Many commercial real estate firms continue to use outmoded programs such as ACT!, Excel, or Outlook. However, in order to streamline and organize inter-departmental office communications, so as to ensure unity within the office, so as to prevent overlap between departments, and so as to ensure maximum individual contribution to maximize overall efficiency and productivity, most offices would benefit from updated software.
As compared to outmoded programs like Excel, which unnecessarily separate departments while requiring the use of dozens of cumbersome and inefficient spreadsheets, new, commercial real estate software systems promote unity and collaboration within the office. These networked systems are able to contain and organize far more information than previous systems. Additionally, commercial real estate software can be customized to accommodate company-specific data in one, centralized location. This data can then be networked into parent organizations, to make the information available to all employees. Networked systems thus enable a free-flow of information previously encumbered by such programs as Excel. Easy access to the centralized database arms employees with the maximum amount of relevant information to enable them to make the best decisions.
New programs also offer several industry-specific features not available in programs such as Excel. First, new programs include several accounting systems designed especially for commercial real estate use. For example, such systems permit the tracing of expenses, liabilities, and assets for each property. Second, commercial real estate software offers an integrated tenant-broker-landlord relationship management.. Third, new programs are designed to easily import and update property data, contacts, and leads. Fourth, new systems that include web-based platforms enable access to data from anywhere at any time, the ability to upload and share documents and files with clients using a secure cloud connection, real-time updates of selected listings, projects, and leads for secure viewing, 24-hour access to site information, and partnerships with hosting services that ensure the safety and security of data. Moreover, such web-based systems almost always include comprehensive service and support agreements, as well as the possibility for automatic upgrade agreements.
Many new programs and systems exist. At various levels, the new systems can be tailored to fit current and anticipated corporate tenant needs. Commercial real estate software is ready to adapt as the industry changes. Such features make software upgrades worth the cost and trouble of transferring from outmoded programs such as Excel.
