TECHNOLOGYSOLUTIONS
Always Accessible Tablets, with their larger surface area for typ- ing and reading, are overtaking smartphones as the way to remotely access email, accord- ing to CCIM members. If typing on a vir- tual keyboard feels odd, an optional external keyboard can free up screen real estate and provide a more familiar typing environment. Connecting an iPad to an existing email
account varies in diffi culty. Adding a Web- based account such as Gmail or Hotmail only requires an email address and pass- word. Connecting to an offi ce email account can be more complicated and may require help from technical support.
w 20 September | October | 2012 iPad Insights by Dennis LaMantia
When Apple unveiled the iPad, commercial real estate professionals could impress their clients just by carrying the tablet into a meeting. Two years and many competitors later, the iPad has lost its novelty but not its utility. CCIM members continue to fi nd ways to use it to make their jobs a little easier.
Property Listings Commercial real estate professionals no longer have to remember to pack all the property fl iers, fl oor plans, and other fi les needed for the day. Cloud storage apps such as Dropbox give tablet owners access to digi- tal versions of these fi les. Aside from the peace of mind and lighter
load, using the tablet to access fi les stored on the cloud allows Jack A. Strollo, a broker at Broadway Real Estate Services in Lakeland, Fla., to be more responsive to his clients. "I may meet a client at one property, but aſt er the initial tour I discover that their needs
would be better suited by another site," he says. "I can pull up that property's photos, marketing fl ier, and fl oor plan on my iPad to see what they think." CoStarGo and LoopNet's app provide
another way to view property listings away from the offi ce. Similar to the desk- top versions, these listing apps can fi lter results by property type, price, size, age, and more. "I've used the LoopNet app when I'm in a new area and want to see what is available close to me," says Jason Archer, associate at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank in Atlanta.
"The engagement clients experience when holding and watching a presentation on the iPad is unique."
Commercial Investment Real Estate
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