Every CRE Broker Needs To Learn How To Code
Sitting in on some training from MNCAR (Minnesota Commercial Association of REALTORS or Minnesota Commercial Association of Real Estate, depending on which one you belong to. Confusing, I know) the other day, it amazes how little commercial brokers understand about computers and internet. MNCAR recently took a step forward by switching to ePropertyData – a commercial information exchange or CIE. In short, it means that’s the bible for commercial real estate locally as it is the multiple listing service for brokers to display all the commercial property for sale or lease.
ePropertyData works for the moment, the biggest step up is it works across multiple browsers and on mobile platforms. The last CIE you had to have some lower version of Internet Explorer to have it just play nice. It was funny to hear complaints like “When will the updates stop?” and “Why now?”. Looking around the room, most brokers had ditched their Blackberry’s for iPhone’s or Android devices leading me to think that it wasn’t all about email these days as if it was, they would have stuck the Blackberry. They must like not like updates to the latest apps on their smartphones or new features. So why is it any different to the MNCAR Exchange? I would like the latest and greatest updates to make the site work better. It is the brokers bible you know…
It’s almost like brokers want to step back 10 years. Since the mid 1990′s, the internet has been an almost constant in everyday life. I’ll give you the 5 to 10 years off if you really didn’t understand it.
If the White House has made a pledge to code, then I think commercial real estate should do it as well.
I get it, the brokers only job is to sell commercial real estate from many peoples view points. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t at this point. I understand that a lot of brokers from the bigger brokerages probably rarely touch the MNCAR Exchange and opt for their assistants to run reports, find properties, etc. for them. I wonder how your clients would feel if they knew?
Over the past five years, I’ve taught myself WordPress and some other programs to name a few. I’m no expert at either but nonetheless, I understand the basics of software functions and how to work with it.
As business changes and social commerce becomes the norm for a lot of industries, will commercial real estate brokers keep up or continue to live by their old ways? It may not be happening now or maybe in a few years. But it probably will sooner rather than later. Please don’t tell me that CRE is a face-to-face business, I know that already, that won’t change.
If not for your career, then for the sake of not looking like deer in front of headlights, learn some basic code because the internet will only continually evolve.
flickr photo cred: brotherM
