When I used to think of commercial real estate, I would often get frustrated that more people weren’t embracing the need to integrate available technologies into their business.
The Good, the Great and the Awesome of Realcomm 2015
We are very excited about Realcomm this year - happening in San Antonio at the Marriott Rivercenter this coming June! This year’s theme: “Real Change. Right Now. Welcome to the Future.” This reflection is about re-engineering the real estate process and moving it forward. Realcomm is all about bringing the newest and best technologies into our sector - real estate. It is by far the largest conference for real estate technology on the planet!
What are we talking about here? We’re talking real time information management, next generation property management concepts, integrated CRMs, mobile platforms, totally smart buildings, immersion walls, 3D printing, drones, robots...and the list goes on and on! What started out as ideas, are now here and we are loving every bit of it!
From education to technology to collaboration, we’re talking 100+ speakers, several exhibitors, and thousands of networking opportunities! It’s one of the best chances for you to meet with like-minded real estate professionals and really discuss and debate how this new tech will revolutionize our industry trends. You don’t want to miss this opportunity!
Year after year, this Realcomm continues to bring 1,300 plus people yearly to the conference and this number continues to grow. A lot of the focus of Realcomm is explaining the importance of anticipating and understanding the effects of developing trends in today’s fast-paced business environment. It’s about bringing together all of this with the greatest technology and innovations and transforming our industry as a whole.
What’s even more exciting about Realcomm this year, is that we, as a whole, our industry, are finally ready to adopt the new innovations into our business plans, marketing, and strategies. All of the new technologies that we are introduced to are being put into motion for our everyday activities.
For us here at Oynx, that means bringing the best tools and programs into our own family and giving each team member the opportunity to get excited about transforming the way we can service our clients better and more efficiently. We want our team members to constantly feel exhilarated about what’s next and how to pass this along to not only our clients, but also their peers!
I will personally be speaking at this year’s COO Innovation Summit on June 8th: Asset and Operational Management SOFTWARE Platforms – Faster and Smarter. My executive level overview of the last 12 months' of activity in the real estate information management business will provide insight into the status of traditional companies and a multitude of new entrants.
If you’re thinking of skipping Realcomm this year...don’t! Don’t miss the chance to see some of the most innovative case studies, network with the best and brightest industry leaders and the opportunity to meet more than 100 vendors offering unbelievable technology that can be used in your own organization. If you have even one technology decision to make this year, it should be attending this event and I promise you will leave it inspired and marveled at how far our industry technology has come!
See you in June!
CRE Tech Austin: Leading Change
I have some exciting news regarding an upcoming event that I’m proud be be part of with some amazing people. Onyx Equities has teamed up with CRE // Tech to produce an event called CRE Tech // Austin...and you’re invited!
WHAT: CRE Tech // Austin
WHEN: March 12, 2015, 5:00PM - 9:00PM
WHERE: Benji’s Cantina, Austin, TX
HOW MUCH: $20
* SEATING IS LIMITED! RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY *
CRE Tech // Austin, being sponsored in partnership with Oynx Equities, will deliver what I know will be an inspiring and educational program about commercial real estate, technology, leading change, staying relevant in moving times and how to keep momentum to build future ventures.
The conference will run from 5:00PM to 9:00PM (CDT) at Benji's Cantina in Austin. Co-chairs of the event include Cristi Jakubik, the CMO and Co-Founder of Rail Yard, Inc. and Bryant Patterson, Director of Data Analysis with Stream Realty Partners. Great information with great people. You do not want to miss this!
Also at the event, there will be guest speakers eager to discuss with you the importance of technology, something I know I have tried to grind into our current and future leaders (see previous blog post here), and how this affects our commercial real estate industry and the people we work for and work with. Also on the agenda are various case studies on VTS (View the Space), HPI Real Estate Services & Investments, RealMassive and Relationship Science (RelSci), which will really give you insight on technology, how to implement it, what it will do for us and the changes we have to make to keep up in the future.
