate executives to improve property operations and give teams a clearer view of the work across their buildings.
Our team sat down with one of the founders of Caret, Rob Blackwell, to discuss how Caret is changing the way tenants and building owners interact with their buildings in this digital age.
The Genesis of Caret
What is Caret and how did it come to be?
Rob Blackwell: The idea for Caret started during a redevelopment of a downtown office highrise. We were attracting smaller, less hierarchical companies who interacted directly with our management team for questions and service requests.
We wanted to create an app that could facilitate this conversation while connecting tenants to all the new amenities we had included in the redevelopment. We quickly recognized the value in removing the traditional "gatekeeper" role that many tenants rely on when interacting with their building.
"By democratizing the communication process, we've been able to connect with all users of our space, not just the office administrator of the typical tenant."
Prioritizing Ease of Use
These days, ease of use is everything. How does Caret make this process easier?
Rob Blackwell: Ease of use is exactly where we wanted to start, but there was no blueprint for this in our industry. We wanted to empower tenants with the ability to easily submit service requests, something typically avoided in the past because the process required calling a call center or logging onto a desktop.
By adding service request functionality to Caret, we created the most convenient platform that allows tenants to voice issues while giving Operations and Property Management teams the opportunity to address concerns in real time.
This process drastically improves the tenant experience and has paved the way to add access to tenant amenities. Caret provides the platform to place service requests, receive building updates, and book amenities like the gym or golf simulator, all using the same app.
Brand Consistency and Tenant Experience
Tenant spaces are a reflection of their brand. How does the Caret platform help tenants maintain their brand, and do you think this adds value to the tenant experience?
Rob Blackwell: We wanted to make service requests much easier, which increases pride of ownership because people get results quickly. The platform also helps us keep tenants informed, a step that's typically missed.
In the old way of doing things, when a tenant placed a service request, that would be the end of one way communication. They never knew the status or if there was a delay for some reason.
"The Caret platform allows for real time updates, giving tenants a sense of control over their space. Helping tenants feel more engaged and empowered within their space is powerful."
The Development Journey
Creating this process was not easy. What went into creating the Caret platform?
Rob Blackwell: We spent three years developing the platform and building the app. We had several learnings throughout the process, but these learnings were imperative to create a product we're proud of and one that provides value to all stakeholders.
We're leveraging more data from our assets and gaining deeper understanding of how our tenants and management teams interact in our buildings. This helps us refine our asset management strategies while improving the overall tenant experience.
Caret has simplified the way Asset and Property Managers, Building Operators, contracted staff, and tenants interact. We believe this platform is a critical tool that every commercial building owner or manager needs.