PricewaterhouseCoopers Korpacz Real Estate Investor Survey

At several recent real estate conferences nationwide, the focus has been on software and automation technology. Proponents say these tools can help building owners and managers streamline operations and accounts, especially if they install "smart building products" such as wireless Internet, automated lighting and heat controls, and remote access to maintenance programs.

More and more tech companies are introducing products and services that capitalize on the commercial real estate industry's need for maps and other forms of location-based information. Microsoft, for instance, recently introduced a Virtual Earth 3D program, which uses building models fashioned from photographs to create realistic virtual perspectives of buildings and neighborhoods. It's designed to compete with the popular Google Earth.

Coldwell Banker Commercial incorporated Virtual Earth 3D in its revamped website earlier this year. The Parsippany, NJ-based firm, a subsidiary of Realogy Corp., wanted to enhance the functionality of its online mapping tool and provide its brokers and customers.