As a keynote, to kick off the conference, I am excited to discuss with our industry the journey we have taken and will take, how to lead change in business strategy and technology and the importance of using data, the value of it and how that affects our business. As I always say if you can’t measure it, you can't manage it.
I am thrilled to be a part of this great event and share the stage with some of our great thought leaders. I know that we all can take away valuable information to bring back to our team, implement into our businesses and really take our industry to the next level. The conference will offer a fantastic opportunity for you to get involved with some of our industry's top leaders, take part in a Q&A session, all while networking with the best of the best. Again, do not miss this opportunity to lead the change in your business. Sign up today here where you can also find a more detailed agenda for the event. For $20, you are really getting a priceless experience that I know will open doors. I really hope you will take this great chance and sign up today!
If you need a little more of a push, which you shouldn’t, there is an open bar and appetizers! Looking forward to seeing you in March. Come learn, grow and experience. It is time for you to lead the change.
Events, Forums and Panels: Why You Need Them
I am lucky enough be a moderator at a conference with the CRE Finance Council and host a portion of the program that covers the basics of Crowdfunding and how the CRE industry could be transformed. For those of you who are new to this exciting bridge between technology and real estate, crowdfunding platforms allow individual investors to own parts of real estate properties and earn returns on their investments. They didn’t have to leave their house; they didn’t have to leave their office; and they didn’t even need to speak to anyone in person. (Check out CNBC Crowdfunding-Ifunding for a Power Pitch from a company called IFunding for more information.) Companies like IFunding, Fundrise and ProHatch are created as an effort to provide access to commercial and residential real estate investments that may not have access to investment options. It provides new ways to invest and diversify your portfolio. The idea of crowdfunding and having the ability to do almost virtually anything made me believe even more than I already do, the importance of staying tech relevant to better serve your clients and investors. Whether you are introducing a new idea, presenting a better way, or showing a client commercial real estate from across the country, you rely on technology, in some way, to get results faster and more efficiently. Every year, month, and day, technology is moving and changing, and this stresses the fact that as a leader - so must you.
With today’s environment being highly competitive, what you can’t do, your competition will. Your competitors may be better, or they may just have better technology at their disposal. Now, information is readily available with just a few clicks. The importance of staying on top of social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), introducing knowledge of your industry through blogs, or answering a quick email from a client becomes expected. The shift of power moves to the customer. According to Gartner Group, customers will manage 85% of their relationship with a company without any human interaction. This means that you may never see or talk to your client if you can’t provide what they need.
Clients and investors want accurate answers to their problems with zero wait time…
You’re asking yourself, “What do you mean they don’t want to wait?” As I stressed before, technology can help bring you to the next level. This can be achieved through many different outlets such as private client portals, document exchange services, or web-based conferencing giving your clients the feeling of interaction while providing the access they want. It doesn’t stop there; this can be available to team members as well. According to Gallup, eight in ten workers (79%) view the ability to use devices to stay connected to the workplace after normal working hours in a positive light. By giving your team and your clients the access to the information they need and want, you enhance their experience with your company.
More so now than ever, being constantly involved in the new changes in technology, recognizing the shifts in how business transactions are closed, and learning from new recruits adapting in fast-paced work environments, keeps me relevant and I am able to serve my clients and investors better, stronger and smarter. Industry leaders have to now establish new norms when it comes to client interaction and take the step necessary to keep moving in a forward direction. Keeping in mind that every business is different and what works for one may not for the other.
The point is to find what works best for you and your client. Use this as an approach to show that your business travels with the times and continues to grow and improve.
Want more commercial real estate conference news? I’m a penelist at the CREFC High Yield & Distressed Realty Assets Summit taking place March 11th and 12th in New York. We’ll be discussing issues in enforcement foreclosure rights, including: Judicial vs non-judicial foreclosure states, the key issues for a lender to consider; the borrowers’ efforts to delay the foreclosure process, what a lender can do in response; and alternatives to the foreclosure process, regaining control. Learn more and register for the program here.