Commercial Investment Real Estate is the magazine of the CCIM Institute, the leading provider of commercial real estate education. CIRE covers market trends, current developments, and business strategies within the commercial real estate field.
Issue link: http://cire.epubxp.com/i/128835
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Max Mobility n by Davide Pio, CCIM, CRS, LEED-AP Get Comfortable on the Cloud Until recently, if you went out of town or were out in the feld, 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 fle? "Sorry," you'd say. "I have that on my ofce 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 fnancial 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. Afer all, today's laptop is as powerful as any desktop computer, while the smaller tablet is the go-to device out in the feld. 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. Tis is 20 May | June | 2013 understandable, but mostly unwarranted. Companies that ofer 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 ofen 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 ofce, the laptop can be WHAT'S NEEDED? • Laptop: $500 – $1,500 • Tablet: $320 – $700 • E-fax: $120 per year • Cloud storage: $100 – $500 per year • Remote-access app: $17 – $60 per year • Cellphone: $400 – $500 • Cellphone apps: $10 – $20 • Total cost: $1,467 – $3,400 replaced with the smaller tablet, with a keyboard and other accessories if necessary. Tere are many useful apps for the iPad and other tablets. (See "Commercial Real Estate Apps," May/June 2012.) However, remoteaccess 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" sofware remotely. Another option, OnLive Desktop, provides access to a customizable, cloud-based PC that comes with full versions of Microsof 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 feld — 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. Tese usually range from $0 to $20 per month depending on the Commercial Investment Real Estate Mikhail Dudarev/Veer 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.