Inman

Smart-home tech for agents: Motion sensors

In this weekly column, hosts Brandon Doyle, Doyle Real Estate Team with RE/MAX Results, and Colton Pratt, project manager, walk through smart-home products and showcase their capabilities while reviewing pros and cons. 

Motion detectors allow you to monitor an area. They are typically disabled when your system is set to “home” to help you avoid setting off your own alarm.

When you’re away, they can be set to notify you, trigger an alarm or do a variety of different actions. Typical cost for a motion detector is between $30-$42, and there is often one included in home security starter kits.

When paired with a compatible Z-Wave hub, this can be used to control lights, thermostats, fans and shades. Here are some of our favorite motion sensors:

  • NYCE: Zigbee, works on SmartThings and Hubitat, long battery life 
  • Samsung: Zigbee, works on SmartThings and Hubitat  
  • BeSense: Z-Wave, works on SmartThings and Hubitat 
  • Monoprice: Z-Wave Plus, doesn’t automatically connect to SmartThings 
  • Aeotec: Z-Wave Plus, works on Hubitat and SmartThings, not currently supported by Abode
  • EcoLink: Z-Wave Plus works on SmartThings and Hubitat

Listen in to the full video above for the ins and outs of each motion detector and what Brandon would recommend.

Brandon Doyle is a Realtor at Doyle Real Estate Team — Re/Max Results in Minneapolis and co-author of  Mindset, Methods & Metrics – Winning as a Modern Real Estate Agent. You can follow him on Twitter.