If new technology improves the productivity of commercial real estate professionals, it is worthwhile adopting. These new technology gadgets look promising, and some CCIMs have weighed in on how they use them.
When evaluating the adoption of new technology, ask if it will ease customer pain, enhance customer service, or create a different, individualized customer experience. If the answer is yes to one or more of those questions, think seriously about integrating the new technology into the business.
“To streamline the use of technology and connectivity in the different branches of my firm for my staff in the U.S. and Dubai, I converted all desktops, tablets, smart phones, and watches to Apple. I have full confidence in its security, speed, GPS, and mobility. As I travel internationally, the accessibility to my staff for support and delegation of assignments has become key to the success of my operations.”
- Kamil Homsi, CCIM, president at Global Realty Capital LLC in New York City and Dubai
Proven Versatility
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 provides the versatility of a laptop and a tablet in one device. “I supplanted my iPad 3 with a Surface Pro 4. The biggest difference is the Surface Pro 4 will drive a projector for presentations,” says Stan Stouder, CCIM, founding partner at CRE Consultants and Brokerage Services in Fort Myers, Fla. “Also, the display is more vivid than my iPad.”
Using the Surface Pro 4 as her laptop and tablet, Colleen Butcher, CCIM, has boosted her productivity. “I purchased two separate large monitors and two docking stations - one for the office and one for home,” says Butcher, managing director at Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates in Los Angeles. “The two screen option allows me to be twice as productive and see small details like engineering drawings on a larger screen. Now I can throw my Surface Pro 4 and a small remote Apple keyboard in my shoulder bag and don't need a rolling briefcase anymore when I walk around downtown L.A.”
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Master Archivist
Grexit is a free beta service that works with Google apps such as Gmail for Business to capture all emails and store them. It also sets up an archive to review business discussions.
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Smashing Keyboard
Wireless Glass Keyboard is Bluetooth-enabled and has touch-sensitive glass designed with a full QWERTY layout. It's compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS-X devices and recharges with a USB cable, which is included.
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Wireless Wonder
Archos 80b Helium Tablet allows users to sign up for 4G wireless service and skip Wi-Fi, providing better connectivity at hotels and on business trips.
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Sync Smart
Sony Smartwatch 3 Stainless Steel uses Android Wear for easy syncing to a smartphone and multiple apps. Users control the watch through voice, touch, and finger gestures.
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Printer To Go
Primera Trio All-in-One Printer weighs 2.7 pounds, so it is easy to carry around for meetings. This printer allows scanning, copying, and printing documents with high-resolution images.
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Presentations Perfected
Asus Transformer T300 Chi Notebook has a crystal-clear display, which runs at 2560 x 1440 pixels, and uses a wide-angle viewing technology. Commercial real estate professionals can use it for a presentation in a conference room, and the screen is legible for all participants.
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Project Simplifier
Soonr competes with Dropbox but differentiates its service by being more of a workgroup-oriented service. Leaders can create projects and assign team members to tasks and then configure alerts when participants receive a text that a document is updated.
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