For brokers and brokerages in the commercial real estate industry it can be very easy to get tunnel vision while racing from one site visit to the next and one client to the next. For those of you that have recently come up for air though and taken a look at how the CRE tech landscape has changed, you’re in for quite the pleasant surprise. The commercial real estate tech scene is bursting with useful products and a stream of new entrants that can and are affecting the way both broker and client do business.

We were fortunate enough to attend (and speak at) the DisruptCRE Conference in Chicago and walked away very impressed. We wanted to compile our five apps that we personally feel every commercial real estate professional should know about to help make their job easier.

REA

Everyone needs a good CRM. Seriously. REA goes far beyond a generic contact manager by linking property information to contact records for owners, sellers, agents, and tenants. REA has been in the commercial real estate game for 30 plus years, so you know they have it down to a science.

See more: http://gorea.com/

VTS

It’s no longer just video – VTS is putting up arms in the data race to fight the giant. Targeted towards larger property owners, this leading commercial real estate company delivers a single platform to track deal flow, manage space, and collaborate. They host 860 million square feet of office space, including 110 million square feet in NYC alone – that’s about a quarter of the city’s entire office space!

See more: https://www.vts.com/

Docusign

It’s time to put away the pen. Here’s a truly simple app that allows commercial real estate professionals to upload important paperwork and email it to all of the relevant members involved in a deal for review/signature. Not only does this allow you to collect signatures but Docusign also encrypts the data and stores it securely online. Their digital, mobile ability, and convenience reigns supreme for busy execs… this is a must have.

See more: https://www.docusign.com/solutions/industries/real-estate

Hightower / Co-StarGo

Why Co-StarGo? Basically because you have to. Why download a second application and have Hightower as well? Because you actually want their tech. Co-StarGo gives you the most comprehensive property information instantly while away from your desk including available space, current tenants, sales history, leasing, etc. while Hightower takes the thoughtfully designed route to provide mobile and cloud services to track and analyze leasing data in real time. We support real time anything… Ultimately, Hightower specializes in customization, which makes this company stand out from the pack in our book.

See more: https://www.costar.com/products/costar-go

See more: http://www.gethightower.com/

Liquidspace

Making space liquid. Genius. Liquidspace enables companies/people to instantly find and book meeting and office space by the hour, day, or longer. They have more than 5,500 workspaces in 600 cities, even cities in Canada and Australia. For professionals on the go, or those looking for peace and quiet away from Starbucks, Liquidspace has something for everyone. They are truly making office space a liquid asset and available to the masses.

See more: https://liquidspace.com/

According to an Inman News study, the top 3 buyer trends for 2015 will be: 1. Millenial buyers driving the market, 2. more international buyers entering the US market, and 3. mobile-first buyers on the rise. We’ll see if these five tech companies continue to kill it by servicing those trends, or which companies emerge throughout the year. We at ReaLync are personally excited because those three trends have long been the focus for the ReaLync team as we look to join the ranks of top CRE tech and truly help to disrupt commercial real estate on a global scale. We shall see what 2015 brings!

Until next time… keep it real!