Every day I get at least one email announcing a new CRE app. Some of them look pretty good so I check out the website. Usually, no price is published, so I forget it about. I just don’t have the time to watch a demo only to be told it’s out of range price-wise. This goes on day after day. And then the day comes when I’m looking for something and can’t find it. Google isn’t much help when you type in “commercial real estate software” or any variation of that. Most of the new ones are buried, … [Read more...]
How Good is CRE Big Data?
The term “big data” has been thrown around a lot lately. CRE is no exception with startups claiming to be harnessing its power. What is big data? It refers to large data sets of both structured and unstructured data sources. You’re dealing with structured data when you’re filling out forms. Each field in the form goes into a column in a table in a database. Unstructured data is typically text – like Tweets – where meaning has to be derived from analysis of the text. That’s where … [Read more...]
Tech Gadgets Reviewed
Hybrid Laptops While there are a few agents who can get by with a tablet for outside of the office work, most prefer a full featured laptop. They just want it lighter. And if they could ditch the tablet, they wouldn’t mind that either. Microsoft answered the call with its Surface Pro which was eventually cloned by the other computer manufacturers. I used a 7 inch Dell version for travel for a few years without incident (though it was way too small for real work). So when it was time for a … [Read more...]
My CRE App Sticking Points
As part of my job, I evaluate technology for a commercial real estate brokerage and its agents. Five years ago, there seemed to be so much potential. I looked forward to finally having apps that really worked for CRE. Five years later, I'm bored. Besides seeing clone after clone of the same old thing, when I do see something that looks promising, there’s always a sticking point. The apps may be new, but there are still the same old issues that keep me from making a commitment much less … [Read more...]
New Apps Featuring Flyp, Tribe & Smart Business Cards
This round of new apps aren't made for commercial real estate but I think some of you will find them useful. And CRE app developers should take note of some of the features, design and overall ease of use of these apps. I mean, there's no reason apps have to be complicated. Or ugly. Tribe There’s a new breed of task management and collaboration tools that are not CRE specific but can work as well – or even better - for brokerages. One such app is Tribe which has the distinction of having an … [Read more...]
Turn Spreadsheet Data into Stories
Just when you think CRE tech is getting boring (or is it just me?), something comes along to rekindle some excitement. That something is Automated Insights, a company that’s been generating stories from data for the past few years using Wordsmith. Yes, I’m talking about artificial intelligence. Used by major companies like Yahoo and Associated Press, it takes the pain out of writing standard format articles or reports like company earnings, sports scores, performance reviews and more. And … [Read more...]
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