The Pros and Cons of Amazon Key

– Crystal Vagnier – Select Group – Writer/Editor

In the fall of 2017, Amazon launched a new product, Amazon Key, which had been predicted to potentially change the way the real estate industry showcased their listings and homes on the market. So, what is Amazon Key? It is a smart lock service providing the homeowner to allow approved users and guests to enter their home via an app. Available now in 37 cities (the for Amazon Prime members, Amazon Key includes an indoor security camera, installation, smart lock, and an app to allow for a keyless entry and the ability to view who is entering and exiting your front door. Delivery people can securely leave a package inside your home and dog walkers, house guests, or babysitters can have free-range access without a physical key with your approval. With the Amazon Key App, users can use live view to check in from anywhere and they can unlock their door from anywhere.

This process has the potential to restructure the way real estate agents show homes. Having the means to spontaneously show a home to a variety of people is seen as the natural next step for the real estate industry. But some in the field have concerns, fearing they’ll eventually be phased out of the entire transaction process, diminishing their (the agent’s) own value. This service, designed to provide an easier process for deliveries when nobody is home to retrieve them, also raises privacy concerns. There are still technical glitches to be dealt with, problems of older misaligned door frames creating jams while locking, or improperly installed locks.

Amazon Key is primarily used only for Amazon deliveries, as a safeguard against porch theft. But with the advancement of technology and Amazon’s stronghold on the market, it’s not unreasonable to imagine the possibilities of more smart homes with smart locks. While the temporary relief of knowing a package has been delivered safely, it comes at a personal cost of relinquishing your private data and opening your devices for being potentially hacked. At this time though, the value of person-to-person contact is still valued over automation.

Eligible for Amazon Key delivery*

• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Baltimore, MD
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Cincinnati, OH
• Cleveland, OH
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Houston, TX
• Indianapolis, IN
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, KS
• Los Angeles and Orange County, CA
• Louisville, KY
• Miami, FL
• Milwaukee, WI
• Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN
• Nashville, TN
• Newark, NJ
• Orlando, FL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Phoenix, AZ
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Portland, OR
• Richmond, VA
• Sacramento, CA
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Antonio, TX
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco Bay area, CA
• Sarasota, FL
• Seattle and Eastside, WA
• Louis, MO
• Tampa, FL
• Washington, DC metro area

*Amazon Key In-Home delivery is currently only available in select areas, requires an Amazon Key Home Kit, and is exclusive to Prime members. Check your zip code eligibility on the Amazon Key Home Kit page.

For additional eligibility information, visit Amazon Key Home Kit Eligibility.

*Amazon Key In-Car delivery is currently only available in select areas, available on select eligible vehicles with an actively connected car service plan, and is exclusive to Prime members. You can check your zip code eligibility here: www.amazon.com/keyincar.

For additional eligibility information for In-Car delivery: How Amazon Key In-Car Delivery Works.