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/92705
r Robe R sttarted di d a lit Rooberrt R d deent at N s Rein, CCIM, associate vice presi- t NAI REOC Austin in Austin, Texas, ted with the iPad. Aſt er his BlackBerry died a little over a year ago, he completed his Apple conversion with the iPhone. "Everyone is looking for a competitive advantage," Rein says. "And having some of these newer gadgets really gives you the upper hand." In September, Commercial Investment Real Estate asked CCIM members to rate their favorite technology, including tablets, smartphones, apps, and social media. Like Rein, most respondents are gaining a com- petitive advantage with an Apple arsenal consisting of an iPad and iPhone. Although the latest smartphones and tab- lets may get the most attention, respondents also cited more-utilitarian products that are critical to their businesses. Mobile Phone Winner: iPhone More than half of U.S. smartphones are Android phones, but 70 percent of CCIM members surveyed chose the iPhone as their favorite. Respondents noted that it comple- ments their essential hardware and soſt - ware, including email clients. "My iPhone seamlessly integrates with Outlook, which I use extensively to keep organized," says Carolyn M. Graden, CCIM, broker at T e Rants Group in Olympia, Wash. In September, Apple announced the iPhone 5. Compared with the iPhone 4S, the new phone has a bigger screen, weighs less, and has LTE capabilities. T e iPhone 4S, which was released in 2011, introduced Siri, a voice recognition system. The Samsung Galaxy S III, which launched in May, placed a distant second CCIM.com to the iPhone in the survey results, but it was the most popular Android phone among CCIM members. T e iPhone competitor includes a 4.8-inch screen and unique fea- tures such as instant muting, which silences audio notifi cations when the phone is placed face down on a surface. What to expect in 2013: Bigger screens, slimmer casing, and faster processing are staple features in new smartphones and will continue to be in 2013. But a recent lawsuit found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's patent, which could aff ect smart- phone design next year. Intellectual property experts say smartphone manufacturers will change their devices — for better or worse — to avoid litigation. Tablet Winner: iPad "When I'm touring buildings with clients, they may decide they're not interested in that building but ask about a building across the street," says Rein, who specializes in offi ce investment sales in Austin. With a few hand gestures on his iPad, he is able to share the property's vitals on the spot. "It makes you look like an expert because you instantly have all that information," Rein says. Like the smartphone category, tablet vot- ing finished with a Samsung product — the Galaxy tablet — in a distant second to an Apple product. T e Android-powered Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 has a bigger screen and is lighter than the iPad. Starting at $399, it is also less expensive than the iPad, which starts at $499. Google's Nexus 7 tablet tied for second and starts at $199. Despite targeting business users, Black- Berry's PlayBook tablet barely registered with CCIM members. Amazon released a faster version of the Kindle Fire this fall, but less than 1 percent of respondents selected the entertainment-focused tablet as their favorite. What to expect in 2013: Surface, Micro- soſt 's fi rst tablet, was released in October, just in time for holidays. With Excel, Word, and PowerPoint included, the Surface could upend the tablet market next year and pose the biggest challenge yet to the iPad's domi- nance, especially among business users look- ing for a seamless experience with Microsoſt Offi ce products. With a magnetic keyboard cover, USB port, and integrated kickstand, the Surface has the potential to serve as a true laptop substitute. Apple may steal some of Microsoſt 's thunder with the release of a mini iPad, which debuted in October at $329. Presentation Software Winner: PowerPoint CCIM members crowned Apple king of hardware in CIRE's tech survey, but when asked to name their favorite presentation soſt ware, an essential tool for pitching prop- erties, more than 75 percent of respondents chose Microsoſt PowerPoint. PowerPoint beat out Apple's iPad-friendly Keynote and two cloud-based programs — Prezi and SlideRocket. T e enthusiasm respondents showed for Apple products was replaced with resigna- tion when discussing PowerPoint. "I've used PowerPoint for more than 10 years, so why change?" says Ken J. Reinschmidt, CCIM, broker at Saratoga Commercial Real Estate in Bellingham, Wash. Voters said that Pow- erPoint would be more useful if Microsoſt followed Apple's lead and had a mobile app for its presentation soſt ware. November | December | 2012 37 Mike Kemp/Getty Images