How to Protect your Prebuilt Buildings with a Real-Time GPS Tracker
As the rent-to-own (RTO) market for prebuilt buildings—like sheds, barns, stables and tiny homes—continues to grow, so do the challenges that come with managing and protecting these high-value assets. With prices ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 for small structures and up to $60,000 for larger barn-style units, the financial risk for RTO manufacturers is significant. That’s why many manufacturers are finding new and surprising ways to protect their assets.
Why Is Rent-to-Own Risky?
In a typical RTO agreement, a customer makes a small down payment and makes monthly payments over time. The building is delivered and set up on-site. If everything goes smoothly, the customer makes their payments throughout the agreement and owns the building after all payments are made. But unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. A growing problem, especially for smaller and portable buildings, is that once it has been delivered and setup on the property, customers can move these prebuilt buildings to another location, breaking the agreement and disappearing with your expensive asset.
Another scenario that can cause major problems for RTO building manufacturers and retailers is building theft by third parties. With the high cost of metal and lumber materials, pre-built sheds and other buildings can be a target of theft. Smaller buildings can be pulled onto a trailer and stolen in minutes, leaving your customers and your business at risk.
While building theft may not be as common as other property theft, even just one or two missing prebuilt buildings can have a serious impact on your bottom line. That’s why it’s important for RTO companies to use GPS theft protection for their assets.
The good news is there’s a simple and effective way to protect your investment with GPS tracking. A compact, battery-powered GPS device can be installed in minutes and activated with minimal setup. Whether added during manufacturing or at the delivery site, a wireless GPS tracker can be discreetly placed inside walls, along beams, roof lines, or other concealed areas of the structure. Once activated, the device logs movement and location data at regular intervals, helping you monitor assets over time and respond quickly if a building is moving when it shouldn’t. It’s GPS theft protection made simple.
For large manufacturers with hundreds of buildings shipped to retail locations across the U.S., asset inventory management can be another major challenge. Occasionally, due to paperwork errors or miscommunication, manufacturers lose track of where specific units are located or were delivered. Once a prebuilt building is unaccounted for, it can be difficult to locate, sometimes resulting in unnecessary loss.
A GPS tracking device provides visibility across the supply chain, helping manufacturers and retailers keep tabs on inventory in the field. While this is not as urgent as theft prevention, it’s a valuable feature that reduces inefficiencies and increases accountability.
Encore has quickly become a leader in battery-powered GPS tracking for the prebuilt-building industry. Whether it’s supporting rent-to-own trackers or enhancing asset inventory management, Encore is designed for flexibility and ease of use.
PassTime’s Encore, our industry-leading, battery-powered GPS tracker, offers a wealth of insights and tools to help you keep track of all your inventory. Here’s how:
The most important consideration when choosing a GPS tracking solution is being sure you’re covered by a company you can trust. PassTime is not only well known for our great products but also for our exceptional customer service. According to Allison A., “I highly recommend PassTime to anybody! After many years of different GPS companies, I finally feel as if I’ve found a company that takes care of the customer, not just our money.”
Are you ready for a reliable GPS solution that’ll provide top-notch GPS theft protection? Contact us today for a free quote.
