Technology Solutions
Max Mobility
By Davide Pio, CCIM, CRS, LEED-AP |
Nowadays,
it’s easy to find articles about apps that help you work more efficiently.
However, a mobile CCIM needs a more specialized approach to operate in the
commercial real estate world. But a few apps and low-cost subscriptions could
free you from your office PC or Mac and allow you to truly work from anywhere
there’s a Wi-Fi connection or cellphone service.
Get Comfortable on the Cloud
Until
recently, if you went out of town or were out in the field, you were limited by
the tools you carried. To access STDB you needed a laptop and an Internet
connection (thank you, Starbucks). To sign a contract or lease, you needed a
printer or used your smartphone screen, which made it look like a 4-year-old
just signed everything. Need a file? “Sorry,” you’d say. “I have that on my
office computer — I’ll get back to you.”
But
this is changing. Nearly every broker I’ve met is somewhat tech savvy. Most
have smartphones with a few useful apps and a financial calculator. And nearly
all of them have a desktop PC or Mac in addition to a laptop and/or a tablet
—although I’ve never understood the concept of having all three. After all,
today’s laptop is as powerful as any desktop computer, while the smaller tablet
is the go-to device out in the field.
To
eliminate some of this expensive hardware, get comfortable with your data being
on “the cloud,” or Internet-based storage. Some people are apprehensive about
their information being stored “somewhere else” instead of on a nearby hard
drive. This is understandable, but mostly unwarranted. Companies that offer
cloud storage, such as Dropbox and Box, spend a lot on data security and server
protection. Plus, you can still keep copies of everything on your desktop
computer and back it up as often as you wish.
Going Mobile
Once you’re
comfortable with cloud storage, most tasks that previously required a desktop
computer can be handled with a laptop. And outside your office, the laptop can
be replaced with the smaller tablet, with a keyboard and other accessories if
necessary.
There
are many useful apps for the iPad and other tablets. (See “Commercial Real
Estate Apps,” May/June 2012.) However, remote-access apps such as Splashtop 2
and LogMeIn are key to achieving “max mobility.”
I
prefer Splashtop 2, which lets users access a sleeping PC, Mac, or laptop
remotely. Heavy Argus users can “check in” software remotely.
Another
option, OnLive Desktop, provides access to a customizable, cloud-based PC that
comes with full versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and even Internet Explorer
with Adobe Flash. Most useful to CCIMs is the ability to adjust Excel
spreadsheets on a tablet and to access Flash websites including STDB. Imagine
being able to pull up a saved site survey or start a fresh one while out in the
field — and skipping the entire issue of “getting back” to your client.
Of
course, Internet access is required to use these apps, and Wi-Fi doesn’t exist
everywhere. To have Internet access at all times, make your smartphone your
modem with a monthly data plan. These usually range from $0 to $20 per month
depending on the carrier and current plan. You can also
purchase a carrier-ready tablet and pay a monthly fee for data, which is the
simpler but in many cases more expensive option.
But
the question remains: Will max mobility help you make more money? The short
answer is yes. For example, while viewing a property to purchase, a client told
me the area “wasn’t as nice” as others we had seen. I argued that it was
actually a nicer area — only the block we were on wasn’t as well kept. To prove
it, I hopped on STDB and demonstrated that not only did the surrounding area
have less crime than other locations we had visited, but the median household
income was higher as well. With this new information, my client took up my
offer to drive the area a bit more and he was soon convinced that the location
fit his needs.
Davide
Pio, CCIM, CRS, LEED-AP, is a broker
associate with BCRE in Pinole, Calif. Contact him at
info@iLiveInTheBayArea.com